Hi Mark,
Can you get an erection with low testosterone?
My libido is lagging and I’m having a hard time getting hard, so I’m trying to figure out what’s going on here.
Thanks
KC
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Hello KC,
Erectile dysfunction is rarely caused by low testosterone alone.
It’s usually a group of things that work in concert together, that feed off each other, that lead to a mans inability to achieve a hard erection.
Atherosclerosis, or narrowing and hardening of the arteries is one the biggest drivers of ED, but these damaged arteries don’t just show up out of nowhere.
Other things have to be going on in the body for this atherosclerosis to happen, and as we’re about to see, these other things contribute to the problem as well.
So let’s run through this list…
High Blood Sugar – Low T and Erectile Dysfunction
Elevated blood sugar is a double edged sword, because men who suffer with this condition are much more likely to be afflicted with erectile dysfunction AND low testosterone.
Research out of John Hopkins found that diabetic rats had a 30% lower erectile response; max erections were 40% smaller and the erections took 70% longer to achieve compared to the controls who were not diabetic..
Other studies have confirmed that men with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to suffer from ED; and the condition will hit them a full decade earlier, when compared to men without type 2.
This link is so strong because blood sugar does direct damage to your arteries when you have too much of it, and the arteries in the penis are usually affected first; because they’re very small and narrow.
So it makes perfect sense that these would be damaged first.
Now let’s move on to the Low T side of things….
Your body produces testosterone after your pituitary gland releases luteinizing hormone; as this release of LH signals the leydig cells in your testes to start making more testosterone.
And here’s the problem…
Your pituitary produces much less luteinizing hormone when blood sugar levels are high, and the higher they go the less LH it’s going to send into your blood stream.
Up to 64% of all men with Low T have some sort of blood sugar abnormality; driven by metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance or diabetes.
So your blood sugar levels should be high on your list of things you should look at.
Next…
Weight Gain, Obesity and Erection Problems
Overweight men are much more likely to have high blood sugar compared to men of normal weight, so if you’re overweight, there’s strike one right off the bat.
Numerous studies have confirmed the excess weight has a significant impact on a mans sexual health and ability to perform in the bedroom.
An Italian study, which focused on 2,435 male patients suffering from sexual dysfunction, found a direct link between central obesity, arteriogenic driven ED and reduced levels of testosterone in these men.
Fortunately, you can tackle this problem and do damage control fairly quickly…
An Australian study, published the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that losing just 5 to 10 percent of body weight provided significant improvement in erectile function and sex drive in obese men.
And this occurred, because when a man loses weight he brings his blood sugars down; reduces insulin resistance and lowers his blood pressure, all at the same time.
Weight loss is a powerful remedy to this problem, especially if you’re significantly overweight.
Next…
High Blood Pressure and Erectile Dysfunction
Inside the shaft of your penis are two chambers called the corpora cavernosa and these chambers play a big part in the erection process.
Here’s how it works…
Inside the corpora cavernosa are tiny arteries and veins; smooth muscle fibers and some empty space.
When you become aroused, the smooth muscle fibers relax and the arteries dilate which allows the blood to flow in freely; which brings on the erection.
Once you ejaculate, the smooth fibers constrict again; which pushes the blood out of the arteries and the erection softens.
This is how the process is supposed to work.
But when your blood pressure is high; the smooth muscles and arteries in your penis don’t relax and dilate like they should, and as a result, less blood flows into the corpora cavernosa when you’re aroused.
And the blood that does manage to make it’s way in doesn’t stay there too long, because the smooth muscles lose the ability to stay relaxed.
And once again, this high blood pressure is often triggered by elevated blood sugar, brought on by weight gain, metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance….
But like I said, you can control this problem as soon as you begin to lose any excess weight.
Erectile Dysfunction, Xenoestrogens & Low Testosterone
If you’ve read the information on this page carefully KC, you’ll realize that low testosterone and erectile dysfunction often appear in a mans life at the same time, but one doesn’t really cause the other.
The real cause of both issues is usually a combination of several events that build off each other; leading to several health problems that harden your arteries and reduce testosterone output, leading to both ED and low t.
But there is one obvious exception to this rule. And if your blood sugar levels, blood pressure and weight all fall within the normal ranges; you may fit into this category….
Erectile dysfunction and low testosterone caused too much xenoestrogen exposure in your environment.
If you fall into this camp, you need to read this.
Good luck