Are Testosterone Boosters SnakeOil?

[josephr]

so...last fall life got in the way of stuff and only rode a handful of times b/t Nov, Dec, and Jan, knocked off from the gym for a few months and muscular atrophy set in. While I can still do my maintenance miles (32mi, 1700' ft climbing), I find myself struggling a bit and back at the gym, lost a bit of of muscle...

scouring the internet came up with lots of different diagnoses (as expected) but one that came up a lot suggested low testosterone levels....I'm due a physical with my doctor coming up and making a point to have hormone levels checked (not just the T)...so, not going to make any sudden changes until then. For the record, I fully accept my Cat 5/B-Group status.

But thought I'd toss this out to the group --- are the testosterone boosters the real deal or just snakeoil? anyone had their doctor put them on T-Therapy?

[echappist]

Originally Posted by josephr

so...last fall life got in the way of stuff and only rode a handful of times b/t Nov, Dec, and Jan, knocked off from the gym for a few months and muscular atrophy set in. While I can still do my maintenance miles (32mi, 1700' ft climbing), I find myself struggling a bit and back at the gym, lost a bit of of muscle...

scouring the internet came up with lots of different diagnoses (as expected) but one that came up a lot suggested low testosterone levels....I'm due a physical with my doctor coming up and making a point to have hormone levels checked (not just the T)...so, not going to make any sudden changes until then. For the record, I fully accept my Cat 5/B-Group status.

But thought I'd toss this out to the group --- are the testosterone boosters the real deal or just snakeoil? anyone had their doctor put them on T-Therapy?

there are many ways to boost testosterone naturally: inter alia, reducing life stress, sleeping well, losing weight, and anaerobic exercise. As for struggling at the gym, did you really think that you can go back and immediately pick up where you left off? Have you forgotten how much work you dedicated in the first place to get where you were?

Assuming that this is life stress related (and not due to, e.g. some severely serious medical conditions), you've probably come to the wrong place to seek validations. But hey, there are enough "anti-aging" doctors out there who'd be more than happy to prescribe you a gel to boost testosterone artificially.

Tangent 1. There was someone on slowtwitch who sought a TUE for T after treatment for testicular cancer. USADA didn't grant him the TUE. If that's your case, screw the TUE and use the T. Otherwise, there are really not many conditions where taking T wouldn't be considered to be blatant and willful doping. There, I said it.

[josephr]

Originally Posted by echappist

there are many ways to boost testosterone naturally: inter alia, reducing life stress, sleeping well, losing weight, and anaerobic exercise. As for struggling at the gym, did you really think that you can go back and immediately pick up where you left off? Have you forgotten how much work you dedicated in the first place to get where you were?

Assuming that this is life stress related (and not due to, e.g. some severely serious medical conditions), you've probably come to the wrong place to seek validations. But hey, there are enough "anti-aging" doctors out there who'd be more than happy to prescribe you a gel to boost testosterone artificially.

Tangent 1. There was someone on slowtwitch who sought a TUE for T after treatment for testicular cancer. USADA didn't grant him the TUE. If that's your case, screw the TUE and use the T. Otherwise, there are really not many conditions where taking T wouldn't be considered to be blatant and willful doping. There, I said it.

not seeking validation/advice and certainly not training to win Tuesday night group rides...just wondering outloud and hoping to hear from someone who's maybe been there rather than the typical internet hoopla.

[jimcav]

Originally Posted by josephr

so...last fall life got in the way of stuff and only rode a handful of times b/t Nov, Dec, and Jan, knocked off from the gym for a few months and muscular atrophy set in. While I can still do my maintenance miles (32mi, 1700' ft climbing), I find myself struggling a bit and back at the gym, lost a bit of of muscle...

scouring the internet came up with lots of different diagnoses (as expected) but one that came up a lot suggested low testosterone levels....I'm due a physical with my doctor coming up and making a point to have hormone levels checked (not just the T)...so, not going to make any sudden changes until then. For the record, I fully accept my Cat 5/B-Group status.

But thought I'd toss this out to the group --- are the testosterone boosters the real deal or just snakeoil? anyone had their doctor put them on T-Therapy?

Your doctor can easily see if your symptoms and lab values warrant it. Over training can case low T--I've seen that. I've seen a few guys over the years who abused/used anabolics and had trouble with low T after they outgrew their compulsive body building/competing phase and stopped the drugs. one recovered on his own eventually (months), one was on testosterone last I heard, another jump started by taking clomid for months.
Clomid was the only thing I ever heard that actually worked--just google it, or check out the articles on pubmed.
Good luck--do what is right for you

[Ralph]

Pretty much....According to my urologist.....who is an avid cyclist. And he won't prescribe any T treatment unless you need it for health reasons. No energy, sleeping all the time, stuff like that. Blood work also has to support the treatment necessity.

