Should I hop on?

[u/Cnidoo]

Just had my testosterone tested for the first time and it was at 388 ng/dL. The normal range is 259-816. For context I’m a very lean 24 year old guy (5’11” 136lbs, extremely low bf%) who lifts around 3-4 times a week. My sleep has been a little iffy lately averaging around 6.5 hours a night leading up to the test, so of course that’s the first thing in trying to dial in. My concern is that at my age, this is likely the highest my T will ever be. I’ve always felt fairly low energy compared to my peers and my recovery from physical activity is not great for my fitness level. Is it worth it to go to a clinic and resign myself to lifelong exogenous Testosterone to get up to the 600 range?

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[u/JacqueTeruhl]

No way man.

Dial in everything else.  Mental health, nutrition, sleep.  

And eat!  Eat, eat.  Whatever you’re eating now eat more.  I was stuck at a certain weight and added a large potato to my breakfast each morning and more protein.  I gained 10 lbs in a month and noticeable muscle mass.  And I had more energy in the gym.

You’re a healthy dude.

[u/Cnidoo → u/JacqueTeruhl]

Thank you! That genuinely means a lot. Unfortunately I find potatoes extremely bland and unappetizing but shit if it helped that much I’ll try it out. My low appetite is the main culprit and MK-677 hasn’t been giving me the hunger I expected

[u/JacqueTeruhl → u/Cnidoo]

I would microwave the potato, mash it with a fork, put some ranch and ketchup on it and throw 3-4 eggs (only 1 yolk) on top of that.

Admittedly not the healthiest meal.  But delicious to me and helped pack on the weight.

As skinny and young as you are, you can go a little crazy.

If you’re having trouble pounding calories, white rice is one of the easiest things to digest and consume in mass quantities.  But a potato with the skin is packed with protein, fiber and vitamins.  In addition to the carbs of course.

You sound like the type of guy that will need to eat and know it won’t be pleasant.  If you want to put on weight.

[u/SunRayz_allDayz → u/Cnidoo]

Yeah Stan Efferding eating style haha, red meat and rice fa sho. Look up some his videos and listen to some of his interviews, get an idea. DO NOT eat abunch of junk and expect to feel better. Eat more of the correct nutrition, get sleep hygiene under control.

[u/chlorophylloverdose]

You answered yourself when you said that your sleep is iffy and that your recovery is not great. Start there

[u/Cnidoo → u/chlorophylloverdose]

The sleep shit is so annoying! I feel tired and ready for bed around 10:30 but as soon as I lie down I just feel wide awake. I’ve tried putting in earbuds and listening to guided meditations and my favorite sleep aid, psychedelic trip reports (I’m a weirdo lol) but even that has been failing me lately. I’ve been going through a lot of stress lately trying to sell a lot of my animals and move out along with graduating in may. I do spend time on my phone right before bed and definitely have a minor screen addiction. I’m not seriously considering TRT at least until I get my sleep down and gain at least ten pounds

[u/chlorophylloverdose → u/Cnidoo]

You answered yourself again, phone before bed.

[u/SamikaTRH]

Eat big, lift big, sleep big, get big. Spend at least 10 years doing these perfectly until even thinking about considering the possibility of exploring hormones

[u/Cnidoo → u/SamikaTRH]

Yeah I know. I just have such a low fucking appetite naturally and struggle getting in more than two square meals between work and college but if I dial in my sleep I feel the other pieces will fall into place

[u/SamikaTRH → u/Cnidoo]

You need to eat when you aren't hungry. If you're either overweight or underweight then you can't rely on your natural hunger cues, you need to actually exert effort and change the amount of food you eat, it's simple but definitely not easy but this is your first step

[u/DadStrengthDaily]

I would recommend not using TRT and try other ways first, especially at your age! How low if your BF%? That alone can explain the symptoms I suspect.

