TestoFuel Blog : Make Gains & Pack on the Muscle
As a natural androgen, testosterone regulates a number of male characteristics. From your manly personality and assertive personality to your muscular and strong physique, this hormone has you covered.
But as you age your testosterone levels begin to slow down. And this can lead to a number of undesired side effects.
One of these is irritable male syndrome – a disorder linked to low mood, frustration and stress.
How do you cure it naturally?
Read on to find out more…
Unlike women, men don’t have massive hormonal fluctuations each month. They don’t experience the menopause either where certain hormones stop being produced altogether.
But that doesn’t mean that you don’t suffer the consequences of low reproductive hormones. That’s because as you age your body begins to make less and less testosterone. It doesn’t stop being produced, but there’s not enough to regulate important bodily systems.
With age comes wisdom, discipline and knowledge. But it also brings changes to your body too.
From the age of around 30 though, your testes begin to make less than optimal amounts of T; and this can lead to a number of health, performance and aesthetic consequences if it persists.
By the age of 45, over 40 per cent of men will have clinically low hormone levels.
According to the current research, Irritable male syndrome (IMS), can be best described as a negative behavioural state that occurs following a decrease in testosterone [1]. It is characterized by:
Sometimes referred to as the andropause or androgen deficiency in the ageing male (ADAM), this condition is common in men and can lead to low self-confidence, problems concentrating, sleeping problems and an all-round lack of energy and motivation.
Often leaving you slapped with the tag of mid-life crisis, irritable male syndrome can have you feeling frustrated at the world around you and can lead to problems with loved ones as you become increasingly moody, grouchy and ill-tempered.
This can push you into a perpetual cycle of negativity as you begin to alienate yourself from those that love you most.
IMS can leave you feeling disconnected from family and friends, and feelings of isolation.
It also have an affect on your libido and sexual appetite as well.
Not only does the onset of the andropause cause mood disturbances and irritability, it can also have a big impact on your health, longevity and well-being.
Hypogonadism – the clinical term for low T levels – has been associated with a number of disorders and diseases. These include:
Key Point: Irritable male syndrome is a disorder characterized by anxiety, frustration and anxiety. It is strongly linked to lower-than-optimal testosterone levels.
The most effective way to treat IMS is to look at the hidden cause of the irritability.
It’s okay trying to put strategies in place to reduce symptoms of your low mood or your anxiety; but without elevating your testosterone levels you’ll never truly fix the problem.
Here are the lifestyle changes you need to consider to fix IMS.
Accepting that there may be a problem is the first and most important part of addressing the issues.
If you’ve lost your libido, struggle to get an erection or just don’t want to have sex then this may be part of the andropause and you shouldn’t just accept it.
Likewise, if you feel like you have low mood, constant negative feelings or are becoming increasingly frustrated with your family and friends then this could also mean you have an underlying hormonal dysfunction.
Lastly, if you feel like you want to ‘get away from it all’, have a desire to make big changes in your life or have strong fears of being a failure or missing opportunities throughout your life then chances are you’re experiencing andropause and irritable male syndrome.
The simplest way to find out if you have low testosterone or not is to get checkout out by your doctor.
A blood test involves having a sample taken from a vein in your arm. You’d normally have the test done in the morning as this is when your T levels are at their highest.
You don’t necessarily need to fast prior to the test and you don’t need to prepare anything in advance. It’s quick and painless and definitely worth a brief moment of two of some slight discomfort.
There are also a small sample of questionnaires that you can take to see if you have IMS. They rate your mood, anxiety levels and so on and cover physical, psychological, biological and social symptoms to get a full picture of you and your irritability.
And while these aren’t there to self diagnose, they do provide a useful starting point for further investigation.
You may or may not like exercise, but being physically active is a sure-fire way of improving your health and the symptoms of irritable male syndrome. One of the best ways to optimize testosterone is to reduce excess weight – especially belly fat.
The link between being overweight and low T is high.
Physical activity boosts endorphins which can help elevate your mood and reduce anxiety, helping you deal with daily frustrations.
And it also boosts levels of a plasma protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which has also been shown to regulate mood, as well as decrease feelings of anxiety and stress [2].
Choose an activity that you enjoy. It doesn’t have to be overly-intense, but something that gets your heart rate up and raises your metabolism would really help. Walking, swimming, weight training or cycling are all good examples.
A well-balanced diet helps you control you calorie intake and supplement your physical activity in achieving a healthy body weight.
There are also a number of different testosterone boosting foods that can help you elevate your low T levels back to normal.
Alternatively you can get all of these nutrients in the correct doses in a testosterone boosting supplement that provides a safe and effective way of supporting anabolic hormone production, without the side effects of aggressive testosterone therapy.
It’s not always a good idea when you suffer from anxiety, stress and irritability to hit the gym too hard – all you’ll do is add to the stress your body is already feeling overwhelmed.
High intensity fitness classes might be counterproductive at this stage.
Yoga, Tai Chi, meditation and conscious breathing exercises are all a great way to relax your stressors, lower your heart rate and boost feelings of wellness.
