Dr. Abraham Morgentaler

So here's the thing. Most of these people don't actually use testosterone or maybe part of their regimen. So they stack. They use multiple agents that do this. And some of these agents have never been really tested in humans. They've been used in cattle and horses, for example, like Winstraw.

So here's the thing. Most of these people don't actually use testosterone or maybe part of their regimen. So they stack. They use multiple agents that do this. And some of these agents have never been really tested in humans. They've been used in cattle and horses, for example, like Winstraw.

And they seem to be more potent for the muscle effects rather than sort of the libido effects and things like that. But in terms of testosterone equivalency, in terms of muscle potency, some of them are more potent. And the reason that testosterone works differently in muscle is muscle has an extra receptor for testosterone.

And they seem to be more potent for the muscle effects rather than sort of the libido effects and things like that. But in terms of testosterone equivalency, in terms of muscle potency, some of them are more potent. And the reason that testosterone works differently in muscle is muscle has an extra receptor for testosterone.

So for almost everything testosterone does in the body, there's one receptor, which is a chemical that binds it. It's called the androgen receptor. In muscle, there is a second receptor that's bound to the cell membrane. It's called a G-protein coupled receptor. And it's hard to see. I'm not sure that there's an upper limit to how much you can get with testosterone through that second mechanism.

So for almost everything testosterone does in the body, there's one receptor, which is a chemical that binds it. It's called the androgen receptor. In muscle, there is a second receptor that's bound to the cell membrane. It's called a G-protein coupled receptor. And it's hard to see. I'm not sure that there's an upper limit to how much you can get with testosterone through that second mechanism.

Yeah, I'm so glad you asked. So, you know, the everyday scenario that I hear about is that somebody goes to the doctor and they have symptoms of low testosterone and their testosterone comes back in what is called low normal range, right? So let's say it's 310 or 320 or 350. And the doctor says, well, you're normal. almost all of those men will have low levels of free testosterone.

Yeah, I'm so glad you asked. So, you know, the everyday scenario that I hear about is that somebody goes to the doctor and they have symptoms of low testosterone and their testosterone comes back in what is called low normal range, right? So let's say it's 310 or 320 or 350. And the doctor says, well, you're normal. almost all of those men will have low levels of free testosterone.

And the short bullet is that free testosterone is the most reliable indicator of a man's testosterone status. So I hope I don't get too sort of nerdy with this, but... But your viewers can handle it, I'm sure. Yeah.

And the short bullet is that free testosterone is the most reliable indicator of a man's testosterone status. So I hope I don't get too sort of nerdy with this, but... But your viewers can handle it, I'm sure. Yeah.

So listen, so when you measure total testosterone, what they do is they take a certain amount of your blood and they measure how much testosterone in total is there per little unit of blood. So it's measured in nanograms per deciliter, a tenth of a liter. But testosterone circulates in three forms. More than half is bound to this carrier molecule called SHBG, sex hormone binding globulin.

So listen, so when you measure total testosterone, what they do is they take a certain amount of your blood and they measure how much testosterone in total is there per little unit of blood. So it's measured in nanograms per deciliter, a tenth of a liter. But testosterone circulates in three forms. More than half is bound to this carrier molecule called SHBG, sex hormone binding globulin.

And what's important about that binding is it's so tight that testosterone can't come off it. So if the testosterone attached to SHBG is just floating past a cell that's saying, hey, give me some testosterone, I'm hungry for testosterone, testosterone can't get in there. That portion is not biologically available.

And what's important about that binding is it's so tight that testosterone can't come off it. So if the testosterone attached to SHBG is just floating past a cell that's saying, hey, give me some testosterone, I'm hungry for testosterone, testosterone can't get in there. That portion is not biologically available.

Most of the rest is attached to these other proteins in the blood, like albumin, but it's weakly bound. So it goes on and comes off, goes on and comes off. And so when that cell is saying, hey, I need some, there's enough of it coming off of that that it can get in there. And 1% or 2% is free, which means not that the test doesn't cost you anything, but that it's unbound, unbound.

Most of the rest is attached to these other proteins in the blood, like albumin, but it's weakly bound. So it goes on and comes off, goes on and comes off. And so when that cell is saying, hey, I need some, there's enough of it coming off of that that it can get in there. And 1% or 2% is free, which means not that the test doesn't cost you anything, but that it's unbound, unbound.

And what gets through that cell membrane is the free testosterone only. So testosterone is lipophilic. It likes lipids. All cell membranes are lipid bilayers. It's like like, likes like, and it can just go right through it. It doesn't need any carrier proteins. It doesn't need sodium channels, calcium channels. It just gets into the cell that needs it.

And what gets through that cell membrane is the free testosterone only. So testosterone is lipophilic. It likes lipids. All cell membranes are lipid bilayers. It's like like, likes like, and it can just go right through it. It doesn't need any carrier proteins. It doesn't need sodium channels, calcium channels. It just gets into the cell that needs it.

And so the free only makes up one or two percent of the total. So as we get older, our SHBG rises and it tends to bind more of our testosterone. And so most of that isn't available to the cells. The total can look normal, but actually the free may be low.

And so the free only makes up one or two percent of the total. So as we get older, our SHBG rises and it tends to bind more of our testosterone. And so most of that isn't available to the cells. The total can look normal, but actually the free may be low.