What Are Androgens? A Beginner's Guide to This Often-Misunderstood Hormone Family

If you've ever searched "what are androgens" or wondered why testosterone keeps coming up in conversations about energy, mood, and muscle, you're not alone. Androgens are one of the most talked-about, and most misunderstood, hormone families in the body. This guide breaks down androgen hormones in plain language, so you can understand how they work without wading through confusing medical jargon.

What Are Androgens, Exactly?

Androgens are a group of hormones made mostly from cholesterol. They travel through the bloodstream and act like chemical messengers, telling cells what to do. People often call them "male hormones," but that nickname is a little misleading. Androgens are present, and important, in every human body, regardless of sex.

The word "androgen" comes from the Greek word for "man," which is part of why the myth stuck around. In reality, androgens play a role in bone strength, muscle maintenance, mood, and reproductive development in both men and women.

Meet the Androgen Family

Androgens aren't just one hormone. They're a whole family with different jobs:

• Testosterone: The most well-known androgen. It plays a central role in reproductive development and is also linked to muscle mass, bone density, and energy levels.
• Dihydrotestosterone (DHT): A more potent form of testosterone that the body creates through an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase. DHT is associated with hair growth patterns and prostate tissue development.
• Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA): Often called a "precursor" hormone because the body can convert it into testosterone or estrogen. DHEA is the most abundant androgen circulating in the body.
• DHEA-S: A sulfated form of DHEA, produced mainly by the adrenal glands.
• Androstenedione: Another precursor hormone that can be converted into testosterone or estrogen depending on what the body needs.

Think of DHEA and androstenedione as raw materials, and testosterone and DHT as the "finished products" your body builds from them.

Androgens Aren't Just a "Male" Thing

This is one of the biggest misconceptions about hormonal health. While androgen levels are generally higher in men, women's bodies also produce and rely on androgens, just in smaller amounts. In women, androgens are involved in bone health, sexual function, mood regulation, and they also serve as building blocks the body uses to make estrogen.

Because androgens matter for everyone, understanding how they work is useful information for anyone interested in hormonal health, not just men.

Where Do Androgens Come From?

Androgens are produced in a few key places:

• The testes (in men), mainly through cells called Leydig cells
• The ovaries (in women), through theca cells
• The adrenal glands (in both sexes), which produce weaker androgens like DHEA and androstenedione

This entire system is coordinated by the brain through what's known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, essentially a communication loop between the brain and the reproductive glands that helps regulate hormone production.

What Influences Androgen Levels?

Androgen levels naturally shift across a person's life. They rise sharply during puberty, tend to peak in early adulthood, and gradually decline with age. Beyond age, research has explored a number of factors associated with hormone levels, including:

• Sleep: Several studies have found an association between shorter or lower-quality sleep and lower testosterone levels.
• Stress: Testosterone and cortisol (the body's primary stress hormone) are both made from the same starting material, pregnenolone. Some research suggests that during periods of high stress, the body may prioritize cortisol production, which is one reason stress and hormone health are often discussed together.
• Body composition: Fat tissue contains an enzyme that can convert testosterone into estrogen, which is part of why researchers study the relationship between body composition and circulating androgen levels.
• Physical activity: Regular exercise, particularly resistance training, has been studied for its association with hormone regulation, although excessive or prolonged high-intensity training may have the opposite association.
• Nutrition: Certain micronutrients, including zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D, are involved in the biological pathways related to hormone production. Diets that are very low in overall calories or key nutrients have been studied in relation to lower testosterone levels.

It's worth noting that hormone health is complex and influenced by many interacting factors. No single habit determines a person's hormone levels, and individual results and needs vary widely from person to person.

Everyday Habits Linked to Hormonal Wellness

While no lifestyle habit can promise a specific hormonal outcome, general wellness practices that are commonly associated with supporting overall health include:

1. Prioritizing consistent, quality sleep: Aiming for a regular sleep schedule may support the body's natural hormonal rhythms.
2. Managing everyday stress: Practices like mindfulness, movement, and downtime are commonly explored as part of a balanced approach to well-being.
3. Staying physically active: A mix of strength and moderate cardiovascular activity is a well-studied part of general wellness routines.
4. Eating a nutrient-dense diet: Whole foods that supply adequate protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals support the body's everyday biological processes.

These are general wellness concepts, not guarantees, treatments, or promises of a specific result. Everyone's body responds differently.

Androgens and PCOS: What's the Connection?

Polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS (now PMOS), is one of the most common reasons androgens come up in conversations about women's health. PMOS is an endocrine condition that affects an estimated 6–20% of women of reproductive age worldwide, and elevated androgen levels are one of its defining features.

In PCOS, the communication loop between the brain and the ovaries can shift in a way that leads the ovaries to produce more androgens than usual. This is sometimes called "hyperandrogenism." Because androgens play a role in follicle development, having levels that are higher than typical can be associated with irregular ovulation, changes in menstrual cycles, and visible signs like acne, extra facial or body hair growth, or thinning hair on the scalp.

It's important to understand that PCOS is a diagnosed medical condition, not something that can be self-assessed from symptoms alone. A healthcare provider typically considers several factors together, including hormone levels, ovarian imaging, and menstrual history, before making a diagnosis. If you notice symptoms that make you wonder about PMOS or androgen levels, the appropriate next step is an evaluation by a licensed healthcare provider, who can order proper testing and discuss options suited to your individual situation.

When Androgen Levels Feel "Off"

Some people notice changes in energy, mood, hair growth patterns, or body composition and wonder whether hormones are involved. Because so many different factors can cause similar symptoms, it isn't possible to know what's happening in your body without proper testing and evaluation. If you're experiencing symptoms that concern you, the most reliable next step is speaking with a licensed healthcare provider, who can evaluate your individual situation and order appropriate testing if needed.

The Bottom Line

Androgens are a fascinating and essential hormone family present in every human body. Understanding what they are and the general factors researchers associate with hormone health can help you feel more informed about your own body — but this article is a starting point for learning, not a substitute for personalized medical guidance.

References

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4. Medscape. "Androgen Excess: Practice Essentials, Pathophysiology, Epidemiology." Updated 2024.
5. National Center for Biotechnology Information. "Effects of Lifestyle, Diet, and Body Composition on Free Testosterone and Cortisol Levels in Young Men." PMC.
6. Harvard Health Publishing. "Lifestyle strategies to help prevent natural age-related decline in testosterone." Harvard Medical School, 2024.