31, with the testosterone levels of a 50 year old. Help me weigh options.

[buddhabuilder]

I just had to change up my routine because I irritated my shoulder joints. The way to work with that type of injury is to find exercises that don't cause immediate discomfort/pain while doing them, and don't make it feel worse afterward. Take a very basic 3 or 4 day work out split and customize it using this approach. It will be a learning experience that you will benefit from in many ways. Keep your reps in the 10-12 range with strict form and a good squeeze at the full contraction point.

Don't worry about what the doctor says, just keep a work out journal and get your diet together.

 

[Nelson Montana]

Injury and stress can have a debilitating effect on T levels.

The first thing you should do is get rechecked. T levels fluctuate greatly.

DO NOT take clomid. It will only mask the symptoms and possibly make things worse.

It wouldn't hurt to use some UNLEASHED to get FREE T levels up.

Beyond that, give it time HRT may be an option down the road but at 30 you can probably spring back. I'd wait it out at least a year. Good luck.

 

[Zyglamail]

I've resigned myself to figuring this out myself. She said that since I'm not symptomatic, that I'm fine. I have a fair bit of fat on my body, and I'm currently cutting hard to bring that down. The problem is, I am losing all my strength gains in the process.

If you have suggestions of a routine that would work well for a cut, I'm all ears.

Sounds to me like subclinical hypothyroidism causing both your fat retention and low T. Start researching iodine/selenium supplementation.

 

[Nelson Montana]

Sounds to me like subclinical hypothyroidism causing both your fat retention and low T. Start researching iodine/selenium supplementation.

Could be, but a simple blood test would determine it.

 

[Zyglamail]

Could be, but a simple blood test would determine it.

And how would it do that? The whole point of subclinical is that you have tsh, T3 and T4 within range which at the end of the day doesnt mean shit.

 

[Nelson Montana]

And how would it do that? The whole point of subclinical is that you have tsh, T3 and T4 within range which at the end of the day doesnt mean shit.

You're taking about something like Hassimotos. That takes quite a bit of testing. At any rate that isn't something you can just guess at.

 

[Zyglamail]

You're taking about something like Hassimotos. That takes quite a bit of testing. At any rate that isn't something you can just guess at.

No im not talking about hashi's or greaves at all. Im talking about small in range reduction of thyroid hormone output which will have an impact on your whole body.

Just like having low in range test is not ideal and not normal for many people, they get some labs and are told by the doc "your in lab range so your fine". Even though they may exhibit many symptoms of low T. You push your natural test boosters because we all know a little more natural test production is a good thing and so is a little more natural output from your thyroid.

Poor thyroid function is well documented to affect other hormones in the body, including test. Poorly functioning thyroid is largely related to not having the proper nutrients to not only create thyroid hormones but also the enzyme (Iodothyronine deiodinases) for proper conversion or T4 to T3 as well as gluthiaone peroxidases to neutralize the hydrogen peroxide created from the conversion to prevent cell damage.

Knowing what your current T4, T3 is via labs has very little meaning if within range AND you dont have significant lab history to compare it to. Maybe your T3 is .5 lower than the previous year but without labs from then to compare to you wouldnt know and .5 drop may still be in range but can have a very dramatic effect on your whole body.

 

[Nelson Montana]

No im not talking about hashi's or greaves at all. Im talking about small in range reduction of thyroid hormone output which will have an impact on your whole body.

Just like having low in range test is not ideal and not normal for many people, they get some labs and are told by the doc "your in lab range so your fine". Even though they may exhibit many symptoms of low T. You push your natural test boosters because we all know a little more natural test production is a good thing and so is a little more natural output from your thyroid.

Poor thyroid function is well documented to affect other hormones in the body, including test. Poorly functioning thyroid is largely related to not having the proper nutrients to not only create thyroid hormones but also the enzyme (Iodothyronine deiodinases) for proper conversion or T4 to T3 as well as gluthiaone peroxidases to neutralize the hydrogen peroxide created from the conversion to prevent cell damage.

Knowing what your current T4, T3 is via labs has very little meaning if within range AND you dont have significant lab history to compare it to. Maybe your T3 is .5 lower than the previous year but without labs from then to compare to you wouldnt know and .5 drop may still be in range but can have a very dramatic effect on your whole body.

I'm fully aware of the implications and restrictions in testing since I suffer from fluctuating hypothyroidism. I also developed a thyroid supp (ZIP!) that helped a lot of people but it just wasn't something that people considered "important" so sales were low and it was discontinued. The TSH will give a basic reading but it isn't the ONLY thing that determines thyroid function and that's what most GP's will go by. Even some endos don;t go beyond that/ But I maintain, it's a tricky thing. The guy shouldn't just start taking T3. Iodine and Selenium can help. That should be the first thing. A lot of what guys think is low T is really low thyroid.

 

[Zyglamail]

I'm fully aware of the implications and restrictions in testing since I suffer from fluctuating hypothyroidism. I also developed a thyroid supp (ZIP!) that helped a lot of people but it just wasn't something that people considered "important" so sales were low and it was discontinued. The TSH will give a basic reading but it isn't the ONLY thing that determines thyroid function and that's what most GP's will go by. Even some endos don;t go beyond that/ But I maintain, it's a tricky thing. The guy shouldn't just start taking T3. Iodine and Selenium can help. That should be the first thing. A lot of what guys think is low T is really low thyroid.

I agree someone shouldnt start taking T3 or T4. Im against both for any reason(armour would be the solution for those that cant be helped by nutrition) and I wasnt proposing a person take either. I do promote giving your body the nutrients it needs for proper thyroid function and I think most of the folks here who claim to have a decent diet and workout who cant lose weight suffer from poor thyroid function.

I know a lot of docs simply look at TSH which in actuality isnt even as valuable as T4 or T3.

TSH not only stimulates thyroid hormone production but it also stimulates sodium-iodide symporter-NIS. Without ample NIS iodine wouldnt be able to enter the cells and be utilized.

When iodine levels are low there is also little reason to stimulate NIS. However once you add iodine its very common for TSH to rise significantly for many months which most docs panic when they see because they are clueless.

 

[ikyn]

I agree someone shouldnt start taking T3 or T4. Im against both for any reason(armour would be the solution for those that cant be helped by nutrition) and I wasnt proposing a person take either. I do promote giving your body the nutrients it needs for proper thyroid function and I think most of the folks here who claim to have a decent diet and workout who cant lose weight suffer from poor thyroid function.

I know a lot of docs simply look at TSH which in actuality isnt even as valuable as T4 or T3.

TSH not only stimulates thyroid hormone production but it also stimulates sodium-iodide symporter-NIS. Without ample NIS iodine wouldnt be able to enter the cells and be utilized.

When iodine levels are low there is also little reason to stimulate NIS. However once you add iodine its very common for TSH to rise significantly for many months which most docs panic when they see because they are clueless.

I actually have my latest numbers for all of this. One of the most frotunate things about my duty station is I work in medical, and can have any lab done at any time, for any reason.

TSH - 2.090 ng/dL
Thyroxine Free - 1.12 mcIU/mL
Triiodothyronine - 2.770 pg/mL

All normal. Yet I do feel sluggish and tired quite often, for no reason (well maybe 1500 calories a day at 200 lbs. is the reason).