Testosterone Confession

Testosterone Confession

For bodybuilding enthusiasts, testosterone is undoubtedly one of the hormones that has the greatest impact on bodybuilding outcomes. This hormone is a hot topic in the bodybuilding community, as both professional athletes and bodybuilding enthusiasts are discussing how to improve their testosterone levels through various methods. However, although we discuss this topic every day, exploring how to promote the secretion of testosterone, how many people have truly delved into understanding this hormone?

Many people’s initial understanding of testosterone may come from its ability to make people stronger, promote muscle development, and make them appear more Man, confident, and powerful. They may think that the higher the testosterone level secreted, the better, so they blindly seek ways to increase testosterone secretion. However, their understanding of testosterone is even at the most basic stage, and it is unclear how much testosterone secretion in their bodies should be considered high or low.

So, what is your testosterone level at? How does it work? These are the basic testosterone knowledge you need to understand. Today, let’s talk in detail about testosterone and answer the above questions.

What is testosterone?

Firstly, let’s understand what testosterone is. Testosterone is a type of steroid hormone. Male testosterone mainly comes from the testes, while female testosterone mainly comes from the ovaries. In addition, the adrenal gland also secretes a small amount of testosterone.

Before we delve deeper into testosterone, let’s first explain what hormones are. Hormones are a chemical substance produced within the human body that plays a crucial role in reproduction, metabolism, growth and development. Hormones affect the physiological activities of the human body by regulating the metabolic activities of various tissue cells. You can think of hormones as signals, their release sends instructions to cells and organs, thereby regulating the body’s functions.

Testosterone is one of the most important hormones in the male body, which affects muscle strength, bone density, physical bodybuilding, sexual function, energy levels, and emotions. Simply put, the more testosterone is secreted, the more masculine a person’s external signs will appear. When your testosterone secretion is too low, it will correspondingly affect male characteristics, such as sperm quality, sexual desire, muscle strength, and so on. So, how much testosterone is secreted to be considered excessive? What is its range value? These are all issues that we need to understand.

What is the range of normal testosterone values?

The most accurate and simple way to determine the normal range of one’s testosterone level is to go to the hospital for examination. Usually, doctors perform simple blood tests to measure total and free testosterone levels. Based on these test results, the following normal ranges can be obtained:

For adult males, the total testosterone level should be between 9.45-37.45 nanomole/liter (ng/deciliter), which is between 270-1070 nanomole/deciliter. The total testosterone level of adult women should be between 0.21 and 3.01 nanomoles/liter, that is, between 6 and 86 nanomoles/deciliter. It is worth noting that male free testosterone levels are generally about 2% lower than total testosterone levels, while female free testosterone levels are slightly lower than total testosterone levels by about 1%.

Testosterone in the blood can be divided into two forms: free state and bound state. Free testosterone refers to testosterone that exists in the blood in a free form and is an active state. Only about 2% of testosterone secreted into the bloodstream is present in free form, the remaining 65% binds to sex hormone binding proteins, and the remaining 33% binds to albumin. Combined testosterone, on the other hand, is a temporarily stored form, and the two are in a dynamic equilibrium state, jointly maintaining the concentration of free testosterone in the plasma.

Testosterone is a male hormone, and women also have a certain amount of testosterone in their bodies. Testosterone exists in the body in three ways, namely free testosterone, testosterone bound to albumin, and testosterone bound to sex hormone binding globulin. Among them, free testosterone has biological activity and has effects on aspects such as libido, strength, immune function, and bone density. The term ‘promoting testosterone’ commonly used refers to promoting the production of free testosterone. Simply understood, testosterone can be divided into two forms: free testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin. Sex hormone binding globulin mainly plays a role in transporting sex hormones.

From the above data, it can be seen that women’s testosterone levels are much lower than men’s, which leads to women often having lower muscle mass than men’s. Even if women undergo high-intensity training, it is difficult to achieve the same muscle mass level as men, unless assisted by medication.

The pros and cons of testosterone levels

Although some people’s bodies secrete higher levels of testosterone than the general population, this does not necessarily mean that lower testosterone levels will lead to corresponding symptoms. Everyone’s symptoms are different, and the impact of testosterone varies depending on age groups and levels of testosterone. Among them, free testosterone is one of the important indicators affecting its effect.

Some people may have relatively low levels of testosterone, but higher levels of free testosterone, resulting in different effects in related aspects. Therefore, it is necessary to combine the two indicators for comprehensive consideration. In addition, as people age, their testosterone levels also gradually decrease.

Although everyone’s testosterone levels may vary, most people’s testosterone levels are within the normal range, and moderate high or low levels do not cause significant problems. However, if your testosterone level is indeed low, it is recommended to consult a doctor for advice. Generally speaking, doctors will advise you to adjust your lifestyle, increase sleep time, and improve your physical condition by adjusting your diet, improving rest, and exercising.

For men, high testosterone levels may bring some benefits, such as enhancing physical strength and increasing sexual desire. However, excessive testosterone secretion may also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, affect the normal metabolism of sugar and fat, and easily lead to some skin problems, such as enlarged pores and acne. Therefore, maintaining moderate levels of testosterone is very important.

