A longevity researcher started taking testosterone in his 50s. He says there are 4 things everyone should know before considering TRT.

• In his 50s, he had his testosterone levels tested and gradually began testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).

• He says there are 4 things everyone should know before starting TRT.

In 2020, longevity researcher Matt Kaeberlein began to wonder if his testosterone levels were low.

Then, in his early 50s, Kaeberlein developed all the classic symptoms: low energy, a significant decrease in libido, and an inability to change his body composition, despite strength training and a balanced diet.

“Even if you work out hard, you don’t see fat loss and muscle gain,” Kaeberlein, 55, told Business Insider.

Kaeberlein went to the doctor that year and had his testosterone levels tested, but it would take more testing and some trial and error with medications and supplements to figure out a treatment plan that worked for him. Now CEO of Optispan, a healthcare technology company dedicated to making positive longevity and healthcare practices more accessible to the public, he said working in the field helped him get through the early stages of diagnosing and treating low testosterone.

TRT can be stigmatized for a number of reasons, he said. On the one hand, “there’s a view that natural is better, but I don’t subscribe to that view,” he said. Based on his own research and experience, TRT is almost as important for middle-aged men as eating whole, protein-rich foods or getting enough exercise throughout the day, since for most people in their 30s, testosterone begins to decline, with more pronounced symptoms appearing around their 40s or 50s.

On the other hand, “it’s also being abused on a massive scale now,” he said, with men in their 20s and 30s flocking to get testosterone boosters when they probably don’t really need them. Kaeberlein said this reflects the heavy use of steroids from the 1970s to the 1990s, which may have added to the stigma.

To demystify the world of TRT, Kaeberlein shares what he learned from his experience with testosterone supplementation.

You may have lower testosterone levels but still show “normal” levels

When he first suspected low testosterone, Kaeberlein visited his primary care doctor.

He performed a common blood test called “total testosterone,” which measures all testosterone levels in the body but does not take into account which proteins are biologically active.

The test itself may be meaningless, Kaeberlein said. His levels were “low normal,” which is less than 50 percent of the reference range. His doctor said he was fine and did not need hormone replacement therapy.

As Kaeberlein gained more education in the health care field, he learned about alternative testing options. A friend of Kaeberlein’s who was experiencing similar symptoms recommended an online company where consumers could order specialized blood tests without having to visit a doctor.

Kaeberlein ordered a “free testosterone” test, which in addition to measuring his total testosterone, also measured more specific hormones related to testosterone and sperm production. Companies such as Labcorp and QuestDirect offer such panels.

His results showed he had “primary hypogonadism,” a form of testicular failure that means his pituitary gland was sending signals from the brain to produce testosterone, but his testicles were unable to produce it.

He found a new doctor with more experience with testosterone therapy to develop his treatment plan.

‘Natural’ supplements may not work

After confirming that his testosterone levels were low, Kabelein was faced with a dilemma: He didn’t want to inject himself.

“I’m not needle-phobic, but it didn’t seem like something I really wanted to do,” he said.

He looked for natural ways to combat the problem, such as taking supplements that were said to boost testosterone. They don’t work for him.

He said he then tried Jatenzo, an oral testosterone drug that did work but also had some side effects.

Eventually, his doctor encouraged him to learn how to inject himself. Since then, Kaeberlein has been taking testosterone injections once a week with success.

“It took me a long time to get comfortable with the idea of ​​taking testosterone,” he said. “I think there’s still a bit of a shame. There shouldn’t be.”

Know where you stand on having children

When synthetic testosterone is injected, a man’s pituitary gland is signaled to stop producing the hormone responsible for sperm production.

This can lead to infertility, Kaeberlein said. Although it is possible to stop TRT and slowly resume sperm production, this may take months or even years. In some rare cases, it never fully recovers.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s not a problem,” Keblein said. “We’re done having babies.” But for young men, discussions about how TRT affects conception are sometimes overlooked.

TRT should be the missing link in a healthy lifestyle

After starting the injections, Kaeberlein felt “amazing improvements” in her body composition and energy and libido levels.

While he was starting injections, he also made more radical changes to his lifestyle, including drinking less and exercising more rigorously. He credits TRT with helping him get the most out of these habits.

“I think a lot of people have had the experience of feeling like they’ve worked really hard, but there’s just a missing piece of the puzzle,” he says. It also highlights an important point: While testosterone can add some lean muscle mass without strength training in some cases, it’s not a magic bullet for looking and feeling stronger.

“If men are looking to increase muscle mass and strength, testosterone alone won’t do that,” he says. “You really need to pay attention to exercise and nutrition.”

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