How To Measure Your Testosterone

How We Chose The Best At

In conducting our research, we reviewed more than 18 at-home kits from varying companies. We evaluated each one based on company history, testing kit quality, laboratory review policies, results sampling, website navigability, cost, and turnaround times. We also reviewed company privacy policies, if the company provided reimbursement information, and if additional counseling was available. Through this process, we selected and recommended six testing kits.

Men Naturally Lose Testosterone As They Age But There Are Low

Testosterone is the hormone that gives men their manliness. Produced by the testicles, it is responsible for male characteristics like a deep voice, muscular build, and facial hair. Testosterone also fosters the production of red blood cells, boosts mood, keeps bones strong, and aids thinking ability. Lack of testosterone, often nicknamed, low-t, can cause unwanted symptoms.

Testosterone levels peak by early adulthood and drop as you ageabout 1% to 2% a year beginning in the 40s. As men reach their 50s and beyond, this may lead to signs and symptoms, such as impotence or changes in sexual desire, depression or anxiety, reduced muscle mass, less energy, weight gain, anemia, and hot flashes. While falling testosterone levels are a normal part of aging, certain conditions can hasten the decline. Low t risk factors include:

• injury or infection
• chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer
• medications, especially hormones used to treat prostate cancer and corticosteroid drugs
• chronic illness
• alcoholism
• obesity

What Is The Difference Between Free Testosterone And Total Testosterone

Most of the testosterone in your blood attaches to 2 proteins: albumin and sex hormone binding globulin . Some testosterone is not attached to proteins, or free. Free testosterone and albumin-bound testosterone are also referred to as bioavailable testosterone. This is the testosterone that is easily used by your body.

If your healthcare provider thinks that you have low or high testosterone, he or she will first test total testosterone levels as above. This looks at all 3 types of testosterone. The free testosterone test may help give more information when total testosterone is low.

As with the total testosterone levels described above, your levels of free testosterone will vary due to age.

The following table illustrates the range of normal freetestosterone for men and women by age.

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Come Into A Vault Office To Get Your Lab Work Done

Once youre familiar with the symptoms and how testosterone works, the next step is to test your blood, which can be done at a Vault office near you.

First, when going into a Vault office to get your levels tested, its important to ensure youre feeling healthy, youve eaten a full meal, and youre not currently taking any medicine that could affect your normal testosterone levels.

Second, total testosterone fluctuates significantly during the day. Levels are highest in the morning and generally decrease throughout the day. As such, Vault offices are only open from 7am to 12pm.

Lastly, after the blood panel, a healthcare professional will assess your results and symptoms. If your testosterone levels are below 300 ng/dL and you safely pass the 8 other blood level indicators measured as part of the test, you may be a good candidate for testosterone therapy.

To learn more about low testosterone and what treatment is available for you, visit Vault’s website.

Control These Habits To Increase Your Testosterone Levels Naturally

Levels of physical activity and nutritional/sleeping habits.

Focus on high-intensity workouts, that require short bursts of power. Avoid excessively long aerobic activities, as they will exhaust your energetic stores, as well as nerfing the endocrine system.

Your nutrition should revolve around whole, unprocessed, organic foods, healthy fats, and animal products.

Sleep should be regulated according to your levels of physical activity, so if you are really active throughout the day, you require 7 to 10 hours of sleep every night.

Supplement with vitamins and herbs/extracts instead of taking prescription pills .

Thats about it. Let us know if you have any additional questions regarding this topic

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What Is An At

Most at-home testosterone tests measure your testosterone levels by analyzing your saliva. Your body naturally secretes hormones like testosterone in your saliva, and laboratories can use different methods to test the amount present.

People have used at-home testosterone tests as an alternative to a blood test for detecting the amount of testosterone present in your body. To do this, purchase a test kit, follow the directions, and send it to the laboratory via mail. The laboratory tests the saliva and provides your results.

Other at-home test kits require blood samples for testing, which usually involve a finger stick and applying the blood to a spot or tube for collection.

The American Urology Association recommends collecting a testosterone sample first thing in the morning. This is when testosterone levels are likely to be at their lowest.

