Was I successful in raising my natural testosterone levels and fixing low T?
Let’s get straight to the answer. Yes, I succeeded in raising my testosterone levels naturally and so can you. Do read on…..
Hello again. I’m assuming you’ve read part 1. It’s critical reading before we proceed. In the event you’ve missed this, the link can be found HERE.
This is another long article, it needed to be. I aim to provide the maximum value in exchange for your time. If you do enjoy my posts, I’d be extremely grateful of an email subscription to my site. You can locate the subscription section at the bottom my home page. You’ll be notified the instant new articles are released.
This article will thoroughly cover naturally raising T levels and fixing low testosterone levels. You’ll find my results near the articles conclusion.
Disclaimer
As per part 1, I’m not a doctor. I’m someone who’s extensively researched this subject and is passionate in sharing what I’ve learned with you. Your doctor is always your first consultation.
Contents
Let’s delve straight into the nitty gritty, as this is a direct follow on from part 1.
This concluding article will guide you through detailed insight and a plan to succeed at naturally raising T levels and fixing low testosterone symptoms.
As always, you’ll find the contents below and each section easily locatable throughout the article. I’d recommend thoroughly digesting this post before skipping to any sections.
- A Natural Testosterone Fix: my experience
- The link between body fat and testosterone
- The Saturated Fat Lie
- Sugar lowers testosterone
- Increase Testosterone with Diet
- Micronutrients for Optimal Testosterone
- Increasing testosterone with exercise
- Sleep for increased testosterone
- Supplements to increase testosterone
- Endocrine Disrupters and testosterone
- Increasing Testosterone Bonus Tips
- What is TRT?
- Methods of TRT delivery
- The benefits of TRT
- TRT risks and downsides
- My Increasing Testosterone results
- Raising my testosterone Levels
- Conclusion and Closing thoughts
A Natural Testosterone Fix: my experience
At the conclusion of part 1, I disclosed my own testosterone results, which scored 433 (15) overall levels and free testosterone at 0.245. The results were in the normal reference range, albeit free testosterone was slightly low (remember, from part 1, this is the bioavailable T level and the golden number) and I was experiencing some low testosterone symptoms.
Thanks to some great advice from a non profit hungry TRT clinic doctor, I decided to utilise my knowledge and attempt naturally raising my T levels.
I wanted to explore if the symptoms I was experiencing might be fixed, by paying better attention to some key aspects of health. The alternative would be lifelong testosterone therapy (more on that later). At the time, I was 40 and unwilling to potentially take the premature plunge, unless absolutely necessary.
If you’re in the same position as me, or testing lower, I’d remind you of my part 1 comment,
“Often low testosterone is a symptom of a lifestyle choice/deficiency and easily treatable. It is certainly possible to optimise prior to going down a potentially costly and forever route”.
The link between body fat and testosterone
There is a huge link between body fat and testosterone. Part 1 touched upon being overweight (and carrying too little body fat) and its correlation with low testosterone. Why is this? For a few reasons:
Fat tissue
Fat tissue contains an enzyme called aromatase. This directly converts testosterone to estrogen, thus lowering testosterone levels and causing low T symptoms.
Hormonal imbalance
Excess body fat wreaks havoc on hormones and can create an imbalance. Increased leptin (a hormone produced by fat cells) has been directly linked to lower testosterone levels
Insulin resistance and inflammation
This occurs from being overweight. This can impact the pituitary gland and hypothalamus (you’ve learned about these in part 1 which are crucial for creating testosterone.
Testicular effects
These can occur with increased fat deposits in and around the testes, which can disrupt normal testicular function.
As I’ve stated countless times, the body doesn’t like to be at critically low levels of body fat, or at the higher end of the spectrum. It unsurprisingly prefers a normal range to work with.
You’ll also recall in part 1, I stated testosterone levels have been reducing throughout the decades. Increasing waistlines isn’t the sole reason, but a huge factor towards low testosterone and associated symptoms.
If you’re not between 12-17% body fat, I’d strongly recommend you get there (I have many articles on fat loss within the blog). It’s one of (if not the) most pertinent actions you can take to successfully raise your testosterone levels.
Getting between 12-17% body fat is critical towards naturally raising T levels and fixing low testosterone symptoms. You’ll get nowhere fast unless you grasp this point and take action.
