…& TRT
In our increasingly stressful and toxic world male testosterone levels are declining by 1% annually.
We are bombarded by fitness influencers telling us that we need TRT (testosterone replacement therapy), often using TRT themselves and giving us a false image of what the natural male body looks like.
Men are looking for quick fixes.
Let’s begin with a quick chemistry lesson on how our bodies make testosterone naturally. Here’s the main conversion pathway for testosterone, this is called the A5 pathway.
So why might we not be making enough testosterone?
Lack of Cholesterol
It all begins with cholesterol. This is our raw material. Low cholesterol levels are rare unless you have liver or thyroid problems or are taking statins.
Hijacking of the Pathway A5→A4
The A4 Pathway is triggered when you are stressed, not sleeping, have inflammation, or drink alcohol. Your body will steal the pregnenolone to make progesterone and finally cortisol.
It makes sense, the last thing we need when running from a sabre tooth is an erection.
Too Much DHEA Being Stored as DHEAS
DHEA is stored as DHEAS to ensure a ready supply, if we store too much however we won’t be able to produce enough testosterone. Chronic stress, not sleeping, inflammation and alcohol are the usual suspects. Your genes may also be causing this.
Trapped Testosterone
Once we have created testosterone our bodies either store it (bound testosterone) or make it available for use (free testosterone).
Having too much free testosterone would not be desirable, although mood swings and an uncontrollable sexual appetite might be fun for a while!
Too little free testosterone means you won’t have enough available for an improved focus, mood, muscle building and sex drive.
The main culprit for trapped testosterone is SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin). SHBG is a protein that acts as the delivery trucks for our sex hormones including testosterone and oestrogen.
When your body detects too much oestrogen it will increase SHBG production to store the excess oestrogen. But the SHBG truck driver isn’t smart, it also stores the testosterone at the same time.
SHBG are also increased by an overactive thyroid.
T3 and T4 are our thyroid hormones that determine our metabolic rate (energy used at rest). If levels of T3/T4 are too high (hyperthyroidism/high metabolic rate) our bodies increase levels of SHBG to trap more free testosterone. Reducing free testosterone will reduce muscle tissue creation and as muscle tissue is highly metabolic, this will then help to reduce our metabolic rate.
Conversion of Testosterone to DHT or Oestrogen
Both DHT and oestrogen are essential hormones but balance is key.
Without sufficient DHT we would lack our male identity, losing our body hair and deep voice. Too much DHT can cause hairloss and prostate enlargement.
Excessive conversion of testosterone to DHT can be caused by obesity, stress and genetics.
Oestrogen (often considered a female hormone) is essential for strong bones, libido, cognitive and neural function. However too much oestrogen can cause gynecomastia (man boobs), loss of libido and mood swings.
Excessive conversion to oestrogen can be caused by stress, obesity and chronic inflammation.
TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy)
I’ll begin this section with some wisdom that was passed to me as a 16 year old entering a gym for the first time.
“Don’t rent when you can buy.”
Jock Reeves – Legendary power lifting coach and brother of former Worlds Strongest Man Jamie Reeves
Men over the age of 45 have a nearly 40 % chance of having what is deemed as a clinically low level of testosterone.
Getting prescribed testosterone is a piece of cake and at fairly high doses from any hormone clinic.
Typical doses are around 200mg per week. A study conducted on participants with suppressed testosterone showed that total testosterone levels increased levels by three times. For someone with a starting total testosterone of 400ng/dl that would increase it to 1200ng/dl.
You are now in the range of what is considered excessive for a 20 year old.
Your well loved classic has just been fitted with a supercharged V8. Unfortunately the garage have not upgraded the rest of the vehicle. Rather than fix the problem it can create others.
When you take exogenous (produced outside our bodies) testosterone with no idea of how it is being utilised, you risk driving it down these pathways in much bigger amounts.
Your body may be converting too much testosterone to oestrogen (man boobs) or DHT (hairloss).
Taking exogenous testosterone also shuts down your natural production (hypogonadism). With no way of producing testosterone naturally you will have to remain on TRT for life (great repeat business for the testosterone clinic).
As testosterone increases even further above normal levels this can cause high blood pressure, as we get older this becomes more of a concern (the fuel hoses on your classic car aren’t what they used to be).
We are flooding our system with testosterone with no understanding of how it is being (mis) used.
Increasing testosterone in this way is a very crude fix. You are one of most expensive vehicles you will ever own, you deserve more care than a dodgy back street garage.
Get Tested
Most testosterone clinics will only ask you to get a basic check, with the ultimate goal of prescribing testosterone. The truth may be that you don’t need excess testosterone, it might make things worse and you will be stuck with that decision for a lifetime.
Your body may not converting cholesterol to testosterone due to your genes, lifestyle or poor nutrition. To understand this there are comprehensive hormones tests that you can use such as a DUTCH test that a specialist can help you to understand.
Tips on Supporting your Own Levels of Testosterone
Reduce Stress & Inflammation
Meditate, increase your intake of anti-inflammatory omega 3 fats and decrease inflammatory omega 6 fats to a ration of no more than 2:1.
Take a yoga class. Get involved in a group activity like Park run (available in the UK), exercising in a group can reduce your stress levels by as much as 26% more than exercising alone.
Little and often. Try to get 30 minutes of exercise 4 times a week, running a half marathon once week may add to your levels of stress and inflammation.
Improve your sleep – Stop using screens one hour before bed. If you must have your mobile in your bedroom ensure it is on airplane mode, this will stop any noise or buzzing and reduce EMF’s that disturb your sleep. Resistance Exercise (Lift Some Iron).
Resistance exercises that recruit your largest muscle groups like squats and deadlifts have been shown to increase free testosterone by 25%. Rep ranges of 8-12 have been proven to give the largest spike in testosterone levels.
Regulate Conversion of Testosterone to Oestrogen
Reduce your body fat. Obese participants in this study had a 2-300% higher conversion from testosterone to oestrogen.
Ultimately, your hormones are not something to be manipulated recklessly. Quick fixes like TRT may offer a temporary boost, but they often mask deeper issues and can create long-term dependency. By focusing on lifestyle, stress management, proper nutrition, and targeted testing, you can support your body’s natural ability to produce and regulate testosterone. Treat your health like the high-performance machine it is, invest the time and care it deserves, and you’ll build lasting strength and vitality from the inside out.
Don’t just chase higher numbers…build a stronger, healthier you for life.
Main – Photo by Nikola Gladovic on Unsplash
About the Author: Nicholas Walton-Cole