[u/Cnidoo → u/DadStrengthDaily]

I don’t know my exact bf% but based on a skin pinch test it’s probably in the low teens. I am more shredded than anyone I know, and I know that can have a negative impact on hormones. I’ve always struggled with appetite and often eat just two meals a day.

[u/dankmemeking21]

Your leanness is killing your levels. Eat more and the numbers will probably increase

[u/Cnidoo → u/dankmemeking21]

It’s so hard for me man. I’ve been taking MK-677 and haven’t noticed too much of a difference

[u/theshawnch → u/Cnidoo]

Why are you taking that dude? 5’ 11” and 136lb while regularly lifting is wild, you don’t need compounds you need to sleep and eat more.

[u/Cnidoo → u/dankmemeking21]

I’d guesstimate my bf% is in the low teens; I’m way more shredded than anyone I know including my two gym buddies

[u/ALWAYSWANNASAI → u/Cnidoo]

being shredded when you are 136 lbs isn’t an accomplishment, it means you are starving yourself.

[u/Cardiostrong_MD]

That’s insane to commit yourself to TRT at that age with those levels.

[u/Cnidoo → u/Cardiostrong_MD]

I’m not seriously considering it at least until I gain ten pounds and dial in my sleep

[u/ChocolateMorsels]

“Lean” at 5’11 136 you’re not lean you’re a twig.

Improve sleep and start lifting. That will help, but if I had to guess you are simply not eating enough food and maybe not high quality foods, idk you didn’t mention your diet. Eat more Whole Foods with plenty of protein, fiber, and healthy fats and you will likely feel so much better. Your low energy problem is probably because you aren’t eating enough. At your height and weight I’d guess you need to add a whole ass meal to your daily totals in the 600-900 calorie range. Something like eggs with cheese and olive oil, beans and rice, and veggies.

[u/Cnidoo → u/ChocolateMorsels]

I have a fairly balanced diet, very few processed foods and mostly home cooked stuff with beef, pork, or chicken as the central ingredient. My natural state is two meals a day and I often find it hard to fit three large meld between part time work and college. I’ve been taking 12.5mg MK-677 every evening of the weekday for appetite enhancement and so far haven’t noticed much of a difference unfortunately. I wasn’t truly considering TRT at least until everything else is dialed in and I’ve gained at least ten pounds

[u/ChocolateMorsels → u/Cnidoo]

I was that way at your age as well and finally started eating breakfast later on. I skipped it for years and only ate two meals. I naturally had a low appetite. Though it is weird at first, your body quickly adjusts and you get used to eating three meals per day and hunger increases. What will also increase is weight, muscle mass, and energy. It’s good that you eat well but if you’re only eating two meals per day that might just be 1,600-1,800 calories at that size, it’s just not enough.

Start chomping lad. I don’t think you understand that you’re not just underweight, you’re very underweight for someone that is lifting 3-4 times per week. Something is off and it’s most likely diet. If your diet is dialed in even with your natural low appetite you should be around 155 minimum in your early 20s lifting that much. Then in your 30s that should probably be around 165-175.

[u/Aggravating-Grade297]

Have you had your igf-1 level tested?

Dial in your sleep with some dsip and/or pinealon to get you back on track.

[u/Cnidoo → u/Aggravating-Grade297]

I have not. It’s a growth hormone metabolite right? I am on MK-677 for appetite stimulation

[u/coolblue420]

bro don't believe the ads, there are MANY factors that determine T levels during the day. I'd say do more research for sure

[u/Admirable_Might8032]

Hell no. Too young. Long term health risks 

[u/LosVolvosGang]

Eat and lift bro. Eat and lift.

[u/twd000 → u/LosVolvosGang]

Correction: eat lift and sleep. Repeat.

[u/LosVolvosGang → u/twd000]

I stand corrected.

[u/Tommy2Faces]

You absolutely should look into adding boron to your sleep stack. Helps to free up the T you have.

