When it comes to understanding your testosterone levels, you’ll often come across three types of numbers: total, bio-available, and free testosterone. How can you make sense of these numbers, and what can you do to increase them if they’re low?
Hormones: The Commuters of Your Body
Think of hormones as the commuters on a train. They travel through the bloodstream, frequently connecting with other substances, before they disembark at their target tissues like muscle and bone, where they perform their specific functions. Testosterone is one such hormone, and it mostly hitches a ride on something called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). Occasionally, testosterone will bind itself to another substance called albumin, or it may travel through your system on its own without linking to anything else.
Total testosterone refers to the amount of testosterone in any state – bound to SHBG, bound to albumin, or free. Free testosterone is the portion of the hormone traveling solo, and bio-available testosterone measures the free testosterone combined with testosterone that is bound to albumin. Typically, about 65% of your blood’s testosterone binds to SHBG, 30% to 40% binds to albumin, and around 2% remains free.
The Only Testosterone That Matters
Now, here’s where things get interesting and relevant for men looking to boost their sex drive, energy, and muscle-building potential. Only bio-available testosterone—comprising both the free testosterone and the albumin-bound testosterone—truly matters to your target tissues. That’s because when testosterone is bound to SHBG, it can’t unlink to work on the target tissue. This is similar to the difference between body fat percentage and total weight. You may weigh a healthy-sounding 180 pounds, but if 33% of that is body fat, you’re far from healthy.
To effectively increase your testosterone levels, you’ll need to release a greater percentage of it from the SHBG that keeps it restrained.
Tips to Boost Your Testosterone
There are several ways to increase your testosterone levels, such as:
- Intermittent fasting
- Consistent sleep
- Regulating the right amount of fat in your diet
- Reducing alcohol intake
If you’re consistent in your cardio exercise, consider scaling back and focusing more on high-intensity, short-duration exercise. High-volume endurance exercises such as marathons have been shown to decrease men’s immune system and reduce testosterone levels. A notable example is that of America’s fastest marathon runner, Ryan Hall, who retired at 33, citing chronic fatigue and low testosterone.
Supplements can also benefit your testosterone levels and overall energy. While speaking to a healthcare professional is crucial before starting any supplement regimen, some beneficial supplements include EveryDay Male or about 5,000 IU’s of extra vitamin D. You can read more about vitamin D here.
By understanding what your testosterone numbers mean and taking the right steps to unleash more testosterone from SHBG, you can regain your energy, sex drive, and muscle-building potential.
