Replacing Hormones to Optimal Levels
I’ve been experimenting with exogenous testosterone for over 15 years. At almost 73 I have been able to build and keep muscle. I eat a diet high in protein, lower in carbs and healthy fats. I take digestive enzymes, and a cupboard full of supplements for anti-aging and to lower inflammation. I believe we need to challenge our bodies to move and to use resistance training to keep muscle as we add years. This helps with keeping good bone density and building a healthy vascular system to help sustain new muscle tissue. The body is an amazing machine if we challenge it to perform and give it the nutrition to support that effort.
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Wow. You are an inspiration Sharon! I am 56 yr old male started on exogenous testosterone 5 yrs ago, agree with your muscle building/health/longevity philosophy completely. I am a strict ketogenic (only plant fats), and one meal a day feeding. I have become super lean and muscular, don’t recognize myself. I do daily 30 mins intense resistance exercise and another 30 mins cardio. What is your exercise routine, and how long have you been doing this regiment? I take a whole stack of anti inflammation supplements and recently started weekly Rapamycin. Go girl!
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You look great!
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Thank you Michael....it’s hard work...right??..
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Hello Mac....Wow..one meal a day and only plants. I’m amazed you are able to build muscle with so little protein, carbs, and calories and maintain a daily 1 hour exercise routine. I train 5-6 days a week for an hour and only work one body part. So each day is devoted to an individual muscle group, back, chest, shoulders, hammys, quads, arms. I don’t do much cardio because I lose muscle too quickly. I work out in a cardio intensive cadence so I move quickly through each set. I train heavy for most body parts except shoulders where I do higher reps less weight. I train in the 12 rep range. I’ve been training hard since I was in my late 50’s so my body is used to the intensity and responds well. I have noticed my recuperation isn’t has quick and it used to be. I would like to try Rapamycin. I need to read more blogs on its use. Thank you for your support!!! I believe we have to challenge our limits!!!!
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Sharon Smith sorry you misunderstood. My keto macros are 75% plant fats, 25% protein. What I meant is that my keto is based on plant fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil) not animal fats. I workout daily at the 24 hr fasted mark, then consume my single meal for optimal protein uptake. I am not as sophisticated in my resistance exercise regiment…I work the whole muscle group, not just one per session. Cardio for me is paramount…longevity is far more correlated with vo2 max than muscle. Being high vo2 max easily adds 5 yrs lifespan, and it’s free, no pharma. I went from sedentary 5 yrs ago to regularly running half marathons. So I play both sides…muscle and cardio for overall optimal health. Please read up on Rapamycin. It actually promotes muscle build as we age, in addition to having massive longevity associations. Muscle build is resistance exercise mediated, not amino acid limited. I have been so surprised at how much muscle I’ve built with max 50 g net protein/day. There is a big misunderstanding of the science of muscle build. The mainstream literature would suggest muscle build is blunted by suppressing mTOR1 via Rapamycin, but in fact there are mTOR1 independent and non MTOR1 pathways to muscle build! This I have categorically confirmed with many leading researchers in the field. It could be very beneficial for your continued muscle maintenance as you age.
I want to look as good as you at 73, that’s my goal!
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MAC Sharon Smith
I have had an interest in the effects of Citrulline and found that there are indications that it prevent muscle wasting and promote muscle building in a mTOR independent way as well as mTOR dependent way. As a nitic oxide booster, it might be clinically significant when it comes to cardiometabolic health. But it is hard to get a grip on how citrulline influence mTOR when mTOR is repressed by other strategies (Like rapamycine)
http://aups.org.au/Proceedings/44/13P/13P.pdf
If I use citrulline I use it only in small doses. This because its dual effects on brain health. I can be beneficial to the brain as was as it can be disease promoting.
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Staffan Olsson Well, here you go: https://ergo-log.com/citrulline-muscle-fat.html
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Allen Citrulline has a lot going for it when it comes to prevent the muscle wasting and the low nitric oxide levels that Come with aging. It could need a section of its own. (So we don't "pollute" this one which focus on hormon levels. )
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Amino acids do NOT potentiate or prevent muscle loss...resistance exercise does. I am not banking on any amino acid, other form of nutrition or testosterone to maintain/build muscle as I age. The recipe is extremely simple and proven...resistance exercise.
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MAC ..+T supplementation, especially after 45 :)
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MAC Mac, I very much agree with your approach to maintaining muscle mass and VO2max. What is your routine and equipment like? Do you workout at home or gym?
