Randy Couture talks testosterone: 'Sometimes athletes go too far'

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) hall of famer Randy Couture knows a thing or two about fighting mixed martial artists -- as well as Father Time. The 40-something "Natural," who held championship titles across two different weight classes, retired last year after having his teeth knocked out by 205-pound "Dragon" Lyoto Machida.

His fighting body could no longer keep pace with his fighting spirit.

The good news for Couture is that he's been able to parlay his combat sports career into other money-making opportunities, including acting and cageside commentating. He'll next star in Sylvester Stallone's "Expendables 2" later this year.

But what about fighters who don't have a second career to fall back on?

Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) has been able to prolong the careers of select fighters, like aging wrestler Dan Henderson, but Couture also acknowledges that sometimes athletes can "go too far" with it.

Those comments (via MMA Frenzy) after the jump.

"There is such fine line with all of the anti-aging stuff that’s out there now. TRT is generally something a guy does in their 40’s and 50’s when their natural production of testosterone drops off. There are other natural ways to boost your own body’s production without replacing it and it’s safer as well, but it still should be under the care of a physician. It’s a very fine and a very personal thing and there is no easy answer. An athlete is using his body to earn a living and entertain the fans, they want to get the most out of themselves, but sometimes they go too far with it."

Testosterone is in the news (again) following Alistair Overeem's mishap heading into UFC 146.

"Demolition Man" blew up the UFC 146 pay-per-view (PPV) fight card for May 26, 2012 after failing a surprise pre-fight drug test. While the former Strikeforce, DREAM and K-1 champ blamed his elevated testosterone on anti-inflammatory meds, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) still denied him a license to fight for nine months.

Prior to that, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson raised a few eyebrows with his admission that he was receiving testosterone injections to help repair a bum knee prior to his UFC 144 fight in Japan.

And let's not forget about the Chael Sonnen debacle.

TRT is here to stay and Couture insists "there is no easy answer" for keeping a level playing field. Unless someone out there in MMA land has one?

Let's hear it ...