The main differences between different types of testosterone

bodybuilding enthusiasts often ask questions about the differences and advantages of different types of drugs, such as testosterone undecanoate (injection, oral), Testosterone enanthate, Testosterone cypionate, and mixed testosterone (Sustanon). At the same time, they also wonder why some pharmacies vigorously promote some of their drugs while belittling others. In fact, these drugs are widely used globally and there is no absolute distinction between their advantages and disadvantages. It is very important to understand the principles and essential differences of drugs that are most suitable for oneself.

Firstly, it should be understood that in “testosterone XX”, refers to the substituent group added to the testosterone molecule. Generally speaking, the larger and longer the ester functional group, the better the solubility of testosterone esters in oil, and the higher the distribution coefficient. This means that the release time in the body will be longer (relatively milder), and the peak value will be relatively low.

When it comes to whether a specific testosterone ester is “fast acting” or “slow acting,” it’s not that one type of testosterone is a quick acting elixir, while the other is useless. On the contrary, this refers to the rate at which testosterone esters release testosterone into the bloodstream. Therefore, when selecting drugs, various factors should be comprehensively considered, including drug solubility, distribution coefficient, release rate, and peak value, in order to find the most suitable drug for oneself.

In short, for bodybuilding enthusiasts, it is important to understand the principles and essential differences of different types of testosterone drugs. Only by comprehensively understanding the characteristics and advantages and disadvantages of various drugs can we make wise choices and achieve the best bodybuilding results.

Testosterone injection and oral medication

Injecting steroids

Testosterone injection and oral medication are common testosterone replacement therapies. Among these two delivery methods, the use of testosterone ester can bring some specific advantages.

Testosterone esters are compounds obtained by adding “ester” functional groups to testosterone molecules. Esters are formed by the reaction between carboxylic acids and alcohols, with various ester groups available for selection. Common ester groups include cyclopentanoic acid, heptanic acid, propionic acid, phenylpropionic acid, isohexanoic acid, caproic acid, decanoic acid, and undecanoic acid. These different ester groups can have a certain impact on the properties and effects of testosterone, so the selection of ester groups needs to be adjusted according to individual circumstances.

Adding ester groups to the injection can achieve a relatively simple administration plan and fewer injections. Due to the high solubility of the ester, after injection of testosterone ester, testosterone will be slowly released into the bloodstream, thereby reducing the drastic fluctuations in drug concentration. Compared to water based testosterone, the testosterone ester in the injection can more stably maintain the concentration of the drug in the body and reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions. In addition, due to the action of esterases, when testosterone esters enter the bloodstream, they are cleaved into usable testosterone and fatty acids, restoring testosterone to its usable form in the body and can be detected in blood tests. Therefore, the testosterone ester in the injection can achieve a slower and milder drug release process, reduce the peak of the drug, and improve the stability of the treatment effect.

For men who use injectable testosterone, choosing the appropriate type of testosterone ester is crucial. Generally speaking, the larger and longer the “ester functional group”, the better the solubility of testosterone esters in oil, and the higher the distribution coefficient. This means that testosterone ester has a higher solubility in oil and can be retained at the injection site for a longer time, delaying the release rate of the drug. The rate of hydrolysis by esterases will also be slower, resulting in longer drug release time and lower peak values in the body. Therefore, choosing a longer ester group can enhance the stability and durability of the drug.

In general, the “xx acid” group on testosterone is like a soluble “capsule” wrapped around the testosterone molecule. The longer its length, the less easily testosterone is metabolized and quickly excreted from the body. This means that long-acting testosterone can provide a more stable blood drug concentration and reduce the adverse effects of drug fluctuations on the body. When choosing the type of testosterone ester, doctors will evaluate and make recommendations based on the specific situation of the patient. For men, slow-acting esters are usually preferred to maintain stable blood concentration and avoid severe fluctuations.

Oral steroids

When administered orally, the drug is first absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and then enters the liver through the portal vein. However, if testosterone is taken orally, due to the presence of first-pass effects, a large portion of it will be metabolized in the liver, making it unable to produce the expected efficacy in the body.

In order to solve this problem, people have tried various methods. One attempt is to develop protein anabolic steroids (AAS), but these drugs can easily lead to health problems. For example, methyltestosterone itself was developed to address the issue of oral testosterone, but due to its significant damage to the liver, it is now rarely used for hormone therapy. This is because safer drug delivery methods have been developed. The excessive use of testosterone in the past has also led to testosterone replacement therapy being considered very harmful to the liver.

In recent years, there have been some new developments in the field of oral testosterone delivery. One progress is the use of testosterone undecanoate soft capsules/capsules for administration. The design of this drug allows it to be absorbed into the lymphatic system through the small intestine, bypassing the “first pass effect” of the liver. Compared to other forms of oral testosterone such as methyltestosterone, undecanoate testosterone soft capsules/capsules have a lower burden on the liver. Therefore, it is generally believed that undecanoic acid testosterone soft capsules/capsules are a relatively safe form of oral testosterone.