Question:

I have read that eating a diet of mainly carbohydrates (pasta), high stress and doing practically no (or even completely no, as in not going out) exercise can cause you to have a low level of testosterone. My questions are based during the puberty period:

Do the three things listed above put together guarantee a low levels of testosterone? What would be the likelihood of low testosterone?

Does higher testosterone = more penile growth?

Is it abnormal for puberty to last only 3 to 4 years?

How low would your level of testosterone need to be to affect or even stop your penile growth?

Thanks for any replies.

Answer:

You did not tell me your age or stage of pubertal development, but from the information you provided, your serum testosterone should be within the normal range (300-900 ng/dl). I am not aware of a combination of a carbohydrate diet, high stress, and no exercise adversely affecting genital development in men during puberty.

For more information:

Go to the Urinary and Genital Disorders (Children) health topic.