Male hormones: Types, functions, and measurement methods explained

4. What exactly are male hormones?

Here, we will explain male hormones. Male hormones are a collective term for five hormones.

Testosterone, which makes up 95% of all testosterone, is secreted by the testes. Its raw material is cholesterol. Excessive cholesterol intake is certainly bad for health, but avoiding protein for weight loss or a vegetarian diet can lead to insufficient cholesterol-producing raw materials, resulting in reduced testosterone secretion. Therefore, special attention should be paid to this. Some sources suggest that consuming about 100 grams of lean meat every other day is ideal for testosterone production. Testosterone levels decrease with age, and for men, the manner of decline varies from person to person.

Other male hormones include dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), androstenedione (androstenedione), all secreted by the adrenal glands.

Male hormones were discovered in 1931 by German biochemist Dr. Büttenant, who subsequently determined the chemical structure of sex hormones and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1939. Dr. Büttenant was also the one who determined the chemical structure of pheromones, the sexual stimulant.

The main functions of male hormones

One of its most little-known functions is the formation and development of male organs. It also contributes to muscle growth, increased body hair, and voice change, contributing to the development of a male-specific physique. Additionally, it may enhance libido.

However, it's not just about that. In recent years, it has been discovered that male hormones not only have sexual characteristics but also a wide variety of other functions.

For example, it participates in mental activities such as maintaining cognitive function and controlling depressive symptoms, and can also maintain the elasticity of blood vessels (inhibiting arteriosclerosis), lower cholesterol, inhibit obesity, and prevent osteoporosis, thus having a wide range of connections with maintaining physical health.

Furthermore, it enables hydrogen and oxygen to react quickly or slowly, and also plays a role in regulating the rate of respiration.

The functions of three hormones that are of great interest in anti-aging

Besides testosterone, there are other hormones necessary for men to remain younger and healthier. Here are three main examples.

These hormones all peak around age 20 and gradually decline with age. However, by adjusting lifestyle habits through attention to diet, exercise, and sleep, the rate of decline may be reduced.

① Growth hormone

Growth hormone is secreted in large quantities during childhood and adolescence to help the body grow. In adults, growth hormone plays an important role in maintaining normal energy metabolism and nervous system activity, as well as maintaining protein metabolism, lipid metabolism, and immune function.

Suppressed growth hormone secretion can lead to a host of distressing problems, including increased body fat, decreased muscle mass, reduced bone density, decreased strength and libido, impaired cholesterol metabolism, weakened immune function, decreased athletic ability, and impaired memory and cognitive function.

② Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle (day and night). Sleep disorders (difficulty falling asleep, light sleep) in middle-aged and older adults are closely related to a decline in melatonin levels. It is not only associated with sleep rhythm and sleep quality, but also plays a role in antioxidation and boosting immunity.

③ DHEA

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is also known as the "mother of hormones," promoting the release of sex hormones and other substances. Based on DHEA, more than 50 hormones can be synthesized, including male hormones, female hormones, anabolic steroids, and adrenocortical hormones. These hormones all have important functions such as maintaining health, burning fat, maintaining muscle mass, maintaining stable sex hormone levels, preventing aging, and maintaining mineral balance. Recently, it has been learned that DHEA is also related to the prevention of adult diabetes.

It is said that many men who live long and healthy lives have exceptionally high DHEA levels. DHEA is a hormone that men should pay attention to.

5. How to measure male hormones

How is the level of male hormones (testosterone) measured?

The hormone was named by the British physiologist Stirling, and its etymology derives from the Greek word "hormao," meaning "stimulation." Research on hormones began in the latter half of the 1800s, and in 1920, a technique for detecting hormones in urine was established. However, this was a large-scale test requiring the collection of a whole day's worth of urine. Later, simpler methods emerged that allowed for testing with only a small amount of blood.

That said, because testosterone binds to proteins in the blood, only about 30% actually functions in the body, meaning only about 30% is activated. In short, measuring the total amount of testosterone in the blood is meaningless. Activated testosterone is called free testosterone, and accurately measuring free testosterone in the blood is actually very time-consuming and expensive. Furthermore, the simplified blood test method currently used by Japanese insurance companies has accuracy issues and cannot be used with internationally recognized data. Professor Shigeo Horie, head of the Faculty of Medicine at Teikyo University, says that one of the biggest reasons for the lagging development of clinical medicine on male hormones in Japan is precisely this "non-international data."

A new kit for detecting male hormones using saliva has recently been developed. Testosterone in saliva is relatively stable and can be stored at room temperature for 1-2 days without any problems. It does not require blood collection or other medical procedures and can more accurately measure the amount of testosterone actually exerting its effects in the body, making it a detection method with many advantages.

The current challenge is the limited number of measurable units. Those interested in measuring testosterone in saliva can consult the Japanese Society for Male Health Medicine.