I’d imagine if Keto does what Keto does and that is regulate and even out hormone levels I’d imagine that low T on Keto wouldn’t be an issue… at least not caused by Keto itself…
Testosterone and keto
cashfoley
(Cash Foley)
#12
A year ago I weighed 265 and went to my doctor for a testosterone test because I have some buddies who have been getting TRT with great results and I thought it would help me exercise my way to good health. My T was 520 so it didn’t really merit TRT. Shortly after I started walking 15k steps a day and went wheat and sugar free. By November I was Keto/Fasting and my weight is down to 185. I went in for blood work the results are fabulous. Triglycerides down from 250 to 61, HDL doubled and LDL up but my risk factor ratio is down from 5.0 to 3.1. I no longer take blood pressure meds or Lipitor and don’t use a CPAP for sleeping.
All are huge life factors. My testosterone was up to 710! The reason I’m telling the long story is benefits of Keto are multi dimensional. Did the T go up because of Keto? Probably not in itself. Fat loss or gain has a strong correlation with T. So does eating and sleeping well.
And finally, Keto lets your body regulate your hormones better. Can’t say for sure. But if it helps your brother lose 50+ pounds then he should go for it and see what happens! Giving up and going non-keto usually doesn’t mean just eating more protein. If it means eating carbage! Is that going to boost T?!! It didn’t for me. It would be crazy to give up all these benefits because it might impact T!
gnomesb
(Naomi Brewster)
#13
Don’t know about T and K but boron helps with testosterone levels amongst other things
jimclarke
(Jim)
#14
My doc says the important number is bioavailable testosterone ( also called free testosterone), which is a subset of total testosterone.
Usually both numbers track, but for some, like me. TTSB can be normal, while free testosterone can be low.
I read that if you are on a calorie restricted diet it can lower the bioavailable count. However, saturated and mono-saturated fat, as well as Magnesium and Vitamin D, help raise the bioavailability. They say to avoid almonds. Nothing specific about Keto though.
wellshii
#15
Bump this thread.
I am on keto(2 months now) on a bulk. I couldnt’ seem to find any results on this,so I will be testing before I get out to see where I am at.
Before Keto, my test was always in the 700’s and free test landing in the middle of the reference ranges.
I can say though so far my libido,energy nor strength have not diminished.
I also want to add that bulking in Keto does work. Even though I work out on and off(time,life,jobs)
I went from 141 to 152 in 6 weeks with minimal if any fat gain all while eating a surplus.
I am using keto an experiement and optimizing my anabolic hormones for even further growth after Keto.
Dom_DePlume
(Dom DePlume)
#16
Total testosterone increased significantly from Weeks 0-11 in the KD diet (118 ng/dl) as compared to the WD (-36 ng/dl) from pre to post while insulin did not change.
wellshii
#18
Whats your DHT and Bio-Available come in at?Those are what matter.
SHBG binds to test as well as DHT test and estrogen rendering them not usable by the body.
Many times when total test goes up,thats because free test is lower and bound by shbg.
atomicspacebunny
(Bunny)
#19
Boron Uses — Boost Bone Density and Much More Chia Seeds?
Thomas DeLauer - How to Boost Free Testosterone with Boron:
Low testosterone levels occur for many men as they age, and some of us can even experience this problem when we are young. Low testosterone can lead you to feel fatigued, having a low libido and even have trouble gaining muscle. In a study published in the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology in 2011, boron supplementation was given to male volunteers and was paired with steroid hormone level measurements, looking at the impact hourly, daily and weekly. After one week of supplementation:
-Free testosterone increased
-Estrogen levels decreased
-Dihydrotestosterone levels increased
-Vitamin D levels increased
-Decrease in SHBG six hours after supplementation
-Inflammation markers decreased
Testosterone is useable in the body when it is free. Most testosterone in the body is bound to the sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Through the decrease in SHBG it is likely that testosterone is freed into the blood in the useable form. Vitamin D is also positively correlated with testosterone levels, so by increasing vitamin D in plasma testosterone would increase as well.
The same researchers conducted a study in 1997 that found boron supplementation at 10 mg/day in men increased both testosterone and estrogen levels after four weeks. In this study, it was found that only 84% of the boron that was taken was found in the urine. This suggests that the remainder was used in the body. This is a high level of bioavailability. Just as in these studies, the studies that have been conducted have found varying effects on estrogen, some showing it decreasing, some increasing, and some showing no effect.
Another study published by BioImmersion Inc. in 2006 found that men who supplemented with boron in the form of fructo borate for two weeks experienced increased levels of vitamin D and testosterone levels.
-Free testosterone increase of 29.5%
-Vitamin D3 increase of 19.6%
-Estrogen changes varied with no established trend
-DHEA increase of 56%
Tips: Minerals are not easily passed out of your body, so you want to be careful not to take too much. You do not want to take too much boron as it may become toxic at greater than 20 mg per day, which is set as the Tolerable Upper Limit (TUL) of boron. One study on male bodybuilders found no increase in testosterone levels when supplementing for 7 weeks with 2.5 mg of boron, so it seems that higher than this may be necessary to see results. Recommended daily supplementation ranges from about 6 mg to 20 mg per day. You can also increase your dietary intake of boron through consuming organic fruits and veggies, including fruits, vegetables, legumes and tubers.
