About Testosterone & Muscle Growth

Testosterone, a naturally occurring hormone produced in males and females, plays a vital role in developing almost all masculine characteristics, according to the Mayo Clinic. This hormone has a significant impact on muscle growth, an attribute that has long been known to athletes and bodybuilders. Examining how testosterone affects muscle growth, as well as the way that it functions throughout a man's life span, is important in the science behind muscle-building or general muscle health.

Identification

• Testosterone is produced by the testes from the onset of puberty throughout adulthood. It is also available by prescription for treatment of testosterone deficiency, which can be caused by a number of factors. The female body also makes the hormone in the ovaries, but on a much smaller scale--about 1/15th of the amount a man's body makes each day, according to Bodybuilding.com.

Effects

• Testosterone plays a key role in muscle growth, particularly in males. By increasing muscle protein synthesis, testosterone allows muscles throughout the body to use more of the protein consumed to repair and rebuild muscles that are strained or sore after a workout or any sort of physical activity. Since proteins are quite literally the "building blocks" of muscle, the relationship between testosterone and muscle growth is clear: The more testosterone in the body, the more muscle growth.

Time Frame

• Testosterone begins affecting muscle growth at puberty, when testosterone production causes development of male musculature, among many other changes associated with masculinity. However, the male body begins to slow its production of testosterone around the age of 40, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic. This decline is associated with a very gradual decrease in muscle mass throughout the remainder of a man's life.

Steroids

• Testosterone--the purest form of steroid--has been used and abused for many years by athletes and bodybuilders, among others. The reason for anabolic steroid use is to further increase muscle mass. Using testosterone, usually by injection, consistently causes muscle growth beyond that which an individual's body would normally have. Use of testosterone in this way, while highly effective at promoting muscle growth, is illegal in the U.S. and is banned in professional sports. It can also have many health consequences.

Therapeutic Uses

• Testosterone is an effective treatment for males or females who are deficient in testosterone, and in these cases it is usually administered by a doctor as an injection. Testosterone can be used to improve muscle growth and strength in women suffering from HIV, according to Bio-Medicine.org. Studies indicate that a woman afflicted with the disease can experience significant improvement in her quality of life due to the regrowth of muscle caused by using testosterone.