Eli5 – do women use testosterone or estrogen to build muscle? What is the role of testosterone in women?
In: Biology
Men and women both have estrogen. There is an enzyme called aromatase that converts estrogen into androgens like testosterone ultimately. Both sexes have both hormones, its the difference in percentages, really. Things like estrogen are protective for bone health, for example, and can be produced in fat cells. But women use testosterone to help promote muscle growth as well, its just not as much in “overdrive” so to speak as in men comparatively since the amount of estrogen inhibits the testosterone being made further. If we get too much of a hormone, our body typically has ways of inhibiting further amounts of it instead of going into a death spiral of endless hormone, which would be bad. Thats why people sometimes try to force the issue with taking hormone boosters and whatnot and why they can have bad side effects if you’re not careful. Hope that helps!
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