Testosterone replacement

Testosterone, or its precursor androgen, is commonly used by highly competitive athletes seeking an edge.

But there has been a growing population of men who have elected to undergo androgen therapy to offset the aging process, conserve muscle mass, and feel more youthful.

In the following paper, the authors summarize the pros & cons of this:

The benefits and risks of testosterone replacement therapy: a review

Nazem Bassil,¹ Saad Alkaade,² and John E Morley^1,3

To summarize their summary:

-older men can experience "hypogonadism" - which effectively means less testosterone production

-This can have the following effects:

• erectile dysfunction
• decreased muscle mass and strength
• increased body fat
• decreased bone mineral density and osteoporosis
• mild anemia
• breast discomfort and gynecomastia
• hot flushes
• sleep disturbance
• body hair and skin alterations
• decreased vitality
• decreased intellectual capacity

However these aren't only due to low testosterone, and are also associated with alcoholism, depression, and plain old 'aging' (which is a completely different topic altogether).

If these symptoms are accompanied by a low testosterone level (as determined by a physician), using steroids to compensate might help. But if lagging testosterone levels are not to blame, does adding a little more do any harm? Does it help?