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| | | Animal-based |  Glandular / Live Cell Therapy
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Botanical |
 Tribulus (Tribulus terrestris)
  | In patients with below-normal serum testosterone levels, physiological levels were reached after treatment with Tribulus. Amongst patients with normal initial levels, the testosterone level was not significantly changed after treatment.
A product called Forza-T combines Tribulus, 6-OXO and ZMA to increase testosterone levels.
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Not recommended:
 Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
| | 17 healthy males between 22 and 24 years of age consumed 7g/day of licorice tablets containing 7.6% glycyrrhizic acid over a 7-day period. On days 4 and 8, serum testosterone levels were decreased by 25%, with an increase in 17-hydroxyprogesterone and luteinizing hormone, and a slight but not significant reduction in free testosterone. [Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2003;111: pp.341-343] |
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Diet |
 High Fat Diet
| | A Swedish study showed that switching from a high-fat to a low-fat diet lowered blood testosterone levels by 10 percent. |
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Drug |
Conventional Drugs / Information
| | The most commonly used aromatase inhibitor in bodybuilding is aminoglutethimide (Cytadren). This drug also inhibits an enzyme (desmolase) necessary for synthesis of cortisol, but fortunately, aromatase can be inhibited with levels of drug that cause only limited inhibition of desmolase.
For an average male, a dose of 250mg per day (one tablet) appears optimal. The half-life is 8 hours, so the drug is better taken in divided doses. The best plan seems to be to take half a tablet on arising, and quarter tabs six and twelve hours later. This keeps levels generally fairly constant, but allows a small drop in the hours shortly before arising, which is then compensated for by the higher dose on arising. With this scheme, inhibition of cortisol production is generally too low to be noticed, and generally there is no rebound effect on discontinuance. However it is not a bad idea nonetheless to taper off, first omitting the midday quarter tab dose for a few days, then omitting both quarter tab doses, then reducing the initial dose to one quarter tab, and then ending completely. A week is sufficient for the taper.
Some people suffer a degree of lethargy or sedation from aminoglutethimide, even at this low dose, but most do not.
Anastrozole (Arimidex) is a superior aromatase inhibitor which does not have the above side effects. It is, however, very expensive. With moderate doses of testosterone it seems that 1mg perday is sufficient, and some have claimed half a tab to be sufficient. |
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Extract |
Chrysin
Diindolylmethane DIM / Indole 3 Carbinol IC3
| | Clinical studies using testosterone injections, creams, or patches have often failed to provide a long-lasting, libido-enhancing effect in aging men. This is because testosterone can be converted to estrogen. The estrogen is then taken up by testosterone receptor sites in cells throughout the body. When an estrogen molecule occupies a testosterone receptor site on a cell membrane, it blocks the ability of serum testosterone to induce a healthy hormonal signal. It does not matter how much serum free testosterone is available if excess estrogen is competing for the same cellular receptor sites.
Aromatization is the process of converting testosterone to estrogens. This process increases with age. Aromatase blockers such as DIM (diindolylmethane) and Chrysin can reduce estrogen levels and enhance testosterone levels. If these fail to increase free testosterone and lower excess estradiol, then ask your doctor to prescribe the potent aromatase inhibiting drug Arimidex (anastrozole) in the very low dose of 0.5mg, twice per week. Arimidex reduced estradiol by approximately 70% within 24 hours and by approximately 80% after 14 days of daily use.
The usual dose range of DIM (diindolylmethane) for men is 200 - 400mg per day taken with food. For men involved in a plan of muscular development or fat loss, the dose of bioavailable diindolylmethane should be increased to 400 to 500mg per day. |
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Hormone |
Testosterone
DHEA
| | Androstenedione is a metabolite of DHEA and a natural precursor of testosterone. 25 to 50mg of androstenedione taken at bedtime, and perhaps again first thing in the morning, will mimic the body's normal diurnal rhythm of testosterone.
This same dose may be taken 30 to 60 minutes before exercise to enhance performance, or after completion of exercise to enhance muscle recovery and growth. Serum levels of testosterone start rising about 15 minutes after oral administration and stay elevated for around 3 hours. Blood testosterone levels usually peak in around 1 to 1.5 hours after ingestion. Because the elevated testosterone levels swiftly return to normal baseline levels, there is little risk of negative feedback suppression of your usual testosterone levels. |
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Lab Tests/Rule-Outs |
Test Testosterone Levels
Test / Monitor Hormone levels
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Miscellaneous |
Reading List
| | The Testosterone Syndrome by Dr. Eugene Shippen and William Fryer. In this inexpensive paperback, they successfully demonstrate that testosterone replacement has made significant improvements in the symptoms of male menopause, and they discuss the role of testosterone in men's overall health. |
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GLOSSARY
Adenoma: An ordinarily benign growth of epithelial tissue in which the tumor cells form glands or gland-like structures that tend to exhibit glandular function.
AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. An immune system deficiency disorder that suddenly alters the body's ability to defend itself. The AIDS virus invades the T4 helper/inducer lymphocytes and multiplies, causing a breakdown in the body's immune system, eventually leading to overwhelming infection and/or cancer, with ultimate death.
Androgen: Any steroid hormone that increases male characteristics.
Asymptomatic: Not showing symptoms.
Atherosclerosis: Common form of arteriosclerosis associated with the formation of atheromas which are deposits of yellow plaques containing cholesterol, lipids, and lipophages within the intima and inner media of arteries. This results in a narrowing of the arteries, which reduces the blood and oxygen flow to the heart and brain as well as to other parts of the body and can lead to a heart attack, stroke, or loss of function or gangrene of other tissues.
Cancer: Refers to the various types of malignant neoplasms that contain cells growing out of control and invading adjacent tissues, which may metastasize to distant tissues.
Cholesterol: A waxy, fat-like substance manufactured in the liver and found in all tissues, it facilitates the transport and absorption of fatty acids. In foods, only animal products contain cholesterol. An excess of cholesterol in the bloodstream can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.
Chronic: Usually Chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Diabetes Mellitus: A disease with increased blood glucose levels due to lack or ineffectiveness of insulin. Diabetes is found in two forms; insulin-dependent diabetes (juvenile-onset) and non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset). Symptoms include increased thirst; increased urination; weight loss in spite of increased appetite; fatigue; nausea; vomiting; frequent infections including bladder, vaginal, and skin; blurred vision; impotence in men; bad breath; cessation of menses; diminished skin fullness. Other symptoms include bleeding gums; ear noise/buzzing; diarrhea; depression; confusion.
Estrogen: One of the female sex hormones produced by the ovaries.
Gynecomastia: Occurs when the male breast is enlarged. The size can vary from a slight puffiness to full female-like breasts. It literally means "female-like breasts".
High-Density Lipoprotein: (HDL): Also known as "good" cholesterol, HDLs are large, dense, protein-fat particles that circulate in the blood picking up already used and unused cholesterol and taking them back to the liver as part of a recycling process. Higher levels of HDLs are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease because the cholesterol is cleared more readily from the blood.
Hormones: Chemical substances secreted by a variety of body organs that are carried by the bloodstream and usually influence cells some distance from the source of production. Hormones signal certain enzymes to perform their functions and, in this way, regulate such body functions as blood sugar levels, insulin levels, the menstrual cycle, and growth. These can be prescription, over-the-counter, synthetic or natural agents. Examples include adrenal hormones such as corticosteroids and aldosterone; glucagon, growth hormone, insulin, testosterone, estrogens, progestins, progesterone, DHEA, melatonin, and thyroid hormones such as thyroxine and calcitonin.
Hypertension: High blood pressure. Hypertension increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure because it adds to the workload of the heart, causing it to enlarge and, over time, to weaken; in addition, it may damage the walls of the arteries.
Hypothalamus: An important supervisory center in the brain regulating many body functions. Despite its importance in maintaining homeostasis, the hypothalamus in humans accounts for only 1/300 of total brain weight, and is about the size of an almond.
Metabolism: The chemical processes of living cells in which energy is produced in order to replace and repair tissues and maintain a healthy body. Responsible for the production of energy, biosynthesis of important substances, and degradation of various compounds.
ng: Nanogram: 0.000000001 or a billionth of a gram.
Osteoporosis: A disease in which bone tissue becomes porous and brittle. The disease primarily affects postmenopausal women.
Pituitary: The pituitary gland is small and bean-shaped, located below the brain in the skull base very near the hypothalamus. Weighing less than one gram, the pituitary gland is often called the "master gland" since it controls the secretion of hormones by other endocrine glands.
Prolactin: An anterior pituitary peptide hormone that initiates and maintains lactation.
Prostate: The prostate gland in men that surrounds the neck of the bladder and the urethra and produces a secretion that liquefies coagulated semen.
Serum: The cell-free fluid of the bloodstream. It appears in a test tube after the blood clots and is often used in expressions relating to the levels of certain compounds in the blood stream.
Testosterone: The principal male sex hormone that induces and maintains the changes that take place in males at puberty. In men, the testicles continue to produce testosterone throughout life, though there is some decline with age. A naturally occurring androgenic hormone.
Zinc: An essential trace mineral. The functions of zinc are enzymatic. There are over 70 metalloenzymes known to require zinc for their functions. The main biochemicals in which zinc has been found to be necessary include: enzymes and enzymatic function, protein synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. Zinc is a constituent of insulin and male reproductive fluid. Zinc is necessary for the proper metabolism of alcohol, to get rid of the lactic acid that builds up in working muscles and to transfer it to the lungs. Zinc is involved in the health of the immune system, assists vitamin A utilization and is involved in the formation of bone and teeth.
