Why men need oestrogen and progesterone

Personal/Fitness Training Blog

When many people hear the word ‘hormone’, they tend to picture a heavily-built, ultra-muscular man or an emotional woman. This is indicative of the misconceptions surrounding hormones. Yes, there are certain hormones specific to men (such as testosterone) and women (such as oestrogen and progesterone) howevero certain hormones are present in both genders and actually serve quite important functions.

Testosterone and growth hormone are not the only hormones present in men

The female hormone, oestrogen, is present in men for a variety of reasons. Recent studies have shown that oestrogen is also a vital hormone for men as it can have a direct effect on avoiding obesity.

Men produce about 80% of their oestrogen through the conversion of testosterone. Therefore, testosterone and oestrogen are directly linked to one another – if testosterone levels drop so do oestrogen levels. Low testosterone levels lead to lean muscle, size, and strength loss.

Men and women need progesterone and oestrogen

Low levels of oestrogen may also lead to weakened bones

Too little oestrogen has a variety of negative consequences:

  • A recent study has found that men with low oestrogen levels could develop ‘male menopause’ symptoms such as weight gain and weakened muscles.
  • In addition to this, oestrogen deficiencies in men with low levels of testosterone could lead to weight gain and obesity, which in turn can lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Men need progesterone for optimal health

Progesterone is important in women for reproductive health and is a precursor to testosterone in men. Progesterone helps to counteract the negative effects that low levels of oestrogen has in men, and a deficiency in progesterone can lead to weight gain, fatigue, depression and muscle loss. Men with low levels of progesterone also have a higher risk of developing serious conditions like osteoporosis, arthritis and prostate cancer.

Oestrogen and progesterone might be known as female hormones but they do serve a very important role in men just as growth hormone and testosterone serve important functions in women. It is vital for personal trainers to have an in-depth knowledge of how hormones affect training so that they can help their clients who may suffer from a deficiency in these compounds.

We, at Trifocus Fitness Academy, pride ourselves on the depth of knowledge that students – who take our personal training courses –  acquire. This means that they become highly sought-after personal trainers. To learn more about our Personal Training Diploma – which is the highest-level personal training qualification we offer – click here.