You might think it is normal – you just aren’t as strong as you used to be. You don’t use those muscles as much; it makes sense that you can’t tote things around as easily as you did when you were younger. Sadly, growing older isn’t always the reason for decreasing strength. Low testosterone levels lead to a decreased muscle mass, and lack of endurance.

What’s Happening to Your Body?
Diminished strength does come with age. In fact, if a man is relatively inactive, he can expect to lose 0.5% of his strength every year. This loss of strength will begin when the man hits his 25 birthday and continue until he is about 60 years old. At the age of 60, the rate of muscle loss doubles every ten years.
That normal progression is accelerated if testosterone levels start to drop. Since testosterone is a necessary component in gaining and retaining muscle mass, it isn’t surprising to learn men with low testosterone levels will experience a decrease in strength and endurance.
What are the Effects on Your Body?
Aside from not being able to enroll in a body building competition, the loss of muscle mass leads to other issues for your body.
Weight Gain
Do you know what muscle turns into as it loses mass? Fat. A couple extra pounds aren’t too bad, but they can quickly add up. Men who are above the recommended weight experience social anxiety, fatigue, poor sleeping patterns, and a decreasing sexual satisfaction.
Higher Risk of Injury
Your muscles do more than just assist with lifting heavy objects; they protect your bones and joints, and aid in balance. If you have a low level of muscle mass, you will have trouble balancing, putting you at risk for nasty falls. As you age, your bones become more and more fragile. The tiniest of trips could put you in an arm sling. That’s not it; your muscles are attached to your bones, giving them extra padding to rely on during a fall.
Joint Pain
Muscles don’t just protect your bones, but your joints too. Loss of muscle mass puts you at risk for unnecessary joint pain.
Sluggish Feelings
As if gaining weight and the increased risk of injuries wasn’t bad enough, declining muscle mass can also lead to a lack of endurance. Without stamina, it is hard to finish simple tasks.
How to Regain your Muscle Mass
While exercising and lifting weights may be the best way to gain muscle mass, extreme workouts are not recommended for older men with testosterone deficiency. Testosterone replacement therapy, along with light weight exercises, will safely add to your muscle mass and keep you out of harm’s way!