[gasman]

Testosterone replacement doesn't do much positive in spite of what all the advertisements claim. In at least one double blind study showed no increase in energy or muscle mass in older men with low testosterone levels.
Taking testosterone will inhibit your natural production of T and your testicles will decrease in size. It also increases your risk of stroke and heart attack.

I discussed this with my Urologist last Dec and he said he has stopped prescribing T unless someone has a very low level. Mine was in the normal range .

[stephenmarklay]

You just need to get blood work done. You may have low T but you may not. I had low T but was still able to function fairly well. It was only really hard workouts that I felt more.

[shovelhd]

Take all the drugs you want, just don't pin on a number.

[ergott]

Originally Posted by shovelhd

Take all the drugs you want, just don't pin on a number.

And stay off Strava!

[Tandem Rider]

I'm not an MD, so this is just thinking out loud, but if T increases growth and recovery of muscles and energy stores, wouldn't it also provide that service for anything undesirable such as cancer? Any MD with insight?

[stephenmarklay]

Originally Posted by josephr

so...last fall life got in the way of stuff and only rode a handful of times b/t Nov, Dec, and Jan, knocked off from the gym for a few months and muscular atrophy set in. While I can still do my maintenance miles (32mi, 1700' ft climbing), I find myself struggling a bit and back at the gym, lost a bit of of muscle...

scouring the internet came up with lots of different diagnoses (as expected) but one that came up a lot suggested low testosterone levels....I'm due a physical with my doctor coming up and making a point to have hormone levels checked (not just the T)...so, not going to make any sudden changes until then. For the record, I fully accept my Cat 5/B-Group status.

But thought I'd toss this out to the group --- are the testosterone boosters the real deal or just snakeoil? anyone had their doctor put them on T-Therapy?

No I don’t think so but they work in varying degrees and it would seem putting on muscle mass is probably not going to happen with them. However, they may give you a bit more ability to recoup after a workout, increase libido and have some general positive mood effects. Go to suppversity.com and type in testosterone for actual testosterone info and T-booster for supplements and you should have a bit to read.

[2LeftCleats]

If T is actually low (and it ought to be measured in the AM twice to be sure, along with checking other hormone levels), replacement therapy could help. But often T levels don't correlate very well with symptoms. Fatigue, lack of energy and endurance have plenty of other possible causes as noted above. If levels are low and symptoms are suggestive I sometimes prescribe it, but often the recipient gives up on it after seeing little improvement. And then there's the cost, which is about $300 a month. Insurers sometimes help out but they don't like to pay for it. There have been concerns about prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease, but the latest I've seen suggests there isn't a strong connection. You do have to watch elevated red cell count which can get dangerously high.

[timnem70]

Originally Posted by shovelhd

Take all the drugs you want, just don't pin on a number.

Thanks for that
I was top 10 for my age class for a few years until this Low T craze was created by pharmaceutical companies trying to increase their market share. Now I can't even compete in my local crits because I suspect lots are on some form of this. I'm 46, did the same thing this winter (only rode a few times) and lost a lot of my mass and definition but hard work and dedication will regain all that. Like another said,"think of all the work you put in to get that way. The test for Low T is fairly expensive too and isn't covered by most insurance companies. It has gone from the building block of steroids to a "lifestyle" drug. If you want to get bigger and get the feeling of young back... get back on the saddle and leave the drugs at home. Their are shortcuts but I suspect we will find out in 10 years that the shortcut leads you off a cliff.

Galaxy S7 Edge

[timnem70]

I also could not put on weight since 16 years of age no matter the protein shakes etc.. Had some lethargy and other symptoms you've described. Found out my Thyroid was not working right. My MD put me on a low dose and those symptoms have abated to the point I don't have that problem any longer. I weighed 152 pds 6'0 since 15years. (Sometimes a little more, sometimes less) now 172 pounds 4% body fat and 46 years old. For all everyone has said, testosterone replacement therapy can have benefits. However for all intents and purposes and particularly in this case, correct me if wrong, lime me you were lazy this winter and want to quickly get back to your form. That's not replacement it's cheating. IMO

Galaxy S7 Edge

[benb]

If you were asking about the various supplements from what I've read some of them do actually work.. because you don't know what is in them and from time to time they are actually contaminated/spiked with actual Testosterone. I'd be afraid of most of the stuff beyond Protein powder, creatine, and multivitamins at places like GNC. The more the product is marketed to boost T the more I'd be afraid it actually is spiked with T or Steroids and you're setting yourself up for trouble.

Those T therapies the pharma companies and some doctors seem to be abusing also seem dangerous as there are cardiac side effects and other things. A friend's father got himself on it and had a heart attack they think was linked to using it. He wasn't an athlete so he must have had some other reason to want to do it.