Received My T Results

Testosterone - 474
Free testosterone - 77

Strangely enough, the range is 250 to 1100 for the testosterone and 35 to 150 for the free testosterone … how do you interpret the test results with such a large range? I have all of the symptoms of low testosterone and I’m wondering how far my numbers are down from a year or two ago? (I do not have a previous test to compare with).

Does anyone have any interpretation advice? Thanks!

I found that less than 500 is low by reading threads on this forum and that 700 to 800 is ideal, and then I found through the link below that I have the average testosterone levels of an 80 year old male? Yikes! Is that correct?

http://elitemensguide.com/testosterone-levels-by-age/

You have to read the stickies bud… and follow the advice for new guys sticky for post format.

Your T levels look ok, could be better but without E2 and other labs we don’t have the whole picture. Same symptoms could be caused by high E2.

I’ve found that you can’t put a lot of weight in these tests. For a truly accurate T measurement, your blood should be drawn first thing when you wake up, three times and hour for two hours (a total of six draws). The average should then be computed.

It’s not uncommon for weight lifters to have lower T. Actually, it’s not uncommon for participants in any demanding sport to have lower T values. If you’re overtrained, or nearly to that point, your T will drop significantly.

I didn’t see your age, but anything below 500 is “low.” What’s more important than your total T level, however, is your free T. While your value is still in the normal range, it may be low for your age. They need to come up with a more specific range, specific to age, because as it stands now, the range includes levels for old men too. So while you may have a normal result, as per the lab’s normal range, it may be low relative to your age group.

My endocrinologist said the best T level indicator is the bioavailable T result. Also, your luteinizing hormone and prolactin levels are important too (at least for diagnostic data).

As far as exhibiting symptoms, there are lots of things that can make you melancholy, sleepy, low sex drive, etc. A good place to start is diet and nutrition. Make sure you’re getting plenty of vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and cholesterol/saturated fat. Get plenty of vegetables and fruit (low glycemic). Wild caught oytsers get your linguini rock solid in a hurry (full of zinc and cholesterol). You could also have developed sensitivity to something in your diet if you’re eating a particular food too often. Food allergies can make you feel tired. Get plenty of sleep, and avoid sugar. I’m sure you’re aware of sleep’s importance, and you’ve probably heard sugar is bad for you. But it does take a toll on T values.

Hope that helps

[quote]beatyafeet22 wrote:
I’ve found that you can’t put a lot of weight in these tests. For a truly accurate T measurement, your blood should be drawn first thing when you wake up, three times and hour for two hours (a total of six draws). The average should then be computed.

It’s not uncommon for weight lifters to have lower T. Actually, it’s not uncommon for participants in any demanding sport to have lower T values. If you’re overtrained, or nearly to that point, your T will drop significantly.

I didn’t see your age, but anything below 500 is “low.” What’s more important than your total T level, however, is your free T. While your value is still in the normal range, it may be low for your age. They need to come up with a more specific range, specific to age, because as it stands now, the range includes levels for old men too. So while you may have a normal result, as per the lab’s normal range, it may be low relative to your age group.

My endocrinologist said the best T level indicator is the bioavailable T result. Also, your luteinizing hormone and prolactin levels are important too (at least for diagnostic data).

As far as exhibiting symptoms, there are lots of things that can make you melancholy, sleepy, low sex drive, etc. A good place to start is diet and nutrition. Make sure you’re getting plenty of vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and cholesterol/saturated fat. Get plenty of vegetables and fruit (low glycemic). Wild caught oytsers get your linguini rock solid in a hurry (full of zinc and cholesterol). You could also have developed sensitivity to something in your diet if you’re eating a particular food too often. Food allergies can make you feel tired. Get plenty of sleep, and avoid sugar. I’m sure you’re aware of sleep’s importance, and you’ve probably heard sugar is bad for you. But it does take a toll on T values.

Hope that helps[/quote]

ive never heard this about the blood draw 3x/hr for two hours. where did you get this from?

I originally heard it from a biosignature modulation practitioner. Later on, when seeing an endocrinologist, I inquired about it after he commented on the poor efficacy of T tests as they’re currently conducted (being mostly based on free and total T values). I brought it up and he acknowledged that doing multiple draws would give a better representation of an individual’s T values. He noted how much our internals can fluctuate, minute to minute, let alone hours and days. (Hence why the protocol for putting someone on TRT dictates that at least one re-test should be done to “confirm” previous value.) He then went on about how total T and free T measurements don’t amount to much. Unfortunately, you will probably have a hard time locating a physician that would follow the multiple drawing format, due to its impracticality (time and cost).

My urologist put me on androgel after two consecutive lab results showed “low” T. After being on that for about a year and a half, he said it wouldn’t hurt to get a second opinion, by a specialist, and referred me to an endocrinologist. The endocrinologist said doing any lab work while on T would be useless, because TRT affects the whole T physiology loop (depresses luteinizing hormone and FSH, and potentially other markers). So I then went off for 6 months a did a follow-up. The subsequent lab work showed normal T, LH, and FSH. He mentioned he would have never prescribed me T based on my low free and total values. Such was his disenchantment with those markers.