Want some great articles to assist with losing fat? here you go:
● A simple ten week fat loss guide
The Saturated Fat Lie
Remember the low fat diet craze that started in the 70s and 80s and continues to this day? This is a fantastic way to lower testosterone levels. I will someday write a post covering this in more depth, as I’ve nothing but contempt for this false advice.
You must grasp that nutrition is a relatively early science and people aren’t infallible. If 999 people are echoing one statement and 1 person an opposing but truthful statement, it doesn’t mean 999 people are correct.
An American physiologist called Angel Keys completed a seven countries study in 1958. He linked saturated fat with heart disease and the rest is history. As mentioned, I will write a whole article on this controversy. The study was grossly flawed. Unfortunately, it was adopted by the world and its various health organisations.
Do you recall in part 1 when I stipulated testosterone is created from cholesterol? Guess where cholesterol comes from? You guessed right, saturated fat.
Now before you go chewing on a block of butter and drinking a gallon of beef tallow, hear me out. There’s a world of difference between knowing saturated fat is perfectly healthy and to be eaten in moderation, as opposed to over gorging on the stuff. As with most things in life, there’s a point of diminishing returns and more isn’t always better. Water in excessive amounts will kill you.
You’ll no doubt come back at me with, “Matt, doesn’t saturated fat raise cholesterol levels?” You’d be countered with a question, “Why is that necessarily a bad thing?”. You see, in parallel to saturated fat, cholesterol has also been vilified, unnecessarily so. Once again I could (and probably will) write an entire article on cholesterol (hugely complex subject), or you’d be reading this section all night.
Cholesterol is a fix it steroid. It’s the body’s natural healing substance. It comes to the rescue when there is an injury present anywhere within the body. Blaming cholesterol for heart disease, is based upon showing up within inflamed arteries. It’s the equivalent of holding firemen accountable for starting a fire, only because they were present at the scene.
This is the exact reason why cholesterol has been vilified over the years. in addition to this, the body can create cholesterol without dietary fat.
There is one type of fat with a resounding unhealthy label attached to it, trans (or hydrogenated) fats. At the time of writing, some countries have banned these harmful fats, others (like my own, the UK) have accepted reduction promises from manufacturers.
The saturated fat lie will take decades for us tom recover from, if ever.
Sugar Lowers Testosterone
Excess sugar seems to be the real culprit for a host of health issues outside of this articles purpose. Again, for another day.
Excess sugar lowers testosterone levels quicker than my speed of marching out of the latest captain Marvel film.
Putting it as bluntly as I can, Maintaining a low fat and a high carb diet will do nothing towards naturally raising T levels and fixing low testosterone symptoms.
Some quick bullets on why sugar is so bad for testosterone levels (T) and
Poor sleep
Especially if consumed near bed time. Lack of sleep will severely impact testosterone levels
Oxidative stress
Excess sugar can increase oxidative stress within the body. This can damage the testes and impair testosterone production.
Insulin spikes
Constant insulin spikes can affect the leydig cells within the body. These cells are directly responsible for producing testosterone
Chronic Inflammation
High sugar intake can cause chronic inflammation, which in turn impacts the endocrine system, thus leading to reduced testosterone.
Fatty liver disease
Excessive consumption can impact the liver and cause something called fatty liver disease. A compromised liver will wreak havoc on the body, including reduced testosterone levels.
Raised cortisol levels
Cortisol is your stress hormone and excess sugar negatively impacts cortisol levels and unsurprisingly causes lowered testosterone.
insulin resistance
Insulin resistance can be a result of high sugar intake (your pancreas doesn’t work like it should) and is a major disruptor on hormone levels.
The above section would point towards me identifying as a ketogenic diet zealot. I’m certainly not, although I do err towards lower carb for most completely sedentary people.
One thing is clear, Sugar reduced testosterone. Reduce your consumption for higher testosterone levels. Bear in mind, I still ate a small chocolate bar every night, during my 3 month optimisation experiment. Lower your amount and raise your fat intake.
Increase testosterone with diet
As per my other articles, we know meal frequency is irrelevant. You can eat once or four times a day. It’s irrelevant for weight loss and the same is true of testosterone levels.
If you’re over 17% body fat, you must diet down to 17% (15 or slightly lower is ideal, under 10-12 and you’ll potentially be suffering from low testosterone because of little body fat- see part 1). As referenced above, this is one of the most critical actions you must undertake in order to give yourself the best chance of naturally raising T levels and fixing low testosterone symptoms.