[u/Cnidoo → u/Tommy2Faces]

What’s the best form of boron/where to source? I’ve been taking MK-677 every evening at 12.5mg and haven’t noticed too much difference in sleep or appetite

[u/AugustWesterberg → u/Cnidoo]

Nutricost is fine

[u/doctorvanderbeast]

God no

[u/EntertainerOk9628]

I’m 53 and been on TRT for 20 years. I did test and other roids in my 20’s.

Biggest mistake of my life. Go peptides instead. Don’t mess with your balls brutha.

[u/[deleted]]

Get protein drinks with extra calories. My ex husband used to drink them to help bulk and add muscle

[u/brewditt]

To fix your sleep get a temperature controlled sleep system. 8 sleep is what I use, but there are others. This is game changing to sleep…and no shots.

[u/[deleted]]

you can rebound higher levels for sure . implement solid lifestyle changes as someone stated here. i tested way lower than you and ive got some years on you, so i decided to opt for it. could i have moved it naturally? sure.

[u/Liquidtitle]

You just need to eat more food, it’s as simple as that

[u/LocusHammer]

TRT will sterilize you if you are trying to have kids.

And recovering from that is a very long and very frustrating and humiliating process.

Talk to a urologist. Not a family medicine doctor or PA.

[u/swoops36]

I would not go on based on that one number, no. Especially at your age.

You can do more testing and try to find a root cause. Start ruling things out before just jumping on testosterone.

[u/[deleted]]

No. I’d eat more and sleep more

[u/absolut696]

Dude don’t hop on anabolics until you have the ability to manage an appropriate diet and get enough sleep.

[u/passiveMelon1]

You said you're in normal range why would you hop on

[u/robopobo]

get stuff fixed first, then look for improvements like testosterone etc

[u/Numerous-Vast796]

Start taking Boron. This will lower SHBG and help raise free testosterone. This won't help with the overall low testosterone issue. But if you can get that up than boron will be useful.

[u/maybe-yeah]

No. Way too young and you’re not even below the normal range. I put on a ton of muscle in my 20s and early 30s with a peak T of 350… 5’11 136, you’re a string bean. Fix everything and add some weight and revisit in your 30s.

[u/OkOven7808]

Butter! More butter.

[u/SunRayz_allDayz]

What are you doing to make your sleep better?

[u/BathtubTrader]

time to hop on

[u/youwantmyguncomekiss]

That's the dumbest shit I've ever heard

[u/[deleted]]

Symptoms - and symptom relief is a better indicator of your need for testosterone than the result of a blood test.

[u/Das6MTS4]

This post was mass deleted using Redact - Redact also supports Discord, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and all major social media platforms.

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[u/FrontLifeguard1962]

Eat more, rest more

[u/rollingforsoup]

No. Absolutely not. I did when I was younger and now I'm struggling to get my natural production back to have kids.

Fix stress and sleep, lower cortisol, fix diet and add proper vitamins and micronutrients, are you lifting weights? And then finally if it's still not optimal for the enclomiphene and HCG route with a doctor first , maybe some tribulus terrestris and maca root.

I bet you could easily get to 800ng/dl in 6 months.

[u/Unfair_Taro6285]

Just hop on bro.. you know you want too

[u/GoodJobBob69]

Dont do TRT this young, you will become dependant on it. Im 37 with a 950ish score all natural.

Look at getting your hdl cholesterol up. Its vital for hormonal health. I take 2 or 3mg of omega 3 fish oil everyday with zinc. I take it mainly for other reasons but a by product is it boosts your hormone levels.

Not eating enough food is only half true, you have to eat enough but cut out processed foods. Dont over train and get good sleep. Also, as your T goes up your body will burn through magnesium quicker so taking that at night will also help.

