Testosterone Levels Through the Years: What You Need to Know 

Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone. When its concentration is low, your body will let you know. How? You might feel like you can’t push through your workout, or lose focus during an important meeting. Some men start to accumulate weight for no apparent reason, while others feel like something is off with their sex drive. 

All these symptoms could indicate a single issue: low testosterone, also known as hypogonadism. Testosterone levels naturally decline with age, particularly after your mid-thirties. The best way to check your levels is through a simple blood test. We've compiled a breakdown of testosterone levels by age to help you determine if your values are low. 

• A breakdown of testosterone levels by age categories shows a distinct decline with older age. Testosterone levels peak during adolescence and decrease gradually starting in your mid-thirties. 
• Low T might cause unpleasant symptoms, such as weight gain and decreased libido.
• You can check your testosterone concentration with a simple blood test. 

Why Healthy Testosterone Levels are Critical 

Testosterone is an essential hormone for health in both men and women. In men, it plays a crucial role in healthy sex drive, sperm production, muscle growth, bone health, energy levels, cognitive performance, hair growth, voice deepening, and red blood cell production.¹ In essence—it drives masculine characteristics and helps you feel your best. 

According to The American Urological Association, a testosterone concentration between 450–600 ng/dl is considered the normal physiological range.² However, this is really the middle third (tertile) of the range, and values outside of it may still be considered normal. As you will learn in this article, symptoms are a critical factor in determining whether a particular testosterone level is normal. T production peaks during adolescence, and slowly starts to decrease by your mid-thirties. 

Low T Symptoms

The American Urological Association defines low T, or hypogonadism, as a concentration of testosterone below 300 ng/dL.² However, the presence of signs and symptoms is also necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Low T is an expected side-effect of aging. In fact, this reduction in testosterone and its accompanying symptoms has been called “andropause”—an age-related process similar to menopause in women.³

How can you tell that your T is low? Here are some common symptoms: 

• Low libido
• Erectile dysfunction (ED)
• Sleep problems
• Mood swings, depression, anxiety, and anger
• Fatigue and brain fog
• Loss of muscle mass
• Weight gain
• Fractures due to reduced bone mineral density

Having low T is also a risk factor for developing chronic conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.⁴

Excessive Testosterone Symptoms 

While we often focus on deficiencies, testosterone can sometimes be high. Elevated testosterone levels may indicate an underlying medical condition that increases the amount of circulating testosterone in the body. However, some men may have naturally high levels of testosterone without any concerning symptoms. 

What can cause testosterone levels to skyrocket? Various factors, including:⁵

• Disorders that make the adrenal glands overly active
• Tumors of the adrenal gland or testes 
• Use of certain medications and anabolic steroids
• Exogenous testosterone, i.e., testosterone supplementation 

Just as low T, excessive testosterone can harm your health and cause uncomfortable symptoms:⁶ 

• High libido 
• Low sperm count
• Infertility
• Enlarged prostate and trouble urinating
• Increased appetite and weight gain
• Excessive body hair
• Hair loss on the scalp
• Acne
• Heart or liver problems
• High blood pressure
• Swelling of the legs and feet
• Trouble sleeping
• Mood swings and aggressive behavior

Normal Testosterone Levels by Age Group 

Testosterone drives the development of boys during puberty, peaking during their teenage years. After the mid-thirties, testosterone production begins to decrease, at a rate between 0.4 and 2 percent per year.^7,8 The decline is more rapid after age 80.⁹ 

As mentioned earlier, the testosterone range is wide, but for simplicity, let’s agree that the normal physiological concentration is between 450–600 ng/dL.² Nevertheless, determining normal testosterone levels by age is more complex, as they can vary depending on your body's needs, medical conditions, and genetics.

In general, a man in his twenties without chronic conditions will have higher testosterone levels than a man in his fifties with medical issues. However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can significantly boost your testosterone levels, even if production has slowed down. 

What are the normal male testosterone levels by age?

In men aged 19 to 39 years old, the harmonized reference range for testosterone concentration is 264 to 916 ng/dL. This range was established by an epidemiologic study conducted by Travison and colleagues, which included men from across the US and Europe.⁸ Testosterone measurement was standardized using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reference method.⁹

Establishing a universal testosterone range is extremely difficult due to the lack of official consensus and the wide variability in laboratory ranges. This makes determining normal levels by age groups challenging. Nevertheless, the Travison team has proposed the following values using data from the Massachusetts Male Ageing Study:^10,11

• Normal testosterone levels in your 40s. 251-914 ng/dl
• Normal testosterone levels in your 50s. 216-876 ng/dl
• Normal testosterone levels in your 60s. 196-859 ng/dl
• Normal testosterone levels in your 70s. 156-818 ng/dl

Another critical takeaway from this population study was the rate at which testosterone decreases with age according to the concentration of testosterone:¹⁰ 

• Men in the lowest 2.5^th percentile of testosterone values experienced a marked decrease with age.
• Men in the 50^th percentile had a less pronounced decrease.
• Men in the 97.5^th percentile of testosterone values had no decrease at all.

