Don't Forget Us Fellas: Yoga and Male Menopause

by Baxter

Baxter and Friend by Melina Meza

Nina and Shari’s posts over the last week (see Yoga for Menopause: An Overview, Yoga for Menopause: Fatigue, Yoga for Menopause: Headaches, and Yoga for Menopause: Joint Problems) and the workshop I just completed this weekend on the endocrine system reminded me that men also face changes related to the sex hormones of the body that can lead to challenges as we age. So it seemed like the right time to talk about men, aging, and the sex hormones or androgens, especially testosterone.

Just as girls begin to experience hormonal changes as they approach puberty that lead to the growth and developments of their sexual organs and ability to get pregnant, boys at the onset of puberty also begin to experience hormonal shifts that lead to the development of the testes and penis and the secondary sexual characteristic, like body hair pattern, muscular development, voice changes and such.  The brain starts putting out signals from the hypothalamus deep at its core that signal the pituitary gland, also buried deep in the center of the brain, to release two hormones found in both men and women: luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating Hormone (FSH).  In women, these chemical messengers turn on the ovaries, get them producing estrogen and progesterone, and begin the menstrual cycles that will continue until a woman reaches menopause at around age 50.  For men, these same two hormones cause two things to happen in the adrenal glands (atop the kidneys) and the testicles: the maturation of the sperm and the production of testosterone and other male hormones called Androgens. And for the rest of a man’s life, the brain and the adrenals and testicles maintain communication to ensure proper amounts of sperm are produced and testosterone are around.

The presence of normal levels testosterone (T) and the other male androgens confer normal fertility, ability to ejaculate normally, normal sex drive, and normal bone strength. Testosterone also influences the normal functioning of certain mental processes, such as the ability to concentrate and focus on one task at a time. The downside of this is it does not help men multitask very well! Anyone surprised by that out there? Additionally, T influences fat distribution, muscle mass and strength and red blood cell production in men. (And women:  yes, you all have some T in your system, a lot less (1/16th) than men, but your system is more sensitive to the T that is around.) 

As men age, levels of T usually gradually diminish. According to the Mayo Clinic: “Testosterone peaks during adolescence and early adulthood. As you get older, your testosterone level gradually declines—typically about 1 percent a year after age 30. It is important to determine in older men if a low testosterone level is simply due to the decline of normal aging or if it is due to a disease (hypogonadism).”

This gradual decline, unlike the more sudden changes that occur for most women in the decade before age 50, may or may not lead to specific noticeable changes for men. But there are some changes that could be directly a result of lower T levels: changes is sexual function, changes in sleep patterns, changes in physical appearance (such as increased fat, decreasing muscle mass and strength and decreased bone density), and even hot flashes in rare cases. Emotional changes can also happen. The Mayo Clinic mentions the following: “Low testosterone may contribute to a decrease in motivation or self-confidence. You may feel sad or depressed, or have trouble concentrating or remembering things.”

Keep in mind, just as the changes that women experience as they traverse menopause can be considered normal changes associated with the aging process, some of the signs and symptoms just mentioned are can also be considered a normal part of the male aging process. The only way to find out if they are due to an abnormal drop in T production is to check it via a blood test. Now, one might think: if my T levels are too low, I should just take T as a supplement, right?  Well, the research to date does not support that idea, and T replacement, just like estrogen/progesterone replacement for women, can have unwanted side effects. So what is a fellow to do?

There is one interesting fact having to do with the effect of chronic stress on the male sex hormones that could be great motivation to start or continue practicing yoga as a way to work with the expected decline in male testosterone levels. Chronic stress leads to elevated levels of the hormone cortisol, which helps you deal with the short-term consequences of stressful events, but have negative long-term effects if continually stimulated, as happens in chronic stress. And when levels of cortisol begin to drop in the adrenal glands, the glands starts using DHEA, a precursor to the male androgens, including T, to make cortisol. This can result in an abnormal decrease in testosterone.

Of course, we also know that yoga is a great way to deal with chronic stress, and this has been demonstrated by many scientific studies. Athough we have reviewed this before in a few different posts, we haven't yet made the connection to how it impacts the endocrine system and specifically, the male sex hormones. Now the dots have officially been connected! Take it from me, a well-balanced yoga practice that includes both active yoga postures and restorative practices, including pranayama and meditation, done regularly could be just the ticket to getting your T back where it ought to be, at any stage of your life, fellas!