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Dorian Gray I workout daily at approx 4pm, just before my single meal of the day dinner. I do about 45 minutes of resistance exercise, and then immediately followed by 30 mins of high intensity cardio on a treadmill. I get my heart rate in the 130-140 bpm range, typically a 5km run. With covid, I assembled a home gym: much more convenient. I have a full range of free weights, resistance bands/bar simulating barbell, chin up bar, and bench. I do a whole range of free weight exercises for the chest and arms, and core. I do 50-100 push ups. I also do various crunches and sit-ups for core. Total about 75 mins/day, 7 days/week. My resting heart rate is approx 50 bpm. I’ve never felt or looked physically better in my life at 56 yo. I don’t know how all my various interventions will impact lifespan, but I definitely know I am most certainly pushing out healthspan.
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Hi Sharon!
I am a 51 year old woman currently on estrogen and progesterone, dhea and prognelenone. I also take Rapamycin weekly and low dosage of metformin.
I am starting on cysteine and glyceine as well as monthly fisetin next week.
I work out 5-6 days a week. I run a few times per week and do dance/ pilates types of workouts. I use light weight Recently I'm having a hard time with keeping my thighs toned as well as my stomach area. There is muscle but it is as though it was wrapped in loosey goosey skin.
Should I add on testosterone or anything else to combat that and get real tone back?
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Aka Loo peptides, might find one that works. There are dozen, and the side effects are reported to be lower than T. Just a thought… or… taking 6-12mg of boron with Vit D raises test levels to that of TRT
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Arizona Kid thanks!
What peptides, how much, how often?
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Arizona Kid How much vitamin D with the Boron and how often do I take it?
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Aka Loo there are dozens, I can’t pick one for you. Each work in their own way. But they can boost either T or IGF and more.
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Aka Loo everyday. You could start with 5000ui and go up to 20,000. Swanson had both in a capsule, you can go with their dosing.
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Hello Loo. Most doctors will look at your labs and tell you you’re in the normal range for a female your age. I don’t want to be normal...I want to be “optimal”. Most doctors don’t know what that looks like. And most doctors won’t prescribe testosterone in a therapeutic enough dose for women. DHEA will help some in raising test levels but I find it’s not enough. I’ve been taking 50 MG each of DHEA and Keto DHEA which doesn’t metabolize into estrogen. You might start with upping your DHEA. You can talk to your doctor about test but they will probably say you don’t need it. I like my blood levels near 100-150..and doctors like to see them in the 40-50 range. Of course, talk to your doctor but along with estrogen and progesterone, we also need an optimum level of test to help build and keep muscle as we age and help lower body fat. I’ve not tried Rapamycin but I think I may add that to my regime.
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Sharon Smith
I hesitate to venture into the waters of optimal female hormone levels, but I would like to point out that Life Extension offers comprehensive female hormone tests for about $225.
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Sharon Smith Forget rapamycin. Keep doing exactly what you're doing.
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JGC Thank you JGC. I would actually like to have my labs taken quarterly so that would be a great savings through Life Extension. I do love their products that are geared more towards those over 40. They have some wonderful cutting edge supplements and use quite a few of them.
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Sharon Smith
With upping the DHEA I wouldn't risk it to convert to DHT and I start to lose hair? It happened to me when I wad doing 75mg of dhea pet day for over 5 months as per my fertility foc years ago.
Also at what point does DHEA convert to estrogen?
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Sharon Smith - Impressive results! Thanks for sharing your experience with exogenous testosterone.
I have a few questions - if you don't mind me asking.
1) Regarding the testosterone - how do you take it (injection/patch) and what's your weekly dose?
2) Were you able to find a doctor to work with for the testosterone, or was it a case of learning to manage yourself?
3) What were your ferritin levels last time you got bloods?-
John Hey John. I have been a bit of a lab rat on my own body but I do watch my labs to make sure I’m not creating any potential health problems. To answer your questions: 1. I take injections and vary the dose from 50-100 mg of 100 mg/ml test propionate for about 3 months on and 1 month off. 2. I have really managed myself with the help of lab work and with a doctor that knows I’m going outside the suggested dosage. My concern is my high hematocrit since I live at altitude and test creates more red blood cells so I have to be careful. My ferritin levels were actually low so I learned that higher hemoglobin levels do not necessarily equate to higher ferritin levels.
Sadly, most doctors would like to see us stay in the “normal” range for sex hormones. But my goal is to stay in the optimal level for me, and that could differ for each person.
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