A while back I made a fairly well viewed YouTube video with close to 40,000 views so far entitled "Does TRT - Testosterone Replacement Therapy Give You An Advantage in the Gym?". TRT can be a fairly controversial topic for some people and because of this I have been getting various feedback in my comments section and wanted to go over the points that seem to be coming up most often.
Keep in mind I go into a lot more detail in my video so please watch it!
Comment Point Number One: There is no actual TRT Normal Range since everyone is different.
Here is a chart going over normal Testosterone ranges for men and women in different age categories:
Male
Female
Age:
T Level (ng/dL):
Age:
T Level (ng/dL):
0-5 mo.
75-400
0-5 mo.
20-80
6 mos.-9 yrs.
< 7-20
6 mos.-9 yrs.
< 7-20
10-11 yrs.
< 7-130
10-11 yrs.
< 7-44
12-13 yrs.
< 7-800
12-16 yrs.
< 7-75
14 yrs.
< 7-1,200
15-16 yrs.
100-1,200
17-18 yrs.
300-1,200
17-18 yrs.
20-75
19+ yrs.
240-950
19+ yrs.
20-75
Adult male
270-1,070
Adult female
15-70
30+ yrs.
-1% per year
Comment Point Number Two: People on TRT have more stabilized Testosterone levels than people not on TRT.
Yes factors like stress, sickness, diet and exercise will more than likely effect a person not on TRT than a person that is on TRT and can cause the non TRT person's Testosterone levels to fluctuate up and down.
On the other hand a person on TRT can actually experience even more radical Testosterone levels since their body does not produce much natural Testosterone and because of this they are dependant on their TRT injections for their Testosterone. The problem with this is Testosterone injections are usually every 1-2 weeks which means a person on TRT will have higher levels right after their Testosterone injection but can experience really low Testosterone levels when they are nearing their next TRT injection especially if these injections are weeks apart.
Comment Point Number Three: People on TRT Can gain more muscle and more strength than people not on TRT.
People often use examples of how a person that when getting on TRT gained 10 pounds of muscle and got a lot stronger and say that this is a big advantage but what they fail to realize is the person prior to their TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) had below average levels of Testosterone in their body meaning they where physically not able to build much muscle or gain much strength at least compared to someone that had normal levels of Testosterone. So of course they get stronger and gain muscle after starting their Testosterone Replacement Therapy.
In my "Does TRT - Testosterone Replacement Therapy Give You An Advantage in the Gym" video I compare two identical turbo charged engines in identical cars with one of the engines running with less turbo boast than the other engine. The identical engine/car combo with more turbo boast will outperform the engine with lower turbo boast every time. In this example the turbo and its boast represent more Testosterone. If both cars have the same amount of boast (Testosterone) than they will perform the exact same given equal driving talent.
Other Factors:
Of course if a person on TRT is taking more Testosterone than they need putting them at an above average Testosterone level then yes they will potentially have an advantage in the gym. This is why it is important to consult a doctor and get on a trusted TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) program where tests are conducted to determine what is the ideal amount of Testosterone one should be taking.
I wanted to discuss the subject of TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy), because it seems that anytime a person on YouTube is somewhat fit and/or lean then it is assumed by many people that they are on some sort of performance enhancing drugs - since there is no other way this can be possible ;)
I get comments from people listing a bunch of drugs I’m supposedly taking that enable me to be lean and muscular and they claim that I’m for sure on a bunch of performance enhancing drugs. Again because there is no other way this is possible (like hard work and a strict diet), and since there is an easy way to get these results, then I must be getting an advantage somehow.
I also get questioned a lot about if I am on TRT and so I wanted to address this in a YouTube video to explain the purpose of TRT because I feel most people think TRT will give a person this huge advantage in the gym over a person who is not on TRT.
First off, what is TRT or Testosterone Replacement Therapy?
TRT is a therapy usually prescribed by a doctor to replace the hormone Testosterone in a Man or Woman that is not naturally producing enough of their own Testosterone, and yes a Woman can also be on TRT since women can be low in both Testosterone and Estrogen!
What are some of the symptoms of Low Testosterone?
Low sex drive
Difficulty with erections (Men only)
Fatigue & lack of energy
Loss of muscle mass
Increase in body fat
Decrease In bone mass
Mood changes
Hair loss
What are normal TRT prescribed dosages?
Testosterone can be prescribed in the form of Injections, pills and jells. Prescribed injectable levels of Testosterone for the purpose of Testosterone Replacement Therapy can range drastically from person to person. In Men a dose can be as low as 100mg every two weeks right up to 300+mg per week. It all depends on how each individual reacts to the Testosterone replacement therapy and at what point they start to see positive changes in their symptoms.
As a point of reference: A starting does for a person using testosterone for enhanced body building purposes is generally no lower than 500mg per week and can be as high as 2000mg per week. Keep in mind the Testosterone is usually stacked with other injectable and oral steroids at the same time compounding the effects.
This should give you an idea of how minimal the effects are at least for the purpose of body building a normal 100-200mg per week TRT dose really is. No you will not get huge and ripped on TRT! If you don’t workout you will not look any different than anyone else with normal levels of Testosterone. If you do workout you will look the same as everyone else working out to the same level as you.
Is a doctor the only one that can prescribe TRT?
Usually but not always, there are hormone replacement clinic and there are also location where Testosterone can be purchased legally without a prescription. For example here in Canada it is not illegal to buy and use Testosterone without a prescription. It is however illegal to sell Testosterone, go figure ;)
What am I getting at? There are people on TRT programs using various methods to do so. Doctor prescribed and regulated, Clinical, and even self prescribed (with or without doctor monitoring).
