Do Testosterone Boosters Actually Work?
Understanding the Nuance
You walk down the supplement aisle and you see them everywhere. Products promising to boost your testosterone levels, energy, and libido.
The hard question is, do they actually work?
The short answer is that I have seen mixed results. Many patients tell me they feel better. They report more energy, improved muscle mass, and better performance. But I rarely see those boosters actually raise their testosterone numbers on a lab test.
Now, if your levels are truly low, you might need testosterone replacement therapy, also called TRT. There are different ways to do this. Injections, pellets, and creams are the most common. These usually do work.
However, there is a catch.
If you are on testosterone replacement for a period of time, you often get testicular atrophy. That means your testicles shrink.
Here is why it happens. If you are getting testosterone delivered from the outside, your body says, “Great. I do not have to work anymore.” So your natural testosterone factory shuts down. The longer you are on replacement, the more your own production declines.
There is an important side note on this topic.
We tell women to do breast self-exams all the time. Men, you should be doing testicular self-exams. If you ever notice a nodule or a lump on the surface of your testicle, see your healthcare provider right away. You want to make sure it is not testicular cancer.
So here is a question. Have you tried testosterone boosters? Did you feel any difference?
Share what worked and what did not in the comments below. Your story might help someone else who is trying to make the same decision.
Authored by Gerard Guillory, MD
Gerard Guillory, MD, is a board-certified internist who practiced for nearly four decades with a focus on functional, root-cause medicine. He is the author of three books on irritable bowel syndrome and the founder of It’s My Health, where he and his team put current health news in context and help members understand the underlying causes of chronic symptoms.
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