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Significance Of Testosterone In Men And Women

As mentioned above, testosterone is present in both men and women however the significance of its presence lays more in the former than in the latter. In men, this hormone is responsible for the male reproductive system development, prevents diseases like osteoporosis by strengthening the bones, improves sperm production, aids as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent, promotes the production of blood vessels, enhances muscle mass, gives men masculine traits like aids in beard growth, increases body hair, gives them a deep-masculine voice and is responsible for inducing sexual arousal. In women, this hormone is responsible, to some extent, for healthy sexual functioning, cognitive function, for stronger bones as well as promotes better ovarian function.

How Do Doctors Check For T Levels In The Body

Doctors who perform hormonal analysis always check the medical history of a patient before conducting tests and revealing results. Certain aspects that may interfere with test accuracy may include taking oral contraceptives, digoxin, certain barbiturates, medicines for prostate cancer, the existance of hypothyroidism, etc. In the case of testosterone, various methods can be adopted to check for its levels in a person. Some of them are:

What Is A Testosterone Levels Test

Testosterone is the main sex hormone in males. During a boy’s puberty, testosterone causes the growth of body hair, muscle development, and deepening of the voice. In adult men, it controls sex drive, maintains muscle mass, and helps make sperm. Women also have testosterone in their bodies, but in much smaller amounts.

This test measures the levels of testosterone in your blood. Most of the testosterone in the blood is attached to proteins. Testosterone that is not attached to a protein is called free testosterone. There are two main types of testosterone tests:

• Total testosterone, which measures both attached and free testosterone.
• Free testosterone, which measures just free testosterone. Free testosterone can give more information about certain medical conditions.

Testosterone levels that are too low or too high can cause health problems in both men and women.

Other names: serum testosterone, total testosterone, free testosterone, bioavailable testosterone

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Why Do I Need A Testosterone Levels Test

You may need this test if you have symptoms of abnormal testosterone levels. For adult men, it’s mostly ordered if there are symptoms of low T levels. For women, it’s mostly ordered if there are symptoms of high T levels.

Symptoms of low T levels in men include:

• Low sex drive

Symptoms of high T levels in women include:

• Excess body and facial hair growth
• Deepening of voice
• Acne
• Weight gain

Boys may also need a testosterone levels test. In boys, delayed puberty can be a symptom of low T , while early puberty may be a symptom of high T.

Can This Test Help Me Learn If My Lifestyle Changes Are Working

Yes. For example if you are on hormone replacement therapy for testosterone, this is an ideal test to take regularly to see if your levels are increasing to a normal, healthy range. If you are not on hormone replacement therapy and you have low testosterone, there are natural lifestyle changes you can make to help â such as getting a good night’s sleep, decreasing alcohol consumption and regularly exercising. Read more about ways to increase testosterone naturally.

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Blood Tests For Measuring Free Testosterone

Reading about the myriad ways to measure free testosterone has nearly put me in the nut house. Its confusing.

The problem that labs face is that there is so little free testosterone in our body, its hard to measure directly. Below I lay out the methods available right now to measure free T.

RIA Direct. Its cheap, fast, but not very accurate. Recent studies have been calling into question the use of RIA direct methodology to measure free testosterone. Unfortunately, most labs across the country only use RIA direct because of its cost effectiveness. LabCorp, the lab I used, only measures free T using RIA direct. Despite the criticisms levied at RIA direct tests, many researchers believe its an adequate method for routine tests.

Equilibrium Ultrafiltration. Many in the field of endocrinology argue that equilibrium ultrafiltration is a superior and more accurate testing method to RIA direct. The problem is that many commercial labs dont offer the method because its so time consuming and requires well-trained technicians. If you can find a lab that uses equilibrium ultrafiltration, expect to spend a bit more than you would for a RIA direct.