What are some possible TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) Side Effects?
Increase in DHT and Estradiol which can cause: Acne, Prostate enlargement, increase in male patten baldness, fluid retention, breast tissue changes.
Reduction in testicle size and suppression of fertility.
Thickening of the blood from increased red blood cells which can cause high blood pressure, possability of a stroke.
Will a person on a regulated TRT program have an advantage in the gym over a person who is not on TRT?
Keep in mind that this is based onthe assumption that both subjects have levels or Testosterone that are within normal and natural ranges.
The short answer is no, there is no difference, for the simple reason that the person on TRT requires a Testosterone supplement in order to bring them back up to natural and healthy Testosterone levels. The person who is not on TRT already has enough natural Testosterone in their body so both subjects are on a equal and level playing field in this example.
Why do people who are on TRT claim to see strength gains, fat loss and recovery improvements when they go on TRT?
This is because the person in this situation was Testosterone deprived before going on TRT, they where not on an even playing field with a someone who has normal natural levels of Testosterone in their body. When the TRT program increases their levels of Testosterone they obviously would feel the benefits of normal healthy levels of Testosterone which include muscle gain and fat loss as compared to their Testosterone depleted former self.
Example: Let’s use a race car engine and a turbo charger as an example. A turbo charger is a device that increases air pressure in a cars engine. The higher the turbo pressure the more air is compressed into the engine which in turn allows more fuel to be mixed per engine stroke which provides a bigger boom and more power. If the turbo is not outputting enough pressure, then the potential power of the engine is reduced. When a turbo is producing optimal air pressure, then more power is provided to the engine.
Car A in this example has an engine with normal race car turbo pressures and normal power output for that race division. Car B has the exact same setup but for some reason the turbo settings are not producing enough air pressure so power output has been limited and not up to race performance levels. In this example the doctor would be the mechanic and by manually increasing the air pressure output of the turbo in Car B, the mechanic can in turn bring that engines power output back up to the same race performance levels of Car A.
So of course the owner of Car B is going to notice a significant power increase after his Turbo performance has been optimized, but his car will not be faster than the owner of Car A as they are both now on an even playing field. Would it be a fair race if one engine was more powerful than the other? Is the owner of Car B cheating in any way now that his engine is performing up to normal race standards?
When would a person on TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) have an advantage over a Natural athlete?
The only time this is possible is if the individual on TRT was taking more Testosterone than necessary. So similar to my engine turbo charger example, the mechanic or engine doctor turned the turbo settings up higher than they should be causing the engine to have more power than normal race setup. Relating this example back to our Testosterone discussion, this would be similar if a doctor was prescribing too much Testosterone for that individual making his levels higher than what they should be in a normal healthy situation and creating an uneven playing field with the person on TRT having an advantage in the gym over a person not on TRT with normal Testosterone levels.
How can this TRT over-prescribing take place?
As with all good things, even TRT can sometimes be manipulated or taken advantage of. Some athletes will use a TRT program to get an advantage over their competitors in sports, some people simply just want all the benefit of TRT plus a little boast since additional strength and increased recovery time is a benefit when workout out.
Are you lying to people about your gains if you are on TRT?
Not at all if you are within normal ranges, again we are talking about everyone being on an even playing field, there is no advantages or disadvantages for anyone if all parties have similar Testosterone levels at the end of the day.
Is a person obligated to tell others about their TRT program?
This is really up to each individual and how they feel about sharing it with others. Do you expect people you know in person or on YouTube to simply tell you about all their medical history and all prescriptions they may be taking. Or perhaps any legal matters they may have been in. How much money they make each year… What a person decides to share with others is totally up to them and they are not obligated to share if they are on TRT unless they want to.
This video is going to be rather different than most I make for you guys but I wanted to address a rather sensitive topic that seems to be a bit too common on YouTube when it comes to anyone who has that muscular lean look. Most often it has to do with body builder types that are not super big or too small, the ones that fall into that middle size grey area, and often times get accused of taking sports enhancing drugs like steroids.
I'm not trying to say that there are not people out there like this that claim to be "Natty" or "Natural" and in fact are actually taking steroids, but to simply accuse someone who has built up their physique while keeping their body fat percentage low is really not fair! The reality is that very few people have the drive and will power to achieve a physique that takes long hours in the gym, sticking to a very strict diet and giving up many daily treats others are not willing to give up in order to achieve what most people can not.
Speaking from my own experience, I work very hard to stay lean and toned, and for me it has become a way of life. Even when I was 6 foot 1 inch tall and 175 pounds I was at times accused of taking steroids because I was apparently too shredded and vascular to be natural! Now that I'm around 195 pounds and getting to a similar lean body mass, the accusations will only get worse. How else could I gain muscle and stay lean, right? It couldn't be the 6 days a week of training with most days consisting of two workouts per day? Or perhaps the constant mental and physical effort to lift heavy and push myself harder and harder each workout? What about the daily monitoring of exactly how many calories I burn and how many quality calories I need to eat to gain muscle without the fat and Lord knows most of the food everyone else eats is simply not on my menu.
Anyways, enough ranting for now. I simply wanted to point out that it is really easy to point fingers at people because you feel they have done something that you can not achieve. Unless you have walked in their shoes and seen exactly what they have had to do to get to where they are, then it is simply unfair to assume it must be steroids. If that person has taken a shortcut along the way then they have to live with that reality.
Watch my YouTube video where I talk about this subject in detail:
Friday, January 12, 2018 at 12:34PM ;)
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