When you’re at an ideal body fat percentage, you must ensure you’re eating at maintenance calories. A calorie deficit will negatively impact testosterone (once excess body fat is lost). A good rule of thumb – if you’re active, which you should be keeping testosterone in mind, is to eat at your bodyweight in lbs x 15 or 16. This is your allowance of calories.
I’m deliberately keeping this section less specific and more theory/ ground rules to follow. I don’t want to put a strict diet in place for you, as you’ll adhere to your own meal frequency/ foods you gravitate towards etc. My fat loss link above should assist with more detailed information needed.
As always, I do recommend my fitness pal. What gets measured gets done.
Let’s take me as an example to calculate calories and protein. I’m 175 lbs and very active. 175 x 16 = 2800 calories a day allowance
Useful to know information
Protein and carbs contains 4 calories per gram, fat contains 9 calories per gram.
Prioritise protein
Protein should be prioritised and is so important to health. I eat 1 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight. That’s 175 grams per day for me. My fat loss article linked above covers protein in more depth and the foods highest in protein.
Evenly split fat and carbs
Split your fat and carbs fairly equally (not at every meal, but as an average throughout the day). Achieving pin point accuracy with your fat/carbs split doesn’t matter, (stay within total calories) so don’t obsess over it. By splitting your macronutrients this way, you won’t be eating excess sugar/carbs and you’ll be eating plenty of fat. You’ll also have room for treats.
If you’re less active, I’d allow for a higher fat and lower carb ratio.
Some good carb sources to stick to (no surprises here – good wholesome carbs)
● Fruit
● Vegetables
● Potatoes
● Rice
● Oats
● Bread/pasta (if you can handle them. I generally feel better off them)
● Beans
Enjoy carbs, just shift the balance towards an equal amount of fat in your diet.
Good fat choices for raising testosterone (monounsaturated fats included too, these are great)
● Butter
● Lard
● Avocados
● Coconut oil
● fatty red meat
● Eggs (yes the yolk) – I eat around 4 most days
● Olives/ Olive oil
● Full fat greek yogurt
● nuts
● Oily fish
● Cheese
Remember
Calculate calorie and protein intake
Split carbs and fats evenly
Make common sense dietary choices
Plenty of fruit and veggies and less processed sugary crap. Don’t fear fat and shift the balance more towards more fat than recommended by the mainstream.
I enjoyed a 250 calorie chocolate bar every evening and this was my treat allowance for the day.
It’s okay if you mess up one day. Keep generally consistent with your actions and you’ll be fine. you can certainly increase testosterone with diet.
More on sleep below, but try and eat your last meal by 6pm. Your sleep quality will be greatly improved. the same goes for ensuring your water in take is capped around 2 hours before bed.
I haven’t covered alcohol. As you’d suspect, alcohol reduces testosterone. If you must drink, keep it to a couple of drinks over the weekend. If you want optimal hormone levels, you’ll not get there by feeding your body poison.
Micronutrients for testosterone
These aren’t only essential for optimal health, but adequate micronutrients for testosterone optimisation is essential. we commonly know micronutrients as vitamins and minerals.
Due to today’s junk food culture, the quality of our food and soil being less mineral rich than years ago, it’s rather easy to suffer from a micronutrient deficiency. This is bad news as some are vital for healthy testosterone.
Listed below are the most common micronutrient deficiencies (relating to testosterone), the recommended daily allowance (RDA) and where you can obtain them from.
Zinc
RDA 11mg per day. Abundant in pork, lamb, shellfish, legumes, seeds, nuts, dairy products and wholegrain and eggs
Vitamin D
RDA 600 IU per day. Vitamin D is hugely important for general health. We get it in abundance by being in sunlight. Other sources include fatty fish, egg yolks and liver. It’s Also fortified in milk, organge juice and cereal.
Magnesium
A huge deficiency suffered by a large % of the world. RDA is 400mg per day. Sources include nuts (mainly almonds and cashews), seeds (pumpkin and chia), leafy green vegetables, wholegrain, legumes and dark chocolate
Vitamin B6
RDA is 1.5 mg per day. Found in fish, poultry, potatoes, bananas, chickpeas, many non citrus fruits
Vitamin B12
RDA 2.4mcg per day. Present in all meat, eggs, dairy products and fortified cereals
Selenium
55mcg per day. Sources are Brazil nuts, seafood, meat, eggs and wholegrain products.
