When it comes to optimizing men’s health, Testosterone reigns supreme. But that matters most – Total testosterone or free testosterone?
This question continues to come from many customers as well as requested by the Podcast guests.
My position was that Both are necessary. I would like to see ideal levels of both, or at least normal levels of each of the numbers.
Taking this, I thought it was time to put an article on this topic and also to examine the research to see what he was saying.
Understanding the difference between total and free testosterone
Total testosterone refers to all the testosterone circulating in your bloodstream. This includes:
- Free Testosterone (the small section that is not bound by protein)
- Testosterone technique attached to albumin (weakly committed and still bioavailable)
- Testosterone associated with SHBG (tightly bound and is not readily available in tissues)
When taking a typical testosterone blood test, it usually measures total testosterone. Is a useful snapshot, But it doesn’t always tell the full story. This is due to the fact that the total number may appear normal even when the biologically active part – free testosterone – is very low.
Free testosterone is the fraction (about 1-3%) of testosterone not associated with proteins such as SHBG (hormone gender binding) or albumin. This free testosterone is what really enters cells and activates androgen receptors, leading to all normal testosterone -related effects.
The Role of SHBG (hormone gender binding)
Shbg It is a protein made by the liver that is tightly bound to testosterone, essentially making it inactive. (In fact, this is not the whole truth. This is the common understanding of what SHBG is doing, but as it is covered by globulin that binds sexual hormone (SHBG): Good or bad?
Several factors influence SHBG levels:
- Increased SHBG: Aging, hyperthyroidism, liver disease, some drugs.
- Reduced SHBG: Insulin resistance, obesity, hypothyroidism, steroid use.
If the SHBG levels are high, more testosterone gets locked and free drops of testosterone – even if total testosterone looks fine on paper. That is why only the measurement of total testosterone can lose cases of functional testosterone deficiency.
With this understanding, let’s see what research really says about how these measurements are related to the symptoms of the real world.
That matters most according to research?
A large -scale study The participation of over 3,300 men aged 40-79 found that men with normal total testosterone but low-calculated free testosterone reported more sexual and physical symptoms, such as reduced libido and reduced strength. On the contrary, men with low overall testosterone, but normal free testosterone did not present these symptoms. This suggests that free testosterone levels are closest to clinical manifestations of androgen deficiency.
In a study Of nearly 4,000 elderly men, those with depression had significantly lower levels of free testosterone compared to their non -depressing counterparts. After adjusting for various factors, low free testosterone remained a strong predictor of depression, while overall testosterone did not show the same correlation.
A study of 2024 The participation of 467 men evaluated the relationship between testosterone levels and self -reported symptoms such as fatigue and muscle loss. Both overall and free testosterone showed a negative correlation with the severity of the symptoms, but the correlation was more intense with free testosterone, emphasizing its relevance to the evaluation of symptoms.
Based on these studies, evidence shows that Free Testosterone is closely linked to symptoms than total testosterone.
This is what I am still standing for what I said at the beginning. I would like to see ideal levels in bothBut after examining this research I will admit that Free testosterone seems to be more important overall.
How to release your testosterone?
For a deep dive on how to reduce SHBG and thus increase your free testosterone levels, see this article.
I will mention three herbs that are likely to help.
- Tongkat Ali is known for helping testosterone release, in addition to supporting the total T is increasing.
- Nettle root is another herb that has been shown to increase free testosterone levels.
- Our second study of the tincture of Pine pollen is coming out soon. And this has evidence that it increases free testosterone by reducing SHBG levels.
If you are experiencing low testosterone symptoms but have been told your “The levels are well,” Do not accept this answer to the nominal value.
First of all, the reference range for overall testosterone is too long to be very useful. While 300 ng/dl are examined “normal,” This is quite low, and I like to see men above at least 500.
Therefore, you should definitely consider your SHBG levels and your free testosterone also for a more complete picture.
Understanding both overall and free testosterone – and optimizing them – is critical for maximum health and performance.
