Testosterone boosters etc

Has anyone here used testosterone boosters?
I found one whose ingredient list is not focused on libido, but muscle development, energy, facilitating testosterone making/use, and dealing with estrogen absorption. I would be ok with my metabolism going up for a while too. Another benefit is being relaxed for better sleep.

I was advised that it takes 3 weeks to reach a therapeutic level, to stay there for 3 months, and then quit taking it for a few weeks, continuing in that cycle.

I'm adding salads back to the diet, getting more exercise, and still sleeping well.

Curious if anyone here has had experience or results with Testosterone tinkering like this?

SCA

 

No experience here of using supplements, but in my own observations I've noticed that regular exercise paired with a good diet helps exponentially with energy levels, stamina and even mental/emotional health. I need to get back on track myself.
I'm sure someone here has real world experience with supplements though.

 

I'm into the workouts ( personal trainer at work gym) and that alone has helped me with getting better sleep, reducing fatigue, less prone to injuries, and fitting into my existing clothes better. I don't need to take any ibuprofen or anything like that before doing yard and wood work. I haven't lost any weight though. Instead gained a few lbs, but it's muscle, so I'm fine with that. I eat pretty healthy, for the most part. I haven't had good cobb salads for work lunch for a couple of months, until this past week. Astronomical prices of lettuce, as well as eggs, and bacon and any other salad "toppings" were the main reason I didn't have salads for lunch for a while. I try to eat as little processed foods as possible. I have zero knowledge about supplements so I can't help with any advice on that.

 

I'm not sure the issue here is low due to anything but age. I also push pretty hard. Working 10+ hour shifts on my feet, climbing ladders, climbing down, walking on gravel, climbing on more ladders. I bet I walk 5 miles a night when I'm 'on the ground', and that with 10# of work related gear, and steel toed boots. I can still out-energy most of the younger whippersnappers (perhaps because they're all gamers). but I notice weight going on quicker, energy dropping out earlier in a day than it used to.

We found soy in imitation crabmeat....that's how pervasive the monsanto is. like you folks, we do our best to eliminate that from our diets, and are fairly successful at that.

 

I am also blessed with good health. Actually, the doctors wanted me to have Ulcerative colitis probably 15 years ago. I got sick, lost weight, took their pills and meds, and got better. One doc even said "I think I can save your intestines". So for the last 10 years I was on a pretty spendy biologic, under a needle every 8 weeks. once off that stuff for 12 weeks, it is dangerous to go back on. I knew the day would come when something would change insurance wise, and I'd have to rely fully on my faith for healing.
When work changed, insurance lapsed, and more than 12 weeks passed. At a colonoscopy, the doc said "you are healed" I don't need that med or any other, and no longer carry the dx of ulcerative colitis.
It's been a year off the meds, zero issues. I eat anything and everything (getting back into salads). I work hard and split wood by hand (maul really). I dark out my room so I sleep well anytime.

Not sure if I eat more, or eat more carbs, but the weight goes on and stays on. And, I tire after 10 hours of work. I fall asleep on the highway (after pulling over) always after a night shift. That's a new thing.
But I can out hustle most of the younger generation of 20's and 30's that I work with.

I guess I want to see the weight come off a little faster, as I improve my diet (a lot less processed, no soda, huge salads). I'm not sure if my energy will change, or stamina when splitting wood.

But, I'll tell ya this....the muscles I gained splitting 10 or 11 cord by hand, are tighter than anything in the mornings, regularly waking me up for a stretch in the mornings. I woulda thought that muscles would relax at night.

I hear ya on salad prices. But my thought is still that it's still cheaper than health issues later.

Intermittent fasting is another must do here....

 

I did the full keto with cheating for carbs of the weekends. I lost a lot of weight, like 35+ lbs, in just over a year. But these kind of diets are not sustainable. I lost fat, but also a lot of muscle. That was a couple of years ago. I just follow a more balanced "diet" and I do enjoy food and drink that isn't as good for you. It's just an "everything in moderation" approach for me. Fur the most part. I can go all out for a weekend, but then I dial it back afterwards to make up for that.

One thing I found is that a foam roller is a great tool to stretch out when you need it. Roll out so you don't get so tight.

I find that far too many doctors are more into the kickbacks from the drug companies than the well-being of their patients.

 

YUP!
thanks for the idea of the roller.
Id rather I.F. and Paleo 'diet' than keto. Wife does the keto thing (and looks good) but that's a spendy diet. Your right, its much more about moderation.

 

I started wearing a fitness tracker years ago and upgraded to a bunch of different watches. I’m now on an Apple Watch series 8 and it’s a great unit. Tracks your sleep, heart rate, standing, ect. You can even track workouts. These devices give you the actual data vs. how much you feel you’ve done. It’s been helpful to me.

 

Im game for something like that if I can keep it off the interwebs...something independent of online.
Cool idea, sounds like there is a lot of useful info to be had there. I bet working weird shifts, sleeping weird hours would make a device blink red if I wore it!

 

Processed foods, hormones to grow livestock quicker... I think those are two huge issues today.

 

Test levels are definitely down from previous generations. The average ng/dL I would guess is down at least a few hundred points per man. Norms used to be 800-1000, now many are more like 200-400. I agree the food we eat is a huge part. Another huge part is many people are very inactive and never do any physical activity. This was vastly different 50+ years ago before computers and cell phones were around. As was noted regular exercise and a clean diet help immensely.

Normal test levels for healthy men are 300-1000 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter). I've noticed most modern doctors hate to discuss or check your levels. I could tell mine was low during a stressful point in my life, and I had to insist and twist my doctor's arm to get him to check mine. Finally got the results and it was in the low-mid 200's which would qualify me as clinically low and eligible for TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) if I asked for it. I'm not on it, nor ever have been. Modern doctors suck imo. They don't diagnose or get to the bottom/underlying cause of anything. Tell them you have no energy, low test, or something along those lines, and the majority will prescribe you anti depressants. Then up those anti depressants until you are "happy".

There are supplements that are supposed to help such as Maca root and Ashwagandha, but truth be told I doubt the difference they would make is that substantial. The only real way to raise it significantly is with TRT or other drugs. TRT is legal and very popular in todays world, as low test levels are a huge problem for men worldwide. It artificially raises your levels to where they naturally should be.

 

I don't read into this stuff much. Just looked up 'indicators'.

Symptoms

• Reduced sex drive.
• Reduced erectile function.
• Loss of body hair.
• Less beard growth.
• Loss of lean muscle mass.
• Feeling very tired all the time (fatigue)
• Obesity (being overweight)
• Symptoms of depression.

Nope.
Nope.
Less on my forehead, more in my ears.
This year's beard has grown in nicely.
Have actually increased due to physical activity.
Used to. Now only usually about an hour after lunch.
27.4 BMI and working on it.
Only when I watch TV or the news.

So can I self diagnose as doing ok with Test?

 

According to this article 1 in 4 men over 30 have low test (under 300 ng/dL)

1 in 4 Men Over 30 Has Low Testosterone

 

Interestingly, just in the last 20 years or so, (since 2000), average levels across all men have gone from low 600's to around 450. That's just in 23 years. Now compare 1950's men to 2023 men. One article I read said 20 year old's today have similar test levels of 60 year old men 20 years ago.

It's hard to deny many men are becoming/acting more feminine.

 

https://www.mensjournal.com/health-...-millennials-weaker-handshakes-fathers-study/