A new study solidifies the link between sleep deprivation and the decrease of testosterone levels in young men. This study has recently been featured in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Ten young men, aged around 24, who have lean physique and are generally healthy were recruited by the researchers of the study. The young men were screened for existing endocrinal problems and they were also assessed for any existing psychiatric and sleep-related issues.
Once cleared, each of them were made to sleep for up to 10 hours during the first 3 nights of the experiment. The following 8 nights they were allowed no more than 5 hours of sleep.
On the 4th day and the 13th day of the experiment (days right after the 10-hour and the 5-hour test phases), blood samples were drawn from each of the recruits every 15 to 30 minutes.
Researchers of the study found out that within 8 days of having no more than 5 hours of sleep the young men's blood testosterone levels went down by 10 to 15 percent. The young men also reported that during the 5-hour sleep test phase they experienced negative changes in their over-all well-being, mood and vigor.
Indeed, when a young man's testosterone levels go down, sex drive is only one of the concerns. Low levels of the hormone also compromises a young man's productivity as concentration and focus are also affected. Mood swings are also another consequence.
A decrease in muscle mass, depreciation of bone density and constant fatigue are the physical tolls that a man, no matter how healthy and young, will experience when his blood testosterone levels drop following several days of sleep curtailment.
"As research progresses, low sleep duration and poor sleep quality are increasingly recognized as endocrine disruptors," says Dr. Eve Van Cauter, a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago - the study's head researcher.