A good multivitamin/mineral supplement will act as a subpar insurance policy. There’s absorption questions and so many stuffed into a pill could result in some ingredients counteracting others nature doesn’t work like this). Ensure you attempt to gain the majority of the above from your food and use a vitamin as exactly advised, a poor insurance policy.
I’m going to add another trace mineral into the mix – Boron. Research is ascertaining Boron is looking useful in the increasing free Testosterone levels. It’s inexpensive and you should supplement with Boron at a 6mg per day dosage.
Increasing testosterone with exercise
This section will be briefer than you’d anticipate. in a similar vein to the diet section, searching for the perfect workout can lead to paralysis via analysis. I’ve quoted the phrase, “Perfect is the enemy of good” several times on my blog posts and it’s so true.
Strength train 3-4 days a week
Train with as much intensity as your health/ experience allows. Strength training will be a critical weapon in naturally raising T levels and fixing low testosterone symptoms.
Keep your workouts to no more than an hour in order to keep testosterone zapping cortisol at bay. As per above, cortisol lowers testosterone.
Want some good strength training programs/advice? You can find some by clicking the below articles.
8 fitness myths busted and why you won’t look like a swimmer
Muscle building mistakes that delayed me getting lean and ripped
Perform HIIT workouts once – twice a week.
HIIT training can boost testosterone to a greater degree vs steady state lower intensity cardio. You can pick any cardio machine/use your body and alternate short maximum all out bursts of energy (30 seconds – 1 minute depending on fitness levels) followed by low intensity/rest period of a minute.
No need to go beyond 20 minutes as intensity is paramount. You can slot this in following strength training (I’d keep the strength training more nearer 45 mins if you do so) or incorporate on your non lifting days. If you already participate in intense sports, this will be adequate. Want a good home HIIT workout article? Click below.
Best no equipment home cardio workouts for all levels and ages
Ensure adequate rest
Aim for 2 full days a week away from intense exercise. Rest and recuperation do wonders for testosterone. Overtraining lowers testosterone levels. If you’re overworking your body, it’s not going to keep testosterone levels optimal, in addition to your immune system being compromised. Work hard and ensure adequate rest!
Keep your steps and general movement up
Being sedentary can lower testosterone levels. Ensure you’re getting out in nature for that precious vitamin D and enjoying low intensity walking. Aim for 7500 steps plus per day.
Sleep for increased testosterone
I’ll be honest, I’ve never been a great sleeper. I did make a conscious effort to follow the below advice. I slept better, but still had my moments.
You’ve learned that cortisol lowers testosterone. Stress produces cortisol and lack of sleep (as you can imagine) wreaks havoc on your cortisol levels.
Good sleep is vital, not only for testosterone, muscle building and hormone levels, but for good health in general. You must aim for 7-8 hours per night.
Six tips for a great nights sleep:
1. No eating or drinking 3 hours before bed time. Your body won’t sleep as deeply when it’s bursting with food. Keeping your fluids lower in the evening will result in less sleep disturbed visits to the bathroom.
2. Keeping your room cooler (18 degrees Celsius/65 degrees Fahrenheit) has been proven in aiding you to fall asleep faster and experience a deeper sleep
3. Keep your room dark and mitigate noise
4. Retire your phone an hour before bedtime. if you can’t, ensure that you’ve placed a blue light blocker on. These days, most phones are equipped with this feature and blue light signals the body to wake up.
5. Write down everything causing you stress in your life and place the notepad downstairs, in the knowledge you’ll tackle them in the morning. This psychological trick works wonders for me.
6. Keep your caffeine intake to 2-3 cups a day maximum. Cease all caffeine after 12pm. I used to be a huge coffee drinker and my sleep would chronically suffer. This made a huge difference to my sleep quality. Did you know the half life of caffeine is around 5 hours and it’s stackable? What on earth do I mean? Half life is the amount of time it takes half of the substance to leave your body.
Let’s assume you drink 4 strong cups of coffee a day. One at 8am, 10am, midday and 2pm @120mg per cup. Each 120mg takes 5 hours to half within your system. So the 8am coffee is still at 60mg at 1pm. Stack the additional coffees up and you’ll quickly observe that you’re going to bed every night jacked up on a potent stimulant.
