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When hormones are optimized, they hum along in the background, keeping our metabolism stable, our mood balanced, our muscles strong, and our sleep restful. But as we age, changes in those hormone levels can impact everything from energy to recovery—and how you feel in your own skin.

This episode of The Future You, a vodcast hosted by Richard Dorment, editorial director of Men’s Health and Women’s Health at Hearst Magazines, explores the hormone-and-health connection at every age. NYU Langone endocrinologist Priya Jaisinghani, MD, bestselling author and podcast host Mel Robbins, and Hollywood action star Frank Grillo join the conversation to talk perimenopause, performance—and the pursuit of your best self.

Workout Recovery and Low Testosterone

Grillo, known for his roles in “Captain America” movies and The Avengers: Endgame, began prioritizing health and fitness when he was very young. When recovering from workouts started hitting harder around the age of 50, he felt there was more going on than just getting older.

A consultation with a hormone specialist confirmed Grillo was right: He was living with low testosterone. He began weekly testosterone therapy, which changed everything. “Within six weeks, I felt like I was 35 again,” he says. “My sleep, mood, energy—even recovery after workouts—it all improved.”

That’s not surprising, says Dr. Jaisinghani. Though testosterone begins to naturally decline at a gradual rate in men as young as their mid-20s, “one in three men over 45 have low testosterone on their labs,” she explains. That can lead to a cascade of symptoms such as the fatigue Grillo noticed, along with irritability and changes in sexual function.

When it comes to the “right” amount of testosterone, everyone’s normal may look a little bit different. “Yours could be at 400 and you feel fine, while someone else at 400 may be losing hair and muscle mass,” she explains. “That’s why we treat the patient, not their numbers,” adds Dr. Jaisinghani, who is a clinical assistant professor in the at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and a member of the department’s .

It’s Not in Your Head

Mel Robbins first noticed the brain fog while still in her 40s. “I’d walk into the kitchen and question why I was there—I thought, is this dementia?” she says. Other symptoms, including midsection weight gain, soon followed.

These symptoms are typical for women ages 45 to 55, says Dr. Jaisinghani, as estrogen begins a rapid decline into menopause. That transition period, known as perimenopause, can start a decade earlier, in a woman’s mid-30s, and can include a wide range of symptoms from heavy or light periods to hot flashes and hair changes. “It runs the gamut,” she says.

As Robbins was getting her self-titled podcast off the ground in her early 50s, she began to connect the dots between the changes she’d noticed and the hormonal changes that happen to every woman. She invited guests on her show to address the perimenopause and menopause topics head on.

“This is something that happens to 100 percent of women—and it’s a life-changing medical condition that affects their mood, their bone health, even their heart,” Robbins says. “We need to talk about it, so we don’t feel shame around it.”

Pushing Past Stigma—and Taking Action

Grillo agrees—and is intentionally open about his experience with hormone therapy. “There are a lot of stigmas attached to the word ‘testosterone’—and even aging in general—that we need to break through,” he says. “But really it’s just about creating a better quality of life. If you have a treatable hormonal condition, why wouldn’t you treat it?”

Dr. Jaisinghani points out that for women, that also means overcoming a lingering fear about the safety of hormone replacement therapy based on earlier research that has since been reevaluated. “It’s taken a lot of nuanced science and new guidelines to be able to say that for most women, the risk of hormone replacement therapy is small, while the potential benefit is substantial,” she says.

Finding out what therapies are appropriate begins with each patient advocating with the right specialists to evaluate their hormones, lifestyle factors, and overall health, adds Dr. Jaisinghani. If you’re dealing with symptoms like sleep disruption, mood swings, or unexplained weight gain, it may be time to ask your doctor whether hormones could be playing a role. Though hormonal shifts are a normal part of aging, an endocrinologist can help you evaluate your hormone levels in the context of any symptoms, and recommend both hormone supplementation and lifestyle changes that could help you feel better.

“Feeling your best is about diet, strength training, quality sleep, stress reduction—and it’s about hormonal and nonhormonal therapies,” Dr. Jaisinghani adds. “It’s about defining what health should look like for you.”

for an empowering discussion on feeling better in your body, at every age. These are some of the highlights:

• when people should start thinking about their hormone levels and hormone therapy
• how hormonal shifts show up differently in women and men
• why you should work with a board-certified hormone specialist to optimize your hormonal health