References:
- Comparative effects of daily and weekly boron supplementation on plasma steroid hormones…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21129941
- The effect of boron supplementation on its urinary excretion and cardiovascular…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9197924
- Epidemiologic relationship between osteoporosis, arthritis and low boron exposure
http://www.bioimmersion.com/media/docs/fructoborate_monograph.pdf
- The effect of boron supplementation on lean body mass, plasma testosterone levels and strength in male bodybuilders
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8508192
- Concentration of boron and other elements in human food…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2019698
Thomas DeLauer - How To Boost Testosterone With Intermittent Fasting:
Thomas DeLauer here to give you the facts on intermittent fasting and how it can help your test levels.
So, here’s the thing, guys - we’re always taking breaks from work to rest, relax, travel, and vacation… But why aren’t we doing the same thing and giving our digestive systems a break?
Let me break down a few things for you:
0:37 - Every time you eat, your test levels fall temporarily. Sometimes as long as 3 hours after eating.
1:18 - Published by The European Journal of Endocrinology, two different groups of men were studied for the effects of intermittent fasting.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3106181
Obese men that were fasting had a 26% increase in luteinizing hormone, whereas, non-obese men had a 67% increase in the lutenizing hormone.
1:53 - What is luteinizing hormone? The communication system between the brain and testes to produce more test.
2:32 - Other benefits of intermittent fasting.
2:38 - A study among 34 men found that in a 16/8 fasting split, there was a dramatic decrease in fat mass on the body, however, no change in muscle mass or maximal strength.
http://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-016-1044-0
3:35 - Autophagy - when cells eat damaged cells to recycle your system.
4:40 - Aromatization - when test converts into estrogen.
There you have it guys. This is my simple breakdown of the science behind getting six pack abs through intermittent fasting. Just make sure you’re following the right protocol and are doing things right.
SYMPTOMS OF LOW TESTOSTERONE:
- Prostate enlargement
- Low Libido
- Erectile Dysfunction (and performance)
- Muscle Loss (loss of muscle mass)
- Breast tissue (man boobs)
- High voice
- Loss of body hair (starting in lower legs)
- Loss of vitality and energy
- Sleeping problems
- Belly fat
- Loss of collagen
CAUSES:
- High estrogen
- Liver damage
- High insulin
- Low fat diets
- Medications
- Tap water
- High aromatase (enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen)
Natural Products as Aromatase Inhibitors - Research NCBI
wellshii
#21
Free is bio avail.
Seems pretty good number though considering being on Keto. How long you been on keto?
Here are the reference ranges for males
TESTOSTERONE, FREE
Males (adult):
20 - <25 years: 5.25-20.7 ng/dL
25 - <30 years: 5.05-19.8 ng/dL
30 - <35 years: 4.85-19.0 ng/dL
35 - <40 years: 4.65-18.1 ng/dL
40 - <45 years: 4.46-17.1 ng/dL
45 - <50 years: 4.26-16.4 ng/dL
50 - <55 years: 4.06-15.6 ng/dL
55 - <60 years: 3.87-14.7 ng/dL
60 - <65 years: 3.67-13.9 ng/dL
65 - <70 years: 3.47-13.0 ng/dL
70 - <75 years: 3.28-12.2 ng/dL
75 - <80 years: 3.08-11.3 ng/dL
80 - <85 years: 2.88-10.5 ng/dL
85 - <90 years: 2.69-9.61 ng/dL
90 - <95 years: 2.49-8.76 ng/dL
95-100+ years: 2.29-7.91 ng/dL
Bellyman
(Brian)
#22
I seem to recall Dr Joel Wallach mentioning boron deficiency a few decades ago. I don’t recall if he actually mentioned T but the implication was clear. That was way before most of us ever even dreamed of keto.
Dom_DePlume
(Dom DePlume)
#23
It’s my understanding -via- my endocrinologist, that “free” and bio-av are different measurements.
Dom_DePlume
(Dom DePlume)
#24
Strict keto for 9mo. On and off low-carb for three years, with a 4 year stint back in the 90’s. When I was vegan/veg for 7 years back in 2002-9, my T tanked (295-ish). Keto’s definitely helping me heal…
wellshii
#26
Either bioavailable (TTBS / Testosterone, Total and Bioavailable, Serum) or free (TGRP / Testosterone Total and Free, Serum) testosterone should be used as supplemental tests to total testosterone in the above situations. The correlation coefficient between bioavailable and free testosterone (by equilibrium dialysis) is 0.9606. However, bioavailable testosterone is usually the preferred test, as it more closely reflects total bioactive testosterone, particularly in older men. Older men not only have elevated SHBG levels, but albumin levels also may vary due to coexisting illnesses.
Technically he’s right.But I mean…
Dom_DePlume
(Dom DePlume)
#27
I just did a carb refeed test, and it was a so-so experience. First day after was good. The three that followed…were decidedly not.
Dom_DePlume
(Dom DePlume)
#29
I did a 24-ish-hr carb re-feed because of mood/depression, hoping to kick my metabolism in the pants a bit, and just feeling burned-out food-wise. I had some lower-carb whole wheat pasta one night, and had a decent–but reasonable–amount of sushi the following day. That bit went well. I felt my mood lift, and it got me over that hump. The following few days, while my mood was good, I was definitely retaining a considerable amount of fluid (by my scale, about 4lbs worth), and I most certainly was feeling more by way of inflammation. I blood-checked a number of times, and only once did I ever “fall out of ketosis”–.4mmol/L (every other time I tested myself, I was still .8mmol or better). 4 days or so afterwards, I was back to my pre- re-feed weight. I’ll say that it was a good thing over-all, at least in an experimental light.