INPUT: What Is Optimal TRT Dosage? This Says Lower...

[JYD]

Read this article: https://www.t-nation.com/sex-hormones/unpopular-opinion-your-trt-is-a-steroid-cycle/

What do y'all think?

Thanks.

 

[Alan1]

I like how Thib says "I’m not a doctor, much less an endocrinologist."

Yeah thanks for that, Captain Obvious.

I'm not going to unpack everything he says in the article, but his general premise that "200-300mg testosterone doesn't constitute TRT" is asinine. Individual response to drugs is highly variable, and testosterone (and every other AAS or ancillary drug, etc) is of course no different. So sure, while a dose like that may well jack a lot of people's test levels into the supraphysiological stratosphere and/or impart a host of side effects, for others it might keep them within a typical lab reference range.

All of which is to say....you really can't make blanket statements and there is absolutely no "one size fits all" when it comes to TRT.

 

[Smont]

For most ppl 200 will put them outside the normal range, for probably 99% of ppl 300 will put them outside the normal range. So it's not asinine, it's correct in "most" cases.

There are definitely outliers, some ppl really do need 200-300, but not many.

The truth of the matter is... Whatever dose puts you in mid to high normal range. If your on 200mg and your testosterone levels are 1300+, that's not trt it's a low dose cycle. If your on 200 and your levels come back at 900 or something like that, it's trt. The amount of mg you take does not mean nearly as much as what your bloodwork reflects.

If your outside the normal range then your not replacing natural production and trt is a replacement dose.

 

[Alan1]

For most ppl 200 will put them outside the normal range, for probably 99% of ppl 300 will put them outside the normal range. So it's not asinine, it's correct in "most" cases.

There are definitely outliers, some ppl really do need 200-300, but not many.

The truth of the matter is... Whatever dose puts you in mid to high normal range. If your on 200mg and your testosterone levels are 1300+, that's not trt it's a low dose cycle. If your on 200 and your levels come back at 900 or something like that, it's trt. The amount of mg you take does not mean nearly as much as what your bloodwork reflects.

If your outside the normal range then your not replacing natural production and trt is a replacement dose.

As you said, it's all dependent on what the bloodwork shows. I just think it's asinine to make blanket statements as presented in the article without recognition that everyone is different. It would have been nice to see an acknowledgement that it actually takes seeing what your bloodwork shows in order to help determine the right dose.

And, I'm a perfect example of someone who hypermetabolizes/has very low SHBG and needs a relatively high dose to maintain just decent levels. When I first started TRT (prescibed) roughly 15 years ago, I was on 250mg of a blended testosterone. With bloods pulled just 4 days post-injection, my total test was 860, the upper end of the reference range.

Over the past couple years I've had to adjust my dosage more than a few times, getting bloodwork as often as every other week while tweaking said dosage. A few months back, 260mg/wk (split dosing of 130mg Mon and Thur) had me in the mid-600 range. I more recently switched to Mon, Wed, Fri injects (80mg each to start) which put me in the low 700's. I've since upped the dose to 90mg 3x/wk and will get bloods again in a couple months.

 

[Smont]

As you said, it's all dependent on what the bloodwork shows. I just think it's asinine to make blanket statements as presented in the article without recognition that everyone is different. It would have been nice to see an acknowledgement that it actually takes seeing what your bloodwork shows in order to help determine the right dose.

And, I'm a perfect example of someone who hypermetabolizes/has very low SHBG and needs a relatively high dose to maintain just decent levels. When I first started TRT (prescibed) roughly 15 years ago, I was on 250mg of a blended testosterone. With bloods pulled just 4 days post-injection, my total test was 860, the upper end of the reference range.

Over the past couple years I've had to adjust my dosage more than a few times, getting bloodwork as often as every other week while tweaking said dosage. A few months back, 260mg/wk (split dosing of 130mg Mon and Thur) had me in the mid-600 range. I more recently switched to Mon, Wed, Fri injects (80mg each to start) which put me in the low 700's. I've since upped the dose to 90mg 3x/wk and will get bloods again in a couple months.

On 200mg 1x week my levels could be 1500-700ish depending on the day I get tested.

Right now and for my past 2 Cruses On 20-25mg injected daily for a total of about 150 per week, I have not done bloods for the actual number, but I feel awesome, sex drive extremely high and still make minor progress in the gym.i need to find out the actual numbers but on 150 broken into daily shots I do way better then on 200mg 1x week. I occasionally miss a day here and there so half the time I'm probably a little under 150mg per week and it's fine. I think the injection frequency is keeping me right around the top of the range. Won't be certain till next bloods, but even if I was to fine out this protocol had me midrange, I wouldn't change it, everything is working too perfectly

 

[ohiostate2827]

40mg eod of enanthate has me staying in the 1200s free t 35..32mg eod 1100s free t 30..e2 37..slowly lowering the dose to stay in range

 

[Smont]

40mg eod of enanthate has me staying in the 1200s free t 35..32mg eod 1100s free t 30..e2 37..slowly lowering the dose to stay in range

I'm definitely a fan of smaller more frequent
Injections, regardless of the ester. I shoot for daily injections with pretty much everything and when I'm doing less frequent it's usually just because I forgot or I may get sick of pinning and take a week off lol. Even when I do that I take 7 days off, start with a 40 or 60mg pin and go right back to 20daily and it feels like I never missed a beat.

 

[JYD]

This is all great feedback, folks. Keep 'em coming. Thanks.