Testosterone supplementation did not show consistent benefit for cardiovascular risk , sexual function , mood and behavior , or cognition .
Studies that examined clinical cardiovascular endpoints have not favored testosterone therapy over placebo .
Testosterone is ineffective in treating erectile dysfunction and controlled trials did not show a consistent effect on libido .
Testosterone supplementation consistently increased muscle strength but did not have beneficial effects on physical function .
Most studies on mood-related endpoints found no beneficial effect of testosterone treatment on personality , psychological well-being , or mood .
Testosterone products are recommended by some prescribers in response to a diagnosis or presumption of " low testosterone " ( low-T ) for cardiovascular health , sexual function , muscle weakness or wasting , mood and behavior , and cognition .
Effects of supraphysiologic doses of testosterone on mood and aggression in normal men: a randomized controlled trial.
BACKGROUND Field studies of illicit anabolic- and rogenic steroid users suggest that some develop manic or aggressive reactions to these drugs-a potential public health problem . However , controlled laboratory evaluations of these effects remain limited . METHODS In a r and omized , placebo-controlled , crossover trial , we administered testosterone cypionate for 6 weeks in doses rising to 600 mg/wk and placebo for 6 weeks , separated by 6 weeks of no treatment , to 56 men aged 20 to 50 years .  Psychiatric outcome measures included the Young Mania Rating Scale ( YMRS ) , the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm ( a computerized provocation test of aggression ) , the Aggression Question naire of Buss and Perry , the Symptom Checklist-90-R , daily diaries of manic and depressive symptoms , and similar weekly diaries completed by a " significant other " who knew the participant well . RESULTS Testosterone treatment significantly increased manic scores on the YMRS ( P = .002 ) , manic scores on daily diaries ( P = .003 ) , visual analog ratings of liking the drug effect ( P = .008 ) , and aggressive responses on the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm ( P = .03 ) . Drug response was highly variable : of 50 participants who received 600 mg/wk of testosterone cypionate , 42 ( 84 % ) exhibited minimal psychiatric effects ( maximum YMRS score , < 10 ) , 6 ( 12 % ) became mildly hypomanic ( YMRS score , 10 - 19 ) , and 2 ( 4 % ) became markedly hypomanic ( YMRS score , > or = 20 ) . The 8 " responders " and 42 " nonresponders " did not differ significantly on baseline demographic , psychological , laboratory , or physiological measures . CONCLUSIONS Testosterone administration , 600 mg/wk increased ratings of manic symptoms in normal men . This effect , however , was not uniform across individuals ; most showed little psychological change , whereas a few developed prominent effects . The mechanism of these variable reactions remains unclear
Testosterone supplementation did not show consistent benefit for cardiovascular risk , sexual function , mood and behavior , or cognition .
Studies that examined clinical cardiovascular endpoints have not favored testosterone therapy over placebo .
Testosterone is ineffective in treating erectile dysfunction and controlled trials did not show a consistent effect on libido .
Testosterone supplementation consistently increased muscle strength but did not have beneficial effects on physical function .
Most studies on mood-related endpoints found no beneficial effect of testosterone treatment on personality , psychological well-being , or mood .
Testosterone products are recommended by some prescribers in response to a diagnosis or presumption of " low testosterone " ( low-T ) for cardiovascular health , sexual function , muscle weakness or wasting , mood and behavior , and cognition .