Testosterone is the main male hormone that is responsible for the primary and secondary signs of a man. Not only the physical development of a man depends on this hormone, but also his health, sexual life and many other aspects of life. In this article, we will talk about the role of testosterone in the lives of men who are engaged in bodybuilding, consider testosterone as a pharmaceutical drug, and show all the advantages and disadvantages of supplementing testosterone in bodybuilding.

Effects of Testosterone
The level of testosterone in men depends on many factors, however, it must be maintained at the proper level, especially at a more mature age (after 30), when it begins to gradually fall. A lack of testosterone in a man’s body can lead to the following consequences:

Decreased sexual desire or even impotence;
muscle degradation;
Metabolic disorders, problems with being overweight;
The development of cardiac diseases.
Every man, whether he is an athlete, or just a person who keeps himself in shape, should know what his main sex hormone does. Testosterone is required to perform the following functions:

The development of sex hormones;
Muscle formation;
Adjustment of seminal fluid production;
Increased libido;
Increased protein synthesis;
Increasing the metabolic rate;
Strengthening bones;
Increased activity of the sex glands.
As you can see, the role of testosterone for men is vital, so the level of this hormone must be constantly maintained, especially for athletes.

How to maintain testosterone levels in bodybuilding

Proper balanced nutrition, physical activity, lack of stress, attention of the opposite sex, positive attitude will help you keep testosterone at a high level. By the way, studies have shown that strength training is most conducive to increasing testosterone levels. To keep testosterone levels high, you must also follow these rules:

Do not drink any alcohol (including beer);
Do not smoke or take drugs, as well as antidepressants;
Minimize the consumption of fast food, confectionery, sugar, salt.
As you can see, maintaining testosterone in bodybuilding at the level difficult enough, but most athletes who play sports seriously follow all these rules.

Testosterone preparations in bodybuilding

Testosterone can not only be increased, but also taken. To do this, pharmaceutical companies are developing various drugs based on this hormone. These drugs are very effective – they significantly help to increase muscle mass and strength indicators, increase sexual desire. But when taking these drugs, there is a high probability of side effects – the appearance of edema, increased pressure, aggression, irritability, acne, etc. By the way, the likelihood of side effects can be minimized if you follow the instructions and recommended dosages, but even in such cases, you may be covered with acne, since the body’s reaction to the drug will be individual in each individual case.

Today you can buy the following drugs based on testosterone:

Sustanon (omnadren);
Testosterone propionate, phenylpropionate, enanthate, cypionate, undecaonate;
Suspension of testosterone;
Methyltestosterone.

Each of these drugs has a different effectiveness and risk of side effects. Despite this, today a lot of modern athletes use testosterone in bodybuilding. It is worth knowing that doctors strongly advise against taking any anabolic steroids, including testosterone, to young athletes (under 25 years old), as their body is still growing, and the use of such drugs with an incorrect course can even lead to infertility.

At the end of this article, we would like to summarize the reviewed material. Testosterone in bodybuilding plays a key role in the progression of athletes, it is on it that muscle growth and strength increase depend. With low testosterone levels, you will certainly progress, but compared to athletes who take drugs based on this hormone, it will seem that you are marking time. Of course, we do not advise you to take anabolic steroids at all, but we recommend doing everything in order to maintain a high level of natural testosterone.