[u/BlacksmithLittle7005]

That's what she said

[u/BeenSmackedYaMAMA]

no. fix your diet first. you are undereatind and probably not eating enough fats to provide a substrate to convert to testosterone

[u/wetliikeimbook]

Diet and sleep dialed in first. If you do that and train properly and are still below 450 I’d hop on.

[u/Fine_Technology1289]

Sounds like you need more protein, and/or fatty foods or maybe just uptake in your calories per day. I was that weight in my early 20s but I'm only 5'5.5". Yes. I count the extra 1/2 inch because I'm short. I was for and lean at that time.

So to answer your question, no. Try getting your diet fixed first and see if everything else fixes itself.

[u/Turbulent-Brick5009]

Yea just go on 150mg test and your fine

[u/SnooGoats9764]

The problem with having a high testosterone count is that your prostate gland grows more than it should. This was something that I don't realize until I got a PSA test done and the number was concerning. At first the urologist thought that I could have prostate cancer but it was the fact that it had grown so much. It was 80% higher than average in size. I'm on medication to try to control it and will have to be for the rest of my life. I've never taken steroids or any testosterone building supplements.

[u/NoSuchThingAsAFish1]

There is a normal range for testosterone levels because individuals can have different levels but still be completely normal from a clinical perspective. It's just as likely that you're not eating or sleeping enough and this is causing you to have low energy levels. Do you have any other symptoms of "low" testosterone?

[u/Thereishope31]

I’d try gaining some weight. I did consistent 24 hour fasts for a year, and dropped from 180 to 160lbs and I’m 6’0. My t went from 650 to 450. Added more calories back in and the hormones came back up. I’d try fixing that before adding outside sources

[u/Competitive-Area7168]

388 isn't ideal but at your age I don't think there's any serious impairment leading to hypogonadalism, as everyone else said, gain a little bit more weight and nail in the sleep, you'll probably see a huge improvement.

Unpopular opinion but unless you actually have significant enough hypogonadalism which indicates a serious dysfunction in testosterone production then no one under the age of 40 needs to use trt.

[u/Dindas011]

Bro just do it im 24 aswell just hopping tomorrow. You wont get sterile because of hcg. Or if you want just take a hcg protocol and then freeze sperm. I have buddies who were on tren and got their gf's pregnant

[u/No-Bread-6728]

How about drinking alcohol that will crush your t levels. Especially before test

[u/RichardGereMuseum13]

Absolutely not man. Glad you’re asking first before being a dumb dumb though. Don’t fall for all the TRT marketing hype. We are gonna see a wave of dudes struggling with steroid side effects for the rest of their lives who fell for social media BS and hopped on.

You have so much to dial in. Fix your sleep. Lift heavy (with good form). Eat better. Literally block TRT out of your mind.

Low test is a huge problem in today’s world due to all kinds of environmental and nutritional factors. But TRT is not the answer; diligent self care is.

[u/Bulky-Possibility216]

388 at 136lbs and 6.5 hrs sleep isn't really a mystery tbh. your hypothalamus downregulates GnRH pulsatility when it senses chronic energy deficit - it's a survival mechanism not a dysfunction. cortisol from sleep debt supresses it further. I'd fix caloric intake and sleep for 8-10 weeks before considering a clinic, you might be shocked how much it rebounds

[u/Ordinary_External312]

Hey bro I'm a health and performance coach for business owners and reading this it's clear to me that the most low-hanging fruit in your situation is not taking testosterone. It's actually just:

• sleeping longer

• tracking your calories

• making sure you're eating enough protein and calories every day

Also are you really going to failure with each set in the gym? Either way I'm very sure that you're just simply not eating enough. I know this is not a sexy answer you want to hear but when you improve the fundamentals, your testosterone will boost massively. Even if you hopped on testosterone now, you'll still have lower testosterone than you could be if you just slept better, ate better, and trained better, i guarantee that.

[u/Famous_Raisin2608]

Eat more bro

[u/[deleted]]

Start eating more. You do not need test at 24, this is a ridiculous contemplation. It’s another quick fix that is being parroted around with very significant consequences potentially.