Supplements to Increase Testosterone
using supplements to increase testosterone is a grey area. Let me make this perfectly clear. There are many snake oil supplements out there praying on your wallet. Natural testosterone boosters are no exception. Don’t fall for this. A calorie deficit is the primary requirement for fat loss, optimising testosterone requires the above sections to be acted upon. No supplement will increase testosterone (most advertised don’e anyway) without the following being in order:
● Exercise
● Diet
● Micronutrients
● Sleep recovery and stress management
Get the above right and it’s 9/10 of your battle won at naturally raising T levels and fixing low testosterone symptoms. That said, there are some promising herbs which could help to raise testosterone. Andrew Huberman (An American respected neuroscientist) praises the following:
Tongkat Ali and Fadogia Agrestis
Huberman claims a combination of these herbs, at a daily dose of 400mg Tongkat and 425mg Fadogia can significantly raise testosterone. He recently attended the Joe Rogan podcast and mentioned these two supplements. To quote one of the first things he states ad verbatim, ” Behaviours are the fundamental layers. You have to do the right things” This further emphasises my point, get the above basics right before you explore any supplementation. There’s many testimonies to be found on YouTube stating the above two compounds did nothing for them. There’s also growing controversy regarding Fadogia and testicular toxicity. Research accordingly!
There are three final compounds which I’d label on the lower end of might work:
D-Aspartic acid
An amino acid which may boost testosterone by increasing the luteinising hormone and stimulating testosterone production. From my research, this is a temporary boost and not worth your trouble
Ashwagandha
This herb can reduce cortisol (the testosterone killing hormone) but has a reputation on ‘dulling’ senses and mood.
Fenugreek
potentially looks promising, but questionable at best.
That’s pretty much it for supplementation. There’ll be plenty more advertised. Most have been disproven to illicit any positive testosterone increase. You can’t go wrong with maximising the key pillars above. If you can’t increase testosterone via these methods, no supplement is going to provide better results.
I will wait until the articles conclusion to stipulate whether I took any of these supplements, and if they were a key contributor towards my results.
Endocrine disruptors and testosterone
I’ve touched upon this during part 1. Modern day society isn’t a favourable climate towards keeping testosterone levels high. We’re up against it!
Endocrine disruptors are compounds that have an adverse effect on your endocrine system, thus hold the potential to severely impact your testosterone levels. This isn’t a fabricated section of the article – the issue is real and scientifically verified.
There’s a danger of getting ‘scientifically boring’ within this section and I will attempt to avert this risk. These chemicals can be found in a number of every day products you’ll have access too. Reduce (it’s virtually impossible to completely eliminate) your risk by undertaking the following:
● Attempt to eliminate plastics from your life (as much as possible). Don’t eat or drink from plastic containers/bottles. Plastic lowers testosterone
● Always say no to handling a store receipt (yes you heard me).
● Eliminate canned foods from your life
● Attempt to shop for Phthalate and paragon free products (shampoos, lotions and fragrances)
● Eliminate non stick frying pans/cooking utensils and replace with cast iron/stainless steel.
Increasing Testosterone Bonus Tips
The internet is littered with claims to increase testosterone by undertaking a variety of weird, wonderful and downright bizarre actions. I’ve kept the below two tips to proven ways of increasing testosterone levels.
● Mindset- believing you’re a winner and changing your outlook on life can illicit a dramatic impact on testosterone levels. High testosterone is related to high success and self worth.
● Engage in competitive sport/activities, or any general activity where your competitive side is brought out.
What is TRT?
Using Clomid as TRT
A quick word on using Clomid as TRT. Depending on your unique situation, a healthcare provider may discuss the use of Clomid to restore natural testosterone production.
Clomid is (usually in tablet form) unique in the sense that it doesn’t shut down your bodies ability to make testosterone and aids towards raised natural testosterone levels. It’s classed as a SERM (select androgen receptor modulator) and inhibits estrogen receptors, thus prompting an increased release of testosterone. Clomid carries with it many health risks and your healthcare professional will discuss and elaborate with you.
It’s worth calling out as an alternative to hard testosterone therapy if you wish to keep your natural testosterone levels, albeit with risks.
