Estrogen is not a single hormone as most people think but rather a category of sex hormones that are responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system. Estrogen is primarily produced by the ovaries, which are the female gonads. However, in addition to being produced by the ovaries, estrogen is also produced by adrenal glands and fat cells, though in small amounts. One important fact about estrogen is that the higher the amount is produced in a human body, the higher the chances of being a woman and vice versa. Men with high levels of estrogen normally display female characteristics, including low levels of physical activity. On the other hand, females with low levels of estrogen are more manly than usual. This fact has and can be used to tell the role of estrogen in the human body because the hormone dictates the level of masculinity or femineity in an individual depending on the amount of estrogen in their body.
One updated information about estrogen is that it can have a significant effect on brain effects as well as people’s physical effects. According to the New York Times, “Estrogen may change brain activity in ways that could affect how physically active we are, according to a remarkable new study in mice that looked at DNA, hormones and brain cells” (Reynolds, 2021). The brain is always associated with physical activity in physical activity, and the more active the brain is engaged, the more an organism remains active. From this hypothesis, it can be deduced that organisms that have a high level of estrogen have a high level of physical activity and vice versa. This is contradictory to most people in the fact that despite the fact that women have higher levels of estrogen, their male counterparts are more active than them, yet they have lower estrogen levels.
This study was conducted with mice as the organism under study, leading to the conclusion. However, there is a lot of information that can be used to approve this information and argument. Firstly, all the genes in mice have the same function as those in humans. This means that humans and mice have the same egg and sperm development in addition to having the same organs, including the heart, brain, kidneys, and lungs, among others, as well as organ systems such as digestive, immune, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems. This makes the information obtained from research obtained from mice more trustworthy when it comes to comparing it to humans. Moreover, the fact that mice live shorter lives than human beings make it easier to compare the two because it presents an opportunity to take time and see what happens and thus what is expected to happen in more life expectancy organisms like humans.
There is a close relationship between the brain and physical activity. Practically, when there is an increase in brain activity, there is a subsequent increase in the level of heart rate to compensate for the required oxygen in the brain. To ensure this, the various body organs work more than normal to ensure that enough blood is supplied to the brain and consequently to various appropriate body parts. This means that the activity is not only configured in the brain but entirely in the body. This is the reason why a requirement in the brain is reflected in other parts of the body but the overall body. In the long run, an individual’s physical activity will be increased to ensure that the body is in balance. In reverse, physical activity helps in the release of hormones, which in return ensures an excellent environment for the growth of brain cells. Additionally, physical exercise enhances brain plasticity by ensuring a connection between brain cells.
Further confirmation of increased brain and physical activity in relation to increased estrogen production lies in the fact that female mammals such as rats become more physically active just before they ovulate, the time when they are most sexually receptive (Reynolds, 2021). When approaching ovulation, the level of estrogen in females fluctuates typically. This is not different from the case in males considering the fact that the level of estrogen is one of the distinguishing factors between human males and females. This also makes sense in that immediately before, and during ovulation, females are on the hunt for mates. Unlike females, human males are always on the hunt for mates. This means that adding more or increasing estrogen levels on males would increase their urge for males to mate. This hunting activity is directly related to physical activity because, in the time of looking for mates, males are usually both mentally and physically active.