Do they do anything? Dangerous? Scam?
Sometimes, yes, usually.
Some of these ‘boosters’ are really a black market chemical modification to an anabolic steroid. They are effective but may have unknown and deadly side effects, as you are basically taking an untested pharmaceutical drug. “superdrol” is one of those boosters.
Instead of playing with dangerous scams, you should get a physician to prescribe you hormone replacement therapy, which is injections of a derivative of testosterone that was manufactured by a pharmaceutical company.
Although there is new research suggesting that testosterone replacement therapy may significantly increase the risk of heart attack. Here is an NPR story on it from the past week.
Roddy
eta: what I meant to say is that these are risks of the legitimate, prescription testosterone replacement therapies. They don’t discuss the bogus or scam ones.
One problem with testosterone replacement usage is that testosterone increases the chances for prostate cancer.
I personally would not take testosterone unless I was under medical supervision, and “the whole body” and my overall health had been reviewed. Please see the information on this site:
And a doctor isn’t going to put you on HRT unless your testosterone levels have been shown to be low. You can’t just go in and ask him for some juice to get huge.
Another little-discussed fact about TRT is that it is basically a life-long therapy. Once testosterone starts coming in from outside the body, the body senses it is getting all the testosterone it needs and shuts down natural production of the hormone. So if you stop the therapy, your testosterone levels will be even lower than they were prior to the replacement therapy. This isn’t like some two-week course of anti-biotics; you are replacing your body’s natural production of a hormone. Not adding to it. Replacing it.
Which,- is exactly what is needed, since the reason TRT is needed is because the body’s natural ability to create testosterone is impaired/offline.
YMMV, but not necessarily true. Testosterone levels can vary from about 1000-1200 ng/dl in a healthy teenager to around 300 ng/dl in a 50 something man. Many a 50 year old man has approached his doctor with levels in the 300-400 ng/dl range and asked for suppliments; wanting to up his level back to his teen years so that he can break reporters like they were a little boy. Reputable doctors will deny this request due to the reasons stated above, it’s a lifelong commitment to artificial substitutes.
Essentially, drug companies are linking many naturally occurring changes as part of the normal aging process in men as being caused by low testosterone (fatigue, hair loss, etc.). There is no strong link between the two; some men might have a problem due to it, but the exact same problems can have many other causes. Scientific studies are inconclusive as to whether it helps or not.
Some men with low testosterone will show none of the symptoms; some men with perfectly good testosterone levels for their age may show several.
Here’s what the Mayo Clinic says. Basically, it’s a real disease, but you can’t tell if you have it without a blood test.
Along these same lines; are there any ways to boost the amount of testosterone your body produces? Not supplement, but induce your body to produce more?
I have read that heavy weight training will do so.
I have also read that consuming a fair amount of fats can do so.
Are there any legitimate ways to safely increase it?
My urologist wouldn’t consider TRT because I was treated for testicular cancer.
and if, as in my case, your levels are significantly lower than that - there is a problem with either the manufacture or the signal to manufacture Testosterone.
This is determined by a number of blood tests - and once confirmed overall, TRT can then be used to boost the levels to ‘norml’ ranges.
This is not ‘supplements’ or over the counter woo. That is a different issue.
Another issue is that testosterone levels in the body are part of a complex regulatory loop. If you manage to “boost” your testosterone, your body will simply pump out more aromatase to get it back down to the levels your body is trying to maintain.
Yes but the body’s natural ability-prior to TRT-is not TOTALLY SHUT DOWN-it is merely not producing enough to be at considered “normal” levels. When you start TRT, the body’s production CEASES.
Is that true even if you wean off the drug? I know that prednisone is weaned off of if you’ve been taking it for longer than a week, for just that reason.
Thats my doctor told me. I kind of trust him to know about this type of stuff.
not going to debate the second part as I do not know one way or the other - but it is entirely possible for the body to ‘shut down’ production completely prior to TRT - or atleast close enough to completely that there is not a second choice but TRT.
In any event - to the OP - the answser is
a) TRT exists for a reason - you and your doctor can discuss if its right for you
b) over the counter ‘boosters’ only boost one thing as a rule - the sellers wallet.
He’s wrong. Bodybuilders have actual experience with this : natural production will recover in younger, healthier men. Does it recover fully? I don’t think any research has been done on this. However, it isn’t 0.
My point regarding TRT is that while it has many risks, it does what it says on the label. Your testosterone levels will increase, and the risks are as low as current science can make them. It’s expensive, but it isn’t bullshit.
An alternative to testosterone replacement therapy, is to try to boost your own bodies ability to produce testosterone.
A cheap drug commonly used in female fertility treatments is Clomiphene Citrate and when used off label seems to be showing the ability to raise natural production of testosterone in men by upto 165%.
I was going to put some links here but don’t want to be seen to be a shill for any product. Try a search on clomiphene citrate and testosterone, there is a lot of information out there.