For years, the idea of ageing in men has been packaged as a joke. But doctors say that some of the changes men experience in their 40s, 50s and beyond may not just be emotional or psychological - they may also be hormonal. The internet has started calling it "manopause" - a term that continues to divide experts but has undeniably entered mainstream conversation.
Unlike menopause in women, which is medically recognised and also discussed openly, hormonal decline in men remains strangely underexplored, even though millions quietly experience it on a daily basis. The signs are often brushed aside as normal ageing. And because the changes happen gradually, many men do not immediately recognise that any biological shift is happening at all.
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According to Dr. Dana Gaddy, professor of veterinary integrative biosciences at Texas A&M University the term "menopause" may be simplistic, but the hormonal transition behind it is very real. "Manopause is sort of a lay term," she explains. "What it really is defined by is a loss of gonadal function in men," she adds further.
Medically speaking, the condition is more accurately called andropause. It refers to the gradual decline of testosterone and other androgens as men age. But it is very different from menopause, which often arrives with a sharp hormonal shift in women during their late 40s or early 50s. This is because the testosterone decline in men unfolds slowly, sometimes over decades. And that pace is what makes it so difficult to spot.
That gradual decline tends to show up in subtle and confusing ways. For instance, a man who once gained muscle easily may suddenly struggle at the gym despite maintaining the same routine. There will be dips in energy levels and sleep may feel less restorative. "One of the things people refer to is, ‘I don’t feel like I’m on my game,'" says Gaddy. "There is a loss of self-confidence that happens, and men don’t understand what’s happening when they don’t feel themselves."
The emotional aspect of testosterone decline is often less discussed than the physical symptoms. This is because many men are conditioned to dismiss changes in mood, confidence or energy as stress, ageing or burnout. However, experts say hormones can quietly shape mental wellbeing too. In some cases, symptoms can overlap with anxiety, depression or chronic stress, making it difficult to know whether hormones are truly the issue.
One of the most visible symptom is the redistribution of fat around the chest and abdomen. Gaddy directly references the commonly used term "man boobs" while explaining how hormonal decline can alter body composition in ageing men. She also stresses that low testosterone is not always the cause. Erectile dysfunction, low libido and fatigue can also stem from multiple health conditions - including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, anxiety disorders and depression. "If one suspects that they have low testosterone because they have a low libido, erectile issues, loss of muscle mass or increased fat mass, then getting a testosterone evaluation is the obvious way to go," she explains.
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