Optimize the Health Benefits of Testosterone

[T_Nation]

by Chris Shugart

On TRT? Take This Vitamin

Testosterone replacement therapy is super healthy. But you won't reap all the metabolic health benefits if you're low on this vitamin.

I bet you've heard a lot of dudes whining about the negative side effects of TRT. Our own Pharma Forum is full of them.

Well, nine times out of ten, these dummies aren't on TRT. In fact, their T levels were probably fine to begin with. Nope, they're just using light steroid cycles and erroneously calling it TRT. I guess calling their drug use "TRT" makes them feel better about their nonworking tallywhackers.

The problem? They give actual TRT a bad name.

Low-T is a doctor-diagnosed condition called hypogonadism. It means your body no longer produces healthy amounts of testosterone, usually because of aging. As the name implies, testosterone replacement therapy replaces it. And if you really need TRT, it's a healthy practice, improving mood, cognition, motivation, cardiovascular health, and sexual performance. Of course, it also makes it easier to gain muscle and lose fat.

But what could TRT patients do to make their treatment even healthier? Here's an easy one: bump up your vitamin D. Check out this new research.

The Study

Low T and low vitamin D are both associated with increased cardiometabolic risk. We've known for a while that TRT improves metabolic health markers (improvements in LDL cholesterol, insulin resistance, and inflammation), but not for everyone. Why? Short answer: Men with adequate vitamin D levels get all the metabolic health benefits, but men with low vitamin D do not.

In the study, low-T participants received intramuscular testosterone – 250 mg every three weeks – for six months. (Not the best TRT schedule, but that's what they used.) The testosterone did its thing, but here's what else they found:

• Men with adequate vitamin D levels (defined in the study as >30 ng/mL) significantly improved their metabolic health.
• Men with lower vitamin D levels (20-30 ng/mL) had no significant metabolic benefits.

How to Use This Info

At least 50% of the American population is deficient in vitamin D, and that's based on low standards. If you're a TRT patient and want all the metabolic health benefits, make sure your vitamin D levels are adequate. You can get a blood test or just watch for the common signs of low D.

"Get just the right amount of sunlight" is good advice, but a few things get in the way, like winter. Also, middle-aged skin doesn't kickstart the conversion process as well as it used to, and vitamin D absorption from foods declines with age. That's probably why many men can't get their blood levels of vitamin D up, no matter how many capsules of grocery-store vitamin D they take.

The solution? Take microencapsulated vitamin D3. It's made by encapsulating vitamin D3 molecules in solid lipid nanoparticles, making it highly bioavailable – you can actually absorb it. This form is found in Biotest D Fix High-Absorption Vitamin D (Buy at Amazon).

Reference

1. Krysiak, R., Kowalcze, K., Szkróbka, W., & Okopień, B. (2025). Vitamin D Status Determines Cardiometabolic Effects of Testosterone Replacement Therapy in Men with Late-Onset Hypogonadism. Nutrients, 17(6), 1013

[youthful55guy]

I couldn’t agree more regarding your comment about guys calling their excessive doses of Testosterone “TRT” and lamenting about the side effects. They should just be honest with themselves and call it “Testosterone Augmentation.” I’m not passing judgment, I’m just saying don’t delude yourself into thinking it’s any form of TRT. By doing so, they give TRT a bad name. Often they don’t even cycle it and that’s when the side effects begin to mount.

If you do it right, and keep Total T and Free T within normal biological parameters, side effects are rare. I’ve been doing true TRT for nearly 15 years and have learned a thing or two along the way. Many guys feel that the more T the better. They strong arm their doctor into excessive starting doses or they obtain it on their own.

I started out at just 93 mg/week (using an every 3 day protocol) and found even that to be excessive. My total T often was over 200% of the high end of the “normal” range with Free/Biological T correspondingly high. I was constantly battling high DHT, E2, and erythrocytosis (excessive red blood cell production). Fast forward many years and my protocol is now down to 70 mg per week (still E3D protocol) and most of my labs come in at the high end of the “normal” range but usually close enough to being within range that my doctor and I no longer argue about lowering it further.

My point is that with true TRT, you need to monitor the protocol with regular labs and let the labs dictate the protocol. Also, be true to yourself and others and call it what it is (TRT vs Testosterone Augmentation).

[Chris_Shugart]

Good info. Thanks for adding it!

[David_5]

In my 40s, I started feeling unusually tired, struggling with focus, and my workouts became less effective. After a checkup, I learned my testosterone levels were low. I improved my diet, sleep, and exercise, but progress was slow.
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