Mainstream exogenous TRT
Throughout part 1 and thus far into part 2, you’ll have learned that TRT stands for testosterone replacement therapy. Part one covered the two types of low testosterone:
Primary hypogonadism (no natural fix on earth-straight to TRT)
Secondary hypogonadism (attempting fixes as above)
If you’ve genuinely attempted the above recommendations for 3 months (or longer depending on how much fat you need to lose) and are drawing a low testosterone result, at this point it’s pertinent to research TRT via your doctor/a hormone clinic.
TRT is simply replacing your testosterone with an exogenous source of testosterone.
Here are the popular methods of TRT with pro’s and cons listed. Injections are by far the most popular application of TRT:
Methods of TRT delivery
There are many methods of TRT delivery. Injections are the most popular option.
Intramuscular Injections
Testosterone is injected directly into the muscle, typically in the thigh or buttocks. Commonly used esters include testosterone cypionate, testosterone enanthate or sustanon. The frequency of injections can vary from daily to once a week. It’s an archaic practice to recommend any less than once a week, due to the hormonal imbalance created.
Pro’s:
Provides a steady release of testosterone, effective for most patients.
Cons:
Requires regular injections, which can be painful and inconvenient for some.
Subcutaneous Injections
Testosterone is injected just under the skin, often in the abdominal area. The compounds used and frequency mirrors an intramuscular injection.
Pros:
Less painful and easier to self-administer compared to intramuscular injections.
Cons:
Some individuals may experience irritation or discomfort at the injection site.
Transdermal Patches
Patches are applied to the skin, releasing testosterone through the skin into the bloodstream. Daily application is required.
Pro’s:
Non-invasive and easy to use.
Cons:
Can cause skin irritation, may be visible on the skin, and may not adhere well during activities like swimming or heavy sweating. If the patch falls of and makes contact with your wife or children…. this pretty much negates the widespread use of a patch.
Topical Gels and Creams
Gels or creams are applied to the skin, typically on the shoulders, upper arms, or abdomen. Daily or twice daily application.
Pros:
Non-invasive, easy to apply, and allows for steady absorption.
Cons:
As above. Risk of transferring the hormone to others through skin contact, potential for skin irritation, and daily application required.
Implantable Pellets
Small pellets containing testosterone are surgically implanted under the skin, usually in the buttocks or abdomen. The frequency is usually every 3-6 months.
Pro’s:
Long-lasting, consistent release of testosterone, minimal maintenance.
Cons:
Requires minor surgical procedure for insertion and removal, risk of infection or pellet extrusion.The pellet may not release the testosterone levels required and could result in an extremely bumpy ride, both physically and emotionally.
Nasal Gels
Gel applied inside the nostrils typically 3 times a day.
Pros:
Non-invasive, avoids skin irritation.
Cons:
Requires multiple daily applications, may cause nasal irritation or discomfort.
Your healthcare professional will formulate a solution with you. You will receive frequent blood tests to check your testosterone and general blood work. Your doctor adjust the dose in accordance with your symptoms and blood work levels.
Finding the optimal frequency and dose is known as the dialling in period and can take anywhere from 3 months to a year. Once you’re at your sweet spot (no two people are the same), the perpetual goal is to keep optimal testosterone levels, blood work and positive symptoms in a great place. TRT is usually a life long commitment.
The benefits of TRT
Please note, within the benefits and risks section, I’m listing the benefits/risks of sitting at the upper natural range of normal. This is not to be confused with the double testosterone levels of your favourite TikToker, who’s just ‘hopped on TRT’. This person is likely on a low dose steroid cycle (higher super physiological levels of testosterone) and the benefits and risks become exacerbated. This is a critical point to take note of.
Let’s dive into some of the main benefits of TRT:
● Increased mood and general drive. Testosterone makes effort feel good.
● increased libido (can be a con depending on your circumstances)
● Increased recovery, fat loss, strength and muscle gain (you’re going from low to optimised) will be evident. Will be further enhanced by positive lifestyle shifts.
● A steady state of testosterone means you’ll no longer experience low testosterone within a calorie deficit. You’ll hear many people advising TRT doesn’t give an athletic advantage, due to being at normal levels. It gives a huge advantage when dieting and avoiding hormonal shut down and associated symptoms
● Improved bone density over time
● Improved cognitive function
● Enhanced energy and vitality
● Better cardiovascular health (in some respects)
Before you’re convinced this is a super soldier serum and you’re the next Captain America, this compound can carry downsides.
