What role does testosterone play in women || Testosterone production in women

Why women need testosterone

For the female body, testosterone is of great importance. Its level affects the increase in strength and muscle tissue during training, energy levels, mood and libido.

Despite the fact that testosterone, or androgen, is called the male hormone, it is also present in the female body, but its amount is meagerly small. The normal testosterone level in men is 200-1200 ng/dl, while the norm for women is 15-70 ng/dl.

That is why women may not be afraid to become inflated and masculine as a result of strength training, for this there is too little testosterone in the female body.

A woman also needs testosterone to maintain muscle and bone mass, in addition, it affects sexual desire. The effect of testosterone is not yet fully understood, but the effect of the hormone on muscle mass and bone strength has already been studied. Scientists have proven that increasing the level of testosterone in the blood improves bone density.

It is much more difficult to assess the effect of testosterone on sex drive and quality of life in general. A study by a popular English medical journal assessed sexuality and quality of life in women with low testosterone levels. After increasing the level of the hormone in the blood, their health and sex life improved.

Why does a woman need testosterone?

The increased amount of testosterone in women, as a rule, can be seen with the "naked eye". Such women are given out by external signs in the face of excessive hair growth and male body proportions. Another fairly common sign of hyperandrogenism is an enlarged clitoris.

The values of the norm of testosterone in women can vary greatly depending on the method of determination, laboratory, units of measurement, therefore, when interpreting test results, it is important to consider all these factors.

The norm of testosterone in women varies depending on the time of day, age, phase of the menstrual cycle, the presence of pregnancy.

Daily fluctuations in the concentration of the hormone in the blood are associated with the rhythm of its secretion. In the morning, the level of androgen is higher, in the evening it reaches its minimum value. Women produce an average of 0.4 mg of testosterone per day.

The rate of testosterone hormone in women is directly dependent on the phase of the menstrual cycle:

• follicular phase - 0.45 to 3.17 ng/ml;
• ovulatory phase (peak) - 0.46 to 2.48 ng/ml;
• luteal phase - 0.29 to 1.73 ng/mL

During pregnancy, the level of testosterone in the blood of women increases, by the third trimester it becomes 3-4 times higher.

These norms take into account all forms of the hormone in the blood serum, i.e. total testosterone. Free testosterone index (FTI) is used to determine the ratio of free and total testosterone.

If testosterone is elevated, its decrease is carried out with the help of drugs that contain metformin and spironolactone. These substances inhibit testosterone synthesis or prevent it from binding to target cell receptors.

The main treatment for testosterone secretion disorders is hormonal therapy. Medicines and the duration of the course of treatment are selected by the doctor.

Because elevated testosterone levels in women are almost always accompanied by overweight, a diet that is balanced in terms of macro- and micronutrients, but with a reduced calorie content of the diet is recommended.