Testosterone in Women

Can low levels of testosterone in women cause weight gain?

Yes, they can. And they do.

Many people are surprised to learn that in addition to the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone, a woman’s ovaries also produce a certain amount of the male hormone, testosterone.

And, like estrogen and progesterone, production of testosterone decreases during menopause.

Unfortunately, low levels of testosterone in women are associated with a number of undesirable effects including – you guessed it - weight gain and difficulty losing weight.





Effects of Testosterone in Women

Testosterone is a hormone that builds and maintains bone and muscle tissue. When levels of testosterone in women drop during menopause loss of bone and muscle mass occur.

Loss of bone makes women susceptible to osteoporosis and fracture while loss of muscle results in loss of strength - the number one cause of nursing home admissions in older adults – as well as weight gain.



Testosterone and Weight Loss

Following menopause it’s important to restore your testosterone levels to keep from gaining weight and to facilitate weight loss. Here’s why:

  • Testosterone builds muscle. Muscle is the most metabolically active tissue in the body. The more muscle you have the more calories you “burn” at rest. Consequently, maintaining muscle mass is critically important for weight loss and for maintaining weight loss once it has been achieved.

  • Testosterone is one of the body’s primary regulators of sugar, fat, and protein metabolism. Testosterone improves sensitivity to blood sugar and decreases insulin levels. Because high levels of insulin cause fat synthesis and inhibit the breakdown of fat, decreasing insulin levels facilitates weight loss.



Other Beneficial Effects of Testosterone in Women

In addition to facilitating weight loss and improving strength, testosterone provides many other health benefits. For example:

  • TESTOSTERONE INCREASES SEXUAL INTEREST
    Testosterone is the hormone of sexual desire in both men and women. In fact, physicians report that it is not unusual for women who are on testosterone replacement therapy to drag their husbands in to have their testosterone levels restored as well!

  • TESTOSTERONE INCREASES SELF-CONFIDENCE
    Yes Ladies, men do have an advantage in the business world and it’s not just because of the Good Old Boys Club. It’s because they have so much more testosterone than women do! Restoring testosterone levels in women following menopause can boost self-confidence, increase motivation and reduce symptoms of depression.

  • TESTOSTERONE HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN
    In addition to its natural anti-depressant effects, restoring levels of testosterone in women can also help maintain memory.

  • TESTOSTERONE HELPS KEEP SKIN FROM SAGGING
    By maintaining muscle tone, testosterone can help keep skin taut as we age. No more sagging cheeks and droopy eyelids!

  • TESTOSTERONE BENEFITS PEOPLE WITH DIABETES
    Restoring testosterone in women and men with diabetes has been shown to reduce the incidence of complications like retinopathy (blindness) and vascular disease.



Testosterone Replacement Therapy

As with estrogen and progesterone, testosterone levels can be easily be measured with a saliva test and restored using either a synthetic form of the hormone (methyl testosterone) or a bio-identical or natural form. Since treatment with methyl testosterone has been associated with an increased incidence of liver cancer, natural testosterone is the better option.

Natural testosterone can be taken orally or used as a cream. If used as a cream it is important to rotate sites of application since consistently applying testosterone cream to the same location will result in increased hair growth at that site. (Unfortunately, this does not work for hair on the scalp.)

As with other hormones, natural testosterone requires a prescription and must be obtained from a special compounding pharmacy. And it is important to continue to measure testosterone levels intermittently during treatment to be sure the dosage you are taking is correct.



A Word About Estrogen and Testosterone

It is often said that the various hormones of the body are like a symphony–-you only achieve harmony when every member of the orchestra is playing at optimal levels. In other words, restoring one hormone with out restoring the others is not ideal therapy.

And research is showing that in order for testosterone to work well, estrogen (estradiol) levels must also be optimized.

Restoring Estrogen After Menopause
Is Hormone Replacement Therapy Safe?
Progesterone Deficiency and Weight Gain
Beneficial Effects of Progesterone
Get Updates To This Site!
Join Our Weight Loss Program
More On Testosterone
Leave Testosterone in Women Page and Return Home