The ULTIMATE Guide to Testosterone Optimization - Benefits of High T, Bloodwork, How It's Made, and Causes of Low Testosterone
Today I’m going to give you the cold hard truth on testosterone maxxing. There’s good news and bad news: The good news? Anyone can have high testosterone INSTANTLY (all you have to do is inject it).
The bad news? Naturally optimizing your testosterone requires DAILY hard work and effort to optimize numerous lifestyle, environment, and nutrition factors. No supplement’s going to turn a Soyjak into a Chad. You might be able to squeeze an additional 100-300 points from dietary supplements, but that will not be life-changing.
Testosterone is an “on-demand” hormone. It is the hormone that drives men to build and gather resources, ascend the social dominance hierarchy, seek mating opportunities, reproduce, protect, and provide. Your lifestyle and nutrition tell your body exactly how much testosterone it needs to get the job done. This guide is going to discuss how to measure your current hormone levels, assess your situation, and make the changes needed to achieve optimal testosterone levels.
Recommended Bloodwork for Establishing a Baseline:
Every T optimization journey starts with bloodwork. Here are the recommended biomarkers to check:
Total Testosterone: The overall amount of testosterone in the blood, including both bound and free forms.
Free Testosterone: The overall amount of testosterone that’s ready to be used (bind to Androgen Receptors)
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT): The MAIN reason you want high testosterone. DHT is responsible for a lot, possibly even the majority of the mental and physical benefits of testosterone.
SHBG: A protein that binds to sex hormones, regulating their availability in the bloodstream.
Estradiol LC/MS (Ultrasensitive): The most potent form of estrogen. Necessary for mood, cognitive function, libido, sexual function, muscle growth, joint function, and health. Detrimental if too low or too high. Men MUST get the Ultrasensitive test as the traditional immunoassay tends to overestimate estradiol levels through cross-reactions.
LH: A pituitary hormone that stimulates testosterone production in the testes.
FSH: A pituitary hormone important for sperm production and testicular function.
Prolactin: A hormone that lowers testosterone production and sexual function if levels are too high.
You can get bloodwork done through Marek Health if you’re looking for high-quality medical guidance on testosterone optimization or TRT. Let them know BowTied Biohacker sent you.
You can also order labs from Labify if you’re just looking for a comprehensive bloodwork analysis or Jason Health if you only need a few biomarkers check a la carte.
The Real Testosterone Reference Range
To clear up confusion one might have when reading their bloodwork, it’s important to know that over the last few years, the medical industry has begun gaslighting us to cover up the Low T epidemic that has been plaguing society.
Until 2017, anything under 350ng/dl testosterone was considered “low T” and warranted a testosterone prescription that insurance would cover. Now? Tons of legitimately hypogonadal men are being told they’re normal while healthy guys clocking in at 1000+ are being flagged as “too high”.
This is what I consider a more accurate reference range, based on historical testosterone levels of men under 40:
<300 ng/dl - Very Low
300-500 ng/dl - Low
500 to 650 ng/dl - Mediocre
650 to 800 ng/dl - Decent
800 to 1000 ng/dl - High
1000+ ng/dl - Gigachad
Note: Some individuals with high androgen receptor sensitivity often fall in the “Mediocre” range, but look and feel like an average man in the “Gigachad” range. The length of CAG repeats in the AR gene affects the sensitivity of the receptor. Shorter CAG repeats are associated with increased AR activity, while longer repeats reduce AR sensitivity. This won’t apply to most (>90%) but it’s important to note. Ultimately, you should base your decision to optimize testosterone on how you feel.
The Benefits Of Having Optimal Testosterone Levels
Wouldn’t it be nice if you had endless energy and motivation to achieve your goals? You’re strong. You build muscle easily and lose fat quickly. You’re calm, confident, and on point. Men, women, and children respect you. Your sex life is great. You’re sharp. You’re building an empire and no one can stop you. This is life with optimal testosterone (and DHT) levels.
