Gaspari Nutrition - The Name You Trust. The Brand That Works.

Early studies on anabolic steroids suggested that the drugs didn't work and they produced deadly side effects. Consequently, the use of testosterone and testosterone-like drugs are banned from almost all sports. The truth is that the drugs work and the side effects are usually minor and reversible. Much of what we know about testosterone supplements in men comes from Dr. Shalender Bhasin and colleagues at UCLA. In a series of elegant studies, they found that muscles grow and fat decreases in proportion to blood levels of testosterone (particularly free testosterone). Testosterone triggers the development of satellite cells in muscles that result in more cell nuclei per muscle cell. Cells store genetic material in the nucleus, which directs the cells to make new protein. Increasing the number of nuclei in a muscle cell makes it easier to produce new muscle protein, which assists in the development of muscle size and strength. Testosterone also increases the size of motor nerves, which explains the increase in power commonly experienced by many athletes. These finds are particularly interesting for older adults who experience muscle and nerve deterioration and increased body fat with age. (Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care, 7: 271-277, 2004)

Low testosterone levels cause decreased sex drive, reduced muscle mass, bone loss, depression, decreased mental capacity, altered sleep patterns and heart disease. University of Massachusetts Medical School scientists found that low testosterone levels were common in aging men. Six percent of 40-year old men and 12 percent of 60-year old men had low levels of the hormone. The incidence of testosterone deficiency increases with age and accounts for the decrease in quality of life seen in older men. The researchers estimated that we can expect nearly 500,000 new cases of testosterone deficiency in the United States every year. Prescriptions for testosterone have increased during each of the last five years and will continue to increase with the aging of the post World War II baby boom generation. (J Clin Endrinol Metab, 89: 5920-5926, 2004)