Low Testosterone
You might be healthy from every aspect of your life. You go to the gym, take yoga classes, eat healthily and stay active all day. But one day, you realize that you are not efficient or energetic enough while getting intimate with your partner. You try harder to gather that long-lasting passion or interest, but you fail to do it. And it happens again and again. Furthermore, it worsens as you lose your sex drive. You tend to lose the erection and are even not ready for any type of physical intimacy.
Well, this might appear as if there has been a catastrophe in your life. You start searching for answers, The Google searches begin for low sex drive and power. You consult dieticians and sex specialists. But you fail to come to any consequence as you are doing well in all departments of life.
Well, the reason is the low levels of testosterone. And it has occurred as a side effect of smoking. Yes, that nicotine and tobacco you have been puffing for years might have not affected your physical health but will affect your sexual wellness. It can decrease testosterone.
What does testosterone do?
Just like progesterone in females, testosterone is the prime sex hormone in males. Endogenous testosterone levels will surely affect your life. Testosterone is a sex hormone that regulates your sex drive also called libido. It also affects your bone mass muscle mass, muscle strength, and fat distribution. The hormone is also useful for the production of sperm and red blood cells. When testosterone is circulated in the body, it converts into estradiol which is a form of estrogen. As men become older, the levels of testosterone decrease. This means that they produce less estradiol. Hence, change in testosterone levels might be due to age factors too.
in 1937, testosterone was used as a clinical drug. Nowadays, it is widely prescribed as an added hormonal therapy to those who cannot reproduce it. The levels at which it becomes effective is not yet clear. In men, normal levels may vary widely.
Smoking prevents muscle from build
Testosterone is usually associated with the manly power of a human being. The more the hormone, the more muscle strength you will generate. This means those bodybuilders who are fit and exercising regularly have high levels of testosterone. Also, several people join the gym to increase their testosterone levels to enhance the sexual aspect of their lives.
The problem arises when you are smoking. Nicotine decreases your testosterone levels. But even worse than that, it reduces your stamina. While smoking, your trachea becomes week and so does your respiratory system. You feel fatigued quickly. Hence, you are unable to exercise to your full strength. Which means that you are not able to build as much testosterone as you can.
How does smoking effects?
When you go for endurance and strength training, you need oxygen in the blood. This is to lift weights, run longer and exercise without getting tired. You also need bodyweight and good testosterone levels to take muscle mass and maintain weight. Our muscles use oxygen. However, nicotine reduces the oxygen levels in our blood. Smoking affects the particular cells producing testosterone in our body. It lowers the necessary levels for sure.
High levels of testosterone are very essential for building muscles. And you can increase testosterone by working out more. Hence, it is a two-way relationship. If you smoke, your ability to exercise will decrease which will lower down the manly hormones. And if your hormone levels are low, you won’t be fit during sexual activities.
Some fitness trainers also suggest that testosterone and smoking are related to diet. Your diet can affect the ability of tobacco to change body weight regulation. Acute smoking may also lead to adaptive changes. It may also regulate energy metabolism as well as eating habits.
Impotency
The word impotence refers to erectile dysfunction in men. It is a syndrome in which a man is unable to maintain or achieve an erection. And among those who smoke regularly, erectile dysfunction can appear sooner or later. If you smoke, your chances of becoming impotent are high.
Erectile dysfunction is one of the major side effects of smoking. Nicotine or tobacco is a vasoconstrictor. They cause blood vessels to become narrow. This reduces blood flow to severe levels. Such blockage can be the reason for a man’s low sexual drive. Scientists also believe that impotence problems are nearly impossible to treat if risen through smoking. Its probably because the damage to blood vessels is uncurable. People can also get arteriosclerosis which is the main impotence cause in many countries. Various studies have proven that smoking effect of sexual performance includes impotency.
On a concluding note
As one can realize, smoking has always been related to bad effects on human health. It affects our brain, our heart, our muscles, and even our testosterone. Smoking coupled with regular drinking is a dangerous factor for your sexual fitness. And the fact that the problem is hard to treat, makes it more dangerous.
As a takeaway, one can simply stop the use of smoking or nicotine consumption. The habit might not appear prominent but may later cause problems. It is important to believe that sexual wellness can make or break your life. If you face issues such as erectile dysfunction, you might feel embarrassed in tough situations. And you can’t discuss the issue with everyone. This makes things worse and may even become prone to depression. Also, not fulfilling the sexual desires of your partner may thrash your love life to a great extent.
Tips to increase testosterone
If you are smoking and feel a problem in sexual drive, all is not lost. You can follow various lifestyle changes and daily habits that might make things normal. After quitting smoking, here are a few tips that can help you in regaining your sexual wellness and increasing testosterone:
- Make a plan for a balanced diet. Testosterone may decrease if you are eating unhealthy diets. Fruits, dry fruits, fiber-rich vegetables, pulses, and protein-rich food can help here. You can also consume food rich in zinc and manganese that increases testosterone in humans
- Learn to do meditation and Yoga. There are various movements in Yoga that can help you regain your sexual wellness in a few months.
- You should make a good sleeping routine. Disturbed sleeping can reduce testosterone. Make sure that you wake up early and sleep on time. Have a good 7 to 8 hours of sleep.
- Try doing kegel exercises. These exercises concentrate specifically on your reproductive part. Doing them regularly can help increase your erection and may last it longer. One such exercise is laying on the floor and then rising your hip towards the ceiling. Others include practicing urinating and stopping it yourself and then releasing it again. This helps the penis get a good erection during sexual intercourse
- You can consume food like garlic and milk that increase testosterone naturally
- Always try to stay away from stress. Many people feel stress about not being able to become fit sexually. This is an important reason why your sex drive is low. You should indulge in sexual activities without any tension or stress in mind.
If you face any major decrease in testosterone levels, you may get a checkup from a sex or hormone specialist. The doctor might prescribe you an injection of testosterone that might help. But beware that such therapies have negative effects later in your life. Before undergoing any treatment, get your testosterone and free testosterone levels checked by an authorized lab or medicine test center.
