TestoFuel Blog : Make Gains & Pack on the Muscle
As a dominant, strong, confident and lean man you’re aware of how important testosterone is for health and performance. But having a normal estrogen level in males is just as important. Here’s what you need to know…
Estrogen is a primary female hormone. And while it’s primary role in women is to regulate menstrual cycles, it’s also pivotal to male health too.
The problem is that while normal estrogen levels are needed for optimal health, too high and you’ll begin to suffer a wide range of side effects.
Balancing testosterone and estrogen is the key to better physical performance, muscle mass, stamina, libido and sex drive.
In this article we tell you not only what normal estrogen levels for males are; but how to make sure they stay that way…
Estrogen (E) is a hormone often referred to as the primary female sex hormone. It is one of 5 classes of steroid hormone alongside testosterone, glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids and progesterone.
In women, estrogen helps to regulate menstrual cycles and trigger the release of an egg in anticipation of ovulation. It’s produced in the ovaries, adrenal glands and peripheral tissues. Without it, fertility and pregnancy couldn’t occur.
It’s also responsible for the development of secondary sex characteristics such as breast and pubic hair growth, widening of the hips and softening of the facial features.
The term ‘estrogen’ is a family name for three major different hormones.
Because men don’t have ovaries they can’t make E the conventional way.
Instead, it’s made by converting some of your testosterone into estrogen via a process called aromatization.
This process is important as it helps balance hormone levels. Having high testosterone is excellent for muscle mass, strength, health and libido; but low levels can reduce normal estrogen levels for male, which in itself can cause issues (we’ll look at this later on in this article).
Aromatization is an important part of male reproductive health. Without the synergy between testosterone and estrogen, sexual function wouldn’t be optimized.
Key Point: Around 80% of estrogen production in men comes from aromatization. Low testosterone levels means low estrogen levels too.
The balance between testosterone, normal estrogen levels for males and the process of aromatization is hugely important for male health.
When that system works effectively, estrogen is set at optimal levels.
When we talk about normal ‘estrogen’ levels in men, we’re really talking about normal estradiol levels, because it’s this form of estrogen that is involved in aromatization.
Normal estrogen levels for males is between 2.0-5.5 ng.dL. That equates to 10-40 pg.mL.
These values come from the most comprehensive study available on the subject which you can read in full here.
The bottom line is that estradiol isn’t just a female hormone. It plays an important part in health, fertility and function.
Testosterone is your primary, most important hormone for health, physical performance and cognitive function.
As such, you’ve got more of this hormone in your bloodstream than estrogen.
Normal testosterone levels are 300-1,000 ng.dL.
You might find our detailed guide on “What’s a Normal Testosterone Level for a Man” useful if you want to learn more about this primary male androgen hormone.
With both E1 and E3 only being relevant to women, you might be wondering why estrogen is important for males too.
The answer is simple…
Estrogen plays a pivotal part in regulating male health. Normal estrogen levels for males is hugely important for overall function and wellness.
Because it’s so important for regulating menstrual cycles in females, many men just presume estrogen is only specific to females.
Here’s why estrogen is important for men…
Estrogen is significantly related to bone cell health. It works with other hormones to help bones develop, mature and remodel. Without it, bone cells would be consumed by bone damaging cells called osteoclasts.
Low estrogen elevates the risk of bone-related disorders such as osteoporosis.
There is a clear and significant link between normal estrogen levels for males and heart health.
In one study [1], 501 men with chronic heart failure were assessed for hormone levels. Those with the lowest levels of estrogen were over 300% more likely to die than those with normal levels.
Low estrogen can lead to erectile dysfunction, low libido and sex drive and poor bedroom performance.
If testosterone levels are low, you’ll more than likely suffer from an increase in belly fat. But low estrogen will have the same effect.
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine [2] found that when 400 men were given a drug to reduce their testosterone and estrogen levels, body fat increased. Half of the men were then given a natural testosterone booster and the other half were given a placebo.
The men receiving the booster dropped excess fat and normalized their hormone. The placebo group saw no changes at all.
It’s clear that low estrogen levels are the result of low testosterone. If there aren’t enough androgens flowing through your bloodstream, aromatization can’t take place.
The result could be an increased risk of heart failure, reproductive issues, poor bone health and increased body fat.
But…
High estrogen levels are a huge issue for men.
Testosterone levels can drop by as much as 30% between the ages of 25 and 75%. This leads to a reduced tissue take up of androgen hormones by a massive 50%. As you can imagine, this can have a drastic effect on your health.
In fact, there’s a strong correlation between clinically low testosterone levels and early death. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology, men with testosterone levels of 241 ng.dL (below the lower safety threshold of 300 ng.dL) were 40% more likely to die compared to those with normal androgen levels [3].
That’s how serious low T is.
Key Point: Around 4-5 million men suffer from low testosterone. Once you reach the age of 30 you begin to lose testosterone at a rate of around 1-2% each year.
Here’s the good news.
Even though testosterone levels do drop with age, it’s not age itself that causes it.
One of the simplest and most effective ways to ramp up your testosterone levels is to fix your lifestyle. That way, there’s enough testosterone in your blood to optimize aromatization and estrogen production.
Recapturing the strong, lean and confident person you once were is easy. You just need to know how.
There are several ways you can take charge and power your way to high testosterone levels. Here’s how…
#1. Testosterone booster
Rather than opting for synthetic hormone treatments or dangerous non-prescription alternatives, a natural test booster provides all of the building blocks needed to restore hormonal balance.
High quality boosters not only stimulate T production directly, but also trigger regions of the brain responsible for telling your testes to make more androgens. The result is an increase in both total and free testosterone.
The effects are fast, effective and long-lasting.
#2. Strength training
There’s no question that exercise is great for your body, mind and health.
But it’s lifting weights that optimizes hormone levels the most – particularly if you’re lifting heavy and minimizing rest periods between sets.
When you lift weights, you cause microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. This causes an increase in inflammatory markers that flood the muscle fiber and begin to repair it. Testosterone is a hormone that elevates muscle protein synthesis – an important part of the anabolic process of muscle repair.
Elevating testosterone levels naturally will help you build muscle.
Research shows that T increases protein synthesis by a staggering 55% [4]
#3. Get more sleep
There’s nothing else as anabolic as a good night’s sleep.
It’s the perfect opportunity for your body to restore, regenerate and repair itself ready to go again the next day.
The number of hours you sleep for each night is a good predictor of testosterone levels. Men who only manage 4 hours each night have reported T levels that are 60% lower than those who sleep their way to a comfortable 8 hours [5].
Estrogen is a steroid hormone that is produced in males through process of aromatization. It helps to reduce the risk of vascular and bone-related disease, lowers body fat and optimize reproductive function.
Having low testosterone levels means sub-optimal aromatization. This in turn leads to a decrease in estrogen.
it is important that as a strong, muscular and athletic man you do all you can to keep your testosterone levels elevated and therefore maintain normal estrogen levels for males.