In other words, men with higher testosterone levels at the start of the study had a lower rate of decrease—or no decrease at all—as they aged. This highlights the importance of maintaining healthy testosterone levels at any age, especially before old age. 

Getting Your Testosterone Levels Checked 

Checking your testosterone levels is as simple as getting a blood test. 

How is testosterone measured? 

• The blood sample is taken in the morning, between 7 and 10 a.m., when testosterone levels are at their peak. Ideally, the test should be done after a good night’s sleep.¹² 
• A blood test for testosterone measures not only your total testosterone concentration, but also your free testosterone and testosterone attached to proteins, such as sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). Some tests measure these components separately.¹³

Free testosterone

The form of testosterone is important. While total testosterone is normally an accurate reflection of testosterone secretion, it doesn’t tell the full story. 

Free testosterone is an important marker because it is the form of testosterone that is not bound to proteins (SHBG or albumin) and therefore, biologically active. Some experts suggest that a free testosterone level of 20 ng/dL should be the goal for healthy males. Expressed as a percentage, this free testosterone level would represent at least 2% of total testosterone.¹⁴  

Discussing the results with your doctor

If you are concerned that your T might be abnormal, it’s best to consult with a professional. In addition to understanding how your testosterone stacks up, a conversation with a physician can help uncover any potential symptoms. With Opt Health, you can conveniently do this from the comfort of your home. 

We will send you a testing kit for at-home blood sampling, or you can visit a nearby lab. Once you receive your test results, you'll have an in-depth online consultation with an experienced Opt Health professional.

If your T is too low, your physician might consider testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), depending on your age and overall health. They might also discuss introducing testosterone-boosting supplements and adjusting your lifestyle to better support testosterone production. 

The Bottom Line

Testosterone levels vary greatly depending on age, lifestyle, and genetics. This hormone plays a crucial role in whether you feel energized, strong, and ready to tackle daily challenges. 

Opt Health physicians see men who struggle with symptoms of low T every day. Our approach to optimizing your hormonal status involves a deep dive into your unique health situation, followed by a comprehensive treatment plan. We do more than just prescribe pills—we help you make lifestyle changes and support those changes with supplements and medications.

References

1. Yao Q, Zhou G, Xu M, et al. Blood metal levels and serum testosterone concentrations in male and female children and adolescents: NHANES 2011–2012. PLoS One. 2019;14(11):e0224892. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0224892

2. Testosterone Deficiency Guideline. American Urological Association. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.auanet.org/guidelines-and-quality/guidelines/testosterone-deficiency-guideline

3. Singh P. Andropause: Current concepts. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2013;17(Suppl 3):S621-S629. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.123552

4. Mulhall JP, Trost LW, Brannigan RE, et al. Evaluation and Management of Testosterone Deficiency: AUA Guideline. Journal of Urology. 2018;200(2):423-432. doi:10.1016/j.juro.2018.03.115

5. Nassar GN, Leslie SW. Physiology, Testosterone. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024. Accessed October 16, 2024. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526128/

6. Testosterone — What It Does And Doesn’t Do. Harvard Health. July 16, 2015. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/testosterone--what-it-does-and-doesnt-do

7. Wu FC, Tajar A, Pye SR, Silman AJ, Finn JD, O'Neill TW, Bartfai G, Casanueva F, Forti G, Giwercman A, Huhtaniemi IT, Kula K, Punab M, Boonen S, Vanderschueren D, European Male Aging Study Group. Hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis disruptions in older men are differentially linked to age and modifiable risk factors: the European Male Aging Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008;93(7):2737.

8. Cohen J, Nassau DE, Patel P, Ramasamy R. Low Testosterone in Adolescents & Young Adults. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2020;10:916. doi:10.3389/fendo.2019.00916

9. Handelsman DJ, Yeap B, Flicker L, Martin S, Wittert GA, Ly LP. Age-specific population centiles for androgen status in men. Eur J Endocrinol. 2015;173(6):809. 

10. Travison TG, Vesper HW, Orwoll E, et al. Harmonized Reference Ranges for Circulating Testosterone Levels in Men of Four Cohort Studies in the United States and Europe. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2017;102(4):1161-1173. doi:10.1210/jc.2016-2935

11. Steroid Hormones Standardization Programs. Centers for Disease Control. May 14, 2024. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/clinical-standardization-programs/php/hormones/index.html

12. Bhasin S, Cunningham GR, Hayes FJ, et al. Testosterone therapy in men with androgen deficiency syndromes: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. JCEM 2010; 95:2536.

13. Mohr BA, Guay AT, O’Donnell AB, McKinlay JB. Normal, bound and nonbound testosterone levels in normally ageing men: results from the Massachusetts Male Ageing Study. Clinical Endocrinology. 2005;62(1):64-73. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2265.2004.02174.x

14. Vermeulen A, Stoïca T, Verdonck L. The apparent free testosterone concentration, an index of androgenicity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1971;33(5):759-767. doi:10.1210/jcem-33-5-759