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Whats The Difference Between A Testosterone Blood Test And A Saliva Test

Both blood tests and saliva tests are well-established techniques for clinically measuring testosterone levels in men and women. But there are a few differences between these two testing methods:

• Sample type – Testosterone is circulated throughout your body by the bloodstream, and a fraction of it enters your saliva. Blood tests measure testosterone levels in a sample of blood, but saliva tests use a sample of saliva.
• Collection process – Blood samples are often collected through a blood draw , while saliva samples are often much easier to collect: you just spit into a tube, for example.
• Units of measure – Blood tests use nanograms per deciliter . Saliva tests use picograms per milliliter . For comparison, 1 ng/dL = 10 pg/mL, so the numerical results from two different tests that use different types of samples will look completely different. It doesnât mean either test is inaccurate.

Testosterone Testing: How Do I Know If I Have Low T

If you suspect you might need testosterone replacement therapy, you may be wondering what the next steps are. Perhaps you want to know what a low testosterone test involves. You may also consider how your physician will determine whether youre a good candidate for testosterone replacement.

The best way to identify low testosterone is to receive a comprehensive mens health assessment and take a blood test to measure your testosterone levels. We offer a comprehensive health assessment that includes two types of testosterone testing. This can help give us a broader look at your testosterone levels and help us determine whether TRT can help improve your symptoms.

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The Ring Finger Has A High Number Of Androgen Receptors During Early Fetal Development

Androgen receptors are binding sites for testosterone.

In the early stages of fetal development, the ring finger grows as a result of the amount of testosterone thats pumped into the baby also known as fetal puberty.

During this time, the fetus has an early surge of testosterone that influences the growth of the brain, heart, muscle, and bone all of which will make an impact on the size, stature, and ability of the boy as he becomes a man.

In fact, a 2011 study showed that British athletes with a lower 2D:4D ratio was mentally tougher, more confident and optimistic, and determined to win than those with a higher 2D:4D ratio.

Whats A Normal Testosterone Level And How To Measure Your T

We all know that the endocrine glands are responsible for the production of hormones in our bodies. Hormones replicate the function of bodily messengers. These hormones are vital to regulate and control the various cells and organs present inside the human body. Both males and females have hormones that are vital to their existence and functioning. However, the prevalence of some hormones is more significant in one particular gender than the other. For example, the male hormone testosterone. This article covers in brief testosterone, what is the normal range in which it should be present in the body and how it can be measured.

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When Is A Testosterone Test Used

A testosterone test is used when it is necessary to assess a persons testosterone levels. This is usually when a doctor suspects that the individual has a health condition which affects their testosterone and needs to confirm whether or not the persons testosterone level is normal, in order to make a diagnosis. The conditions for which a testosterone test may be used as a diagnostic tool differ between men and women.

In men, testosterone tests are used to:

• Confirm a suspected diagnosis of primary or secondary hypogonadism, a condition characterised by abnormally low testosterone levels
• Monitor the effect of testosterone replacement therapy in men with testosterone deficiency
• Evaluate the causes underlying delayed puberty in boys.

Women

In women, testosterone tests may be used to:

• Evaluate the causes underlying hyperandrogenism , which may include:
• Idiopathic hirsutism
• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome
• Testosterone-producing tumours in the adrenal gland or ovaries.

In women, testosterone tests are not usually used for monitoring the effects of testosterone replacement therapy.

Whats A Normal Testosterone Level

When you go to get tested for testosterone, the lab will often show you whats considered the normal range among patients who have tested with that particular lab. Its called the reference range.

For example, LabCorp shows a reference range of 348 1197 ng/dl for total testosterone levels. According to this reference range, my total testosterone level of 383 ng/dl at the beginning of my experiment would mean my total T levels were barely within the normal range.

However, there are a couple of problems with just using this reference range to figure out if your T levels are normal.

The first is that this reference range consists of a wide variety of men who tested with LabCorp: 80-year-old men and 20-year-old men obese men and super fit men men with pituitary gland problems and men with glands that work like champs.

The second problem is that the numbers you get back from testosterone tests dont take into account your individual androgen sensitivity, a subject I discussed with oncologist Chris Ryan on the podcast. Some dudes are more and less sensitive to testosterone than others. Androgen sensitivity is determined by genetics and by factors you experienced in-utero. Theres nothing you can do about increasing your sensitivity to testosterone once youve left the womb.

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