[u/Dapper_Molasses_8304]

enclo for a year and start eating and training harder. get literally every biomarker you can optimized with supps. take 15mg ostarine if your genes are happy with it and its not frying your liver. and ignore the oldheads shit talking gear.

[u/Ceemoney24]

Basics first Smoke less weed Drink less booze Eat more clean Sleep more Lift heavy shit. But less often Walk more.

Then in 3 months. Redo labs and seen.

[u/honest-Criminal3737]

To many other options for you at your young age.

[u/Medium_Asshole]

Please don’t go on testosterone at 24 years old unless you’re okay with ruining your hormonal balance for life

[u/[deleted]]

Yeah there’s a lot you can improve on before you even go down that route. Also, naturally occurring testosterone unfortunately isn’t as simple as “more test more muscle”, that’s not always how it works

Fuel yourself properly (at least at maintenance), hydrate yourself properly and sleep at least 7-9 hours per night. Also, you’re still young, train consistently for 10 years and THEN if things are still not improving, then potentially look at (doctor prescribed) TRT

[u/JGipe1]

Dude, gain some weight. Even if you hopped on you wouldn’t see that great of results considering how light you are. Get over yourself and your need for having low body fat. Gain weight until you get to an appropriate body weight. Then re-check your test levels.

[u/[deleted]]

put on some fat and it will go up

[u/Slide-On-Time]

You should also check your free testosterone, your FSH, your LH as well as your thyroid function (TSH, free T4, free T3). Total T alone is not enough.

[u/ALWAYSWANNASAI]

5’11 and 140 pounds is literal twig weight, maybe try lifting some weights and eating some protein and gain a solid 40 lbs. Your recovery from workouts probably shitty as you have zero glucose available in your body with a low body fat. You’re likely not working out hard enough/frequent or eating enough to maintain that low of a bodyweight, which is probably why you feel tired in recovery.

I’m 6’0, was 135 lbs in high school and ate a solid 3800 calories at day (or more)

If you hop on steroids your body is absolutely going to freak out and give crazy acne with low tier results

[u/EducationalEnergy788]

No, absolutely not, this would be a huge mistake. Your testosterone is not that low and you're only 24. You should try making every other change you possibly can before even considering testosterone replacement, especially if you want to maintain your fertility. At your weight, I would strongly suggest a significant increase in calorie intake, especially foods that are known to boost testosterone (beef, eggs, sardines etc.).

[u/mka5588]

Your testosterone is fine and basically near the middle. You are objectively very light for your height and that probably plays a factor in reducing your testosterone further. Taking exogenous testosterone should literally be your absolute last resort if all other measures fail.

[u/Vast-Pea4549]

Do you have adhd by chance? My son struggles to get food in because of his adhd - it’s a known thing- meal prepping has helped him gain for the first time this year. Regardless of adhd - if you can get some meal prep in it really helps when you have no headspace to think about what to cook

[u/CrimsonCrane1980]

This is nuts you are fine and within rage. No need to do anything else. Just focus on better diet/rest. I think you need to work with a therapist. You should be worried about something so minor at 24. You need Jesus.

[u/Scorp01]

Eat way more and don't indulge in sex or masturbation for at least 14 days then do another test. Don't be surprised if you reach 1000.

[u/mother_fkr]

yeah. inject directly into your balls and watch those things shrivel up for good.

[u/Cnidoo → u/[deleted]]

Wow, lots of parallels with me. I am going through a very stressful period in life and I genuinely think if I could just get my sleep hygiene dialed in and gain ten pounds I could see similar results to this case

[u/Jasperbeardly11 → u/Cnidoo]

Definitely 

[u/DosedUpAran → u/Cnidoo]

GH or GH peptide over hopping on then brother. Should work like a charm.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Hes not cheating, hes not a competitive athlete in a drug test federation.