TRT risks and downsides
● It’s a life long commitment. TRT shuts down your bodies own natural testosterone levels (as you’re providing it exogenously). If you discontinue use, you’ll probably get your testosterone levels back, at the pre treatment level (assuming you’ve followed a natural optimisation first). How long this can take is down to the length of time on TRT. There’s also no guarantee you’ll get your natural levels back.
● It’s costly treatment
● TRT will likely make you infertile. Associated drugs can be provided to keep fertility up. This is an additional expense to you.
● More testosterone in the body can translate to a greater chance of converting to estrogen and suffering associated effects (water retention, erratic mood, breast tissue enlargement etc). Additional drugs (which come with their own health risks) can be provided to manage estrogen. Again, this comes at a cost to you.
● Anxiety can be a common symptom
● Increased stimulation of red blood cells. This can lead to an increase in hematocrit and haemoglobin, increasing the chances of blood clots and strokes.
● Acne and skin reactions
● Your testicles aren’t being used and will atrophy. No, your penis size won’t be impacted.
● Sleep Apnea
● Full understanding of prostate and cardiovascular risks are still being researched. You’ll find a bulk of information on both sides of the fence. Research does seem to be pointing to the direction that optimal testosterone levels protect the heart and prostate. As I’ve stated, the evidence and opinion is conflicting. Speak to your healthcare professional.
My increasing Testosterone results
I retested 3 months later and received the following results.
A below reminder of my previous test results, 3 months prior to my retest.
I succeeded at naturally raising my T levels, and not by an insignificant amount (especially free testosterone). My overall testosterone levels increased from 433 (15) to 585 (20.3). I
n American terms this is a 152 increase (just over 5 points on the British scale) and you’ll observe my free testosterone levels increased significantly (bioavailable). It’s not groundbreaking and certainly didn’t transform me into Superman, but it was adequate for some noticeable benefits in line with higher testosterone symptoms.
More importantly, it alleviated the low testosterone symptoms I was experiencing. I’m far from the upper high end of the range, but that’s just fine for me.
Testosterone isn’t the be all and end all when it comes to muscle building and fat loss, if you’re within the normal ranges. As you venture outside of normal and into super physiological territory, the muscle gains are dramatic, along with the negative effects being more prominent.
Raising my Testosterone Levels
I took the exact action I’ve shared with you within this blog post and it worked. I:
● Was sitting at around 18% fat and dieted down to 13%
● Prioritised sleep and stress management
● Followed the diet advice above. I ate (and still generally do) two meals a day. I ensured meal one at 12pm was eggs, meat, fruit and plenty of green veggies. For meal two, throughout the week I would rotate some of the dietary choices I’ve given above. I ensured that I adhered to my maintenance calories and prioritised protein (once my fat loss goal was achieved).
● Was already exercising in accordance with my advice and hitting my steps
● Optimised my micronutrient intake in line with the above advice (including boron).
● Didn’t use any additional herbs from the supplements that might increase testosterone section.
Conclusion and Closing thoughts
We’ve delved into a considerable amount of material and I appreciate it’s going to be a lengthy digestion of content.
Stick with the basic 5 pillars and you can’t go wrong:
1. Increase testosterone with diet
2. ensure adequate micronutrients for optimal testosterone and fix deficiencies
3. Ensure you’re increasing testosterone with exercise
4. Sleep for increased testosterone
5. Understand endocrine disruptors and testosterone
For men who need it, TRT can be a life changing solution and it’s great to witness mens hormonal health getting coverage. That said, many jump on quickly and recklessly without any natural intervention. Aesthetics/athletic achievements are all too prevalent on social media and TRT has unfortunately become synonymous with vanity dressed up as health.
In the future, if my testosterone is suffering, I would certainly consider this route, providing I’m still doing all I can to optimise my natural levels. For now, I’m happy that I succeeded in naturally raising T levels and fixing low testosterone symptoms. I’m due a re-test soon and will be sure to share this within a future blog post.
I hope you enjoyed reading this rather long blog article. It took a considerable amount of time to put together. If you gained value from it, please do consider an email subscription to my site. I aim to produce 2-3 articles a week covering a variety of health, fitness and lifestyle topics and you’ll be the first to know when a new release is published.
Thank you very much for reading.
Chat soon,
Matt.