We all know that testosterone is the male sex hormone. However, it is more important than promotion of healthy sex drive in men. From taking supplements to trying T level boosting foods, people try everything they can.
Do you know that testosterone is also responsible for muscle strength, bone density, better mood and red blood cell count? Clearly, it is very important to maintain T-levels for the overall health of men.
Even so, after the age of 30 years, men start losing one to two percent of testosterone every year. While this is a natural process of aging, some men, due to external or internal factors, start losing their T-count at quite a young age. This is where testosterone shots come into picture. If your T-level is low, then your doctor generally suggests testosterone injections. In medical terms, it is called testosterone replacement therapy.
Why do Sportsmen & Athletes Take Testosterone Shots?
Read on to learn more on how long does a testosterone shot last, and more.
Why are testosterone shots worth it?
According to Experts at Can Fight Bac: “The basic reason why men choose these shots is that they are the simplest means to compensate for naturally low levels of testosterone. The condition is quite common in men these days because of the regular stress, anxiety, fatigue and many other reasons.”
Some men experience low symptoms while others deal with a wide range of the same. This doesn’t affect the fact that low T-levels can disrupt your personal and professional life, and thus requires the best treatment, that is, testosterone shots.
According to this study, published in the The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, it was observed that most frequent reasons given by men for taking T shots included low testosterone (37.1%), well-being (35.2%), energy (28.7%), libido (21.9%), and social energy (19.4%). There were older men as well who complained about low libido as the motivation for taking the shots.
Another reason why testosterone shots are chosen by men with low T-levels is that they are quite effective and quick in showing results. However, this doesn’t mean that you will experience a sudden rise in the testosterone levels. It will take a bit of time to reach your ideal T-level albeit it is one of the modern and the best treatments for your low testosterone levels.
What is the timeline of testosterone shots?
One thing that we all should understand that these injections are not a quick fox to our hormonal problems. Neither are they some kind of magical pills that would show you the results within a few minutes or hours. However, this doesn’t mean that you will have to wait around for months or years to see the changes in your body.
Even though it depends on the particular body type and thus, varies from person-to-person, there is an average timeline of testosterone shots that show the result. The effects have been broken down for individual symptoms of low testosterone in human beings (Scientific Affairs team at Men’s Healthcare in Germany).
To begin with, sexual enhancements/improvements can be noticed after three weeks of injections. However, changes in ejaculations and/or erections requires an average of 6 months to show complete changes.
The changes in mood swings or depression caused due to low testosterone levels can start somewhere between 3 weeks and can last up to 18 weeks, or probably more. The maximum time for the positive changes to manifest in the body is 34 weeks, depending on the body type.
Insulin sensitivity is expected to improve within a few days of the shots, whereas effects on lip[ds are expected to appear after a month or so. The improvement in glycemic control shows on the onset of 3 months and takes about 12 months to be completely in regulation.
The effect on inflammation starts showing somewhere around 3 to 12 weeks. Body mass, muscular strength, bone density and related body functions are seen within 6-12 weeks, but takes about a year to stabilize. In some cases, it might take 3 years as well to completely heal the body.
The timeline of testosterone shot is illustrated below for the better understanding of people-
Two weeks of treatment
- Improved insulin sensitivity
Three weeks of treatment
- Improved sexual drive
- Increased morning erections in men
- Reduction in anxiety, depression, insomnia, and fatigue
- Decreased inflammation
Four weeks of treatment
- Decrease in cholesterol and triglycerides
- Full erections and improved sexual performances
Six weeks of treatment
- Better mood
- Reduced depression and anxiety
3 months of treatment
- Better glycemic control
- Improved blood pressure
- Formation of red blood cells
- Changes in body mass, bone density and muscle strength
- Decrease in LDL cholesterol and increase in HDL cholesterol
- Increased energy and ability to exercise
6 months of treatment
- Increased bone density and muscle mass
- Rise in PSA level in men
- Improved mood
- Better formation of red blood cells
A year into treatment
- Possible prostate-specific antigen and volume rise
- Happier mood
- Better sexual activities
- Deep and quality sleep
- Improved appearance
- Increased capacity to exercise
- Stabilized mood
- Sharper brain functions
- Impressive formation of red blood cells
- Strong bones
- Lower blood pressure
- Low cholesterol level
- Low triglyceride level
- Improved glycemic control
Are there any drawbacks of testosterone shots?
While testosterone shots are the best and most effective way to improve testosterone levels, it might have some drawbacks as well. These include –
- Need for frequent injections
- Inconsistent hormonal balance
- Blood clots
- Liver and/or heart problems
- Possibility of tumours in prostate glands
These health risks are mentioned just to make you aware about the drawbacks. While these shots aren’t all safe for men, this treatment is highly recommended for those dealing with low testosterone levels.
Most men who take shots are in fact, quite happy with the improvement and are getting the desired results. However, one must consult their doctor or a medical health professional to discuss their problem and the best solution for it. You might need some extra attention from your doctor in case you already suffer from health conditions, such as heart problems, sleep apnea, high red blood cells count, etc.
Conclusion
One must understand that this information does not apply to every person. As mentioned before, everyone has a different body type and most can increase their T levels simply by going for a trusted Testosterone booster.
If you want to accelerate the results, then it would be best to have a balanced diet, quality sleep accompanied by a good work-out or exercise regime, and you will see changes/improvements in your body sooner than you expect.
Source
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov