An athletic, 35-year-old man found out he had the testosterone levels of an 80-year-old, with symptoms like brain fog and low libido

• Entrepreneur and exercise enthusiast Saad Alam said at age 35, he started losing energy and confidence.
• After months of testing, doctors found he had the testosterone levels of an 80-year-old.

When lifelong athlete and entrepreneur Saad Alam turned 35, he went from being active, energized, and confident, to feeling foggy, exhausted, and unmotivated in a matter of months.

Going to the gym, which he loved, began to feel like a chore. He had difficulty focusing even on simple tasks, and his short-term memory declined, with no apparent physical explanation for the changes.

His doctor told him it was just part of getting older, but Alam didn't buy it.

"I have been obsessively healthy for my entire life," he told Insider. "It didn't make any sense, the decline happened too fast."

After six months of seeing specialists and undergoing tests, he finally got an answer: his testosterone levels more closely resembled at 80-year-old man than a young, healthy athlete. Doctors diagnose low testosterone by measuring the amount of the hormone in the blood with a blood test, usually in the morning when testosterone levels are highest, according to Cleveland Clinic. Patients with blood testosterone levels less than 300 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) combined with syptoms are defined as having testosterone deficiency, according to the The American Urology Associatiom. Testosterone therapy is normally prescribed to help boost levels.

Testosterone in men gradually dips after age 30, and drops one percent every year throughout life. Low testosterone may be caused by a range of health issues, including injury, medication, alcohol abuse, obesity, aging, steroid use, estrogen excess (usually stemming from external or environmental factors), and inflammatory conditions. Symptoms like decreased sex drive, fatigue, forgetfulness and brain fog may be a sign to get tested, Dr. Gabe Mirkin, a sports medicine specialist previously told Insider.

Since his diagnosis, Alam founded the health company Hone, an online clinic specializing in male hormone optimization services to offer the resources he wishes he had sooner.

Unusual fatigue, low libido and brain fog can be warning signs of low testosterone

Alam said he first noticed something was wrong when he had trouble sleeping and his energy disappeared, after previously keeping a meticulous sleep routine and healthy diet.

"I would wake up and just want to hit the snooze button, which is unlike me," he said.

His mental sharpness also dipped. He felt uncharacteristically impatient when interacting with other people, and couldn't keep up with his previous routine. His athleticism also took a hit — a big fan of basketball, Alam said his performance at the sport dropped, and his fitness plateaued. He also started gaining stomach fat, despite a rigorous workout schedule and careful eating habits.

Alam tried changing his diet to get his old energy back, but nothing seemed to help.

"I thought I was sleeping better, I was putting more protein into my body, I was trying new supplements. My body should have been changing, my ability to run the court up and down should have changed, but none of it did," he said.

The final straw, Alam said, was when his sex drive plummeted.

"The plumbing wouldn't work," he said.

At that point, after about a year of increasingly noticeable symptoms, Alam went to the initial doctor appointment, without a satisfying answer, and spent six more months before getting a diagnosis.

"It's a really scary thing to go through. Because all of the sudden, you start questioning yourself as a man," he said.

Stigma can prevent men from talking about hormones or seeking help

Alam said one of most challenging parts of his experience was a feeling of isolation, without peers to talk to about his symptoms.

"It's incredibly stigmatized and took me some time to feel comfortable discussing," he said.

"The T Word," testosterone, can also conjure up images of back alley clinics and massive bodybuilders (with serious, steroid-related health issues), according to Alam.

But a therapeutic dose is much lower than what's misused to pack on muscle.

Alam said he initially took a fertility drug, and then transitioned to a small weekly dose of testosterone, gradually feeling his confidence and sense of self return.

Now 40, Alam said hormone treatment isn't a silver bullet, and the process takes time, but can help men like him regain their old drive and enthusiasm about life.

"It isn't like you take medication and all of the sudden your life changes. You're being given another chance to redefine yourself," he said.