Which Form of Testosterone Replacement Therapy is Best? by Jerry Brainum 4/24

 

In recent years, testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, has become increasingly popular. Much of this is because testosterone is a primary anabolic hormone that can promote increased muscle gains. Indeed, anabolic steroids, which are synthetic and manipulated forms of testosterone, are a staple in both bodybuilding and sports to the extent that a person cannot compete successfully at the elite level of bodybuilding without using steroids. The differences produced in body composition through high-dose steroid regimes are evident when comparing the physiques of so-called "natural" bodybuilders who avoid using steroids and their steroid-using counterparts. The popularity of anabolic steroids is such that the majority of users of these drugs are not even bodybuilding or athletic competitors but rather just people who want to look more muscular.

But because of all the negative connotations associated with steroid usage, such as possible adverse effects on health, as well as the upswing in recent deaths of competitive bodybuilders, using testosterone for other reasons is often either feared or discouraged by medical professionals. Unfortunately, many of the beliefs that testosterone is dangerous are based on false assumptions related to older research. A good example of this is the idea that testosterone causes prostate cancer. This is the primary reason why many physicians are reluctant to prescribe testosterone, even for men who are clinically deficient in the hormone, as shown by lab tests. However, the relationship between testosterone to prostate cancer is based on a 1941 study that involved only one patient. This man was castrated and thus produced little or no testosterone. For some reason, he was given testosterone, and that stimulated prostate cancer in him. The problem with this, besides the fact that the study was scientifically untenable because it only involved one patient, is that being low in testosterone production for extended times changes the cells in the prostate, making them more prone to turn cancerous if testosterone is suddenly introduced. The prostate gland can only accept a limited amount of testosterone. This explains why bodybuilders and athletes, who often use massive amounts of testosterone and anabolic steroid drugs, rarely are afflicted with prostate cancer. Another thing to consider is that testosterone peaks in most men at age 19, and as such if testosterone indeed did cause or promote prostate cancer, the level of this type of cancer in teenagers and young men should be epidemic. However, young men have the lowest rates of prostate cancer.

A more recent reason why many doctors refuse to prescribe testosterone is related to a study published a few years ago that suggested a connection between testosterone and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Specifically, the study found that men with higher testosterone levels were more prone to heart attacks and strokes. However, the study had several serious flaws. For one, most of the study subjects had pre-existing CVD not related to their testosterone levels. Another problem was that estrogen levels were not measured in the study . . .