Step 8 The messengers · 7 min
Hormones & testosterone
How testosterone is made, what it does, and the other hormones that quietly shape your body.
Hormones are chemical messengers, tiny signals that tell your body what to do. Testosterone gets the spotlight, but a few others quietly shape your body too.
How testosterone is made
The hypothalamus signals the pituitary with , which signals the testes' Leydig cells (via ) to make testosterone.
It feeds back to the brain to keep itself in range, like a thermostat. Women make smaller amounts too, via the ovaries and adrenal glands.
What it does
Tap the levers
What actually moves your testosterone
The boring stuff is the real stuff. Turn each lever on.
Testosterone Low
Rough & directional, not a medical readout.
No pill on the shelf moves it like these do.
The supporting cast
A few other messengers worth knowing.