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Medically Reviewed by Dr. George Touliatos
There’s lots of talk surrounding Testosterone Booster Supplements and Testosterone Replacement Therapy… what are they, how do they differ etc? We can tell you now that they’re definitely not the same! Essentially, Testosterone Boosters (T-boosters) can in most cases be purchased over the counter and without prescription while Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) will always be medically supervised.
But let’s delve deeper into the debate. Which is more effective, what are the similarities and differences… read on the find out!
[hormone-quiz]
Testosterone boosters are advertised as remedies/herbs/supplements that can “boost” testosterone. Their very well-marketed adverts often quickly transition from describing the supplement to describing the benefits of why having optimal levels of testosterone can improve health and quality of life.
What they don’t separate is how the product they initially describe isn’t actually able to effectively increase testosterone. As mentioned, this is very clever marketing that convinces millions of men (and likely some women) to spend large amounts of money on products that don’t work. The adverts do have some truth about them however their “truth” is usually inflated.
The truthful parts are that having optimal testosterone (not too high or low) does in fact improve quality of life including improved mood, libido, erections, and energy. Optimal Testosterone levels also improve insulin sensitivity and inflammatory markers that can protect against co-morbidities like Diabetes and Heart disease.
What they fail to mention is that the product they are actually selling does not improve testosterone levels significantly, if at all. They occasionally mention evidence that in isolated individuals blood work has shown a slight increase in levels after taking certain products. However, when you actually look closely, the increases are either so small they could just be natural fluctuations and not significant enough to provide any therapeutic benefit.
Now there have been anecdotal reports of people taking supplements on the list below and “feeling like they have better levels of testosterone”. These reports are actually described as improvements in libido or energy. Libido and energy do often improve with optimal testosterone levels but there are a multitude of factors that actually can affect libido and energy and through mechanisms of actions of some of these supplements it is more likely that they have improved libido by other means.
Some of the mechanisms can be improving dopamine production which can lower prolactin (prolactin can reduce libido if too high), improving mood and can act as a stimulant like caffeine, or reduce anxiety. They may have this effect in some people BUT they are not improving testosterone levels.
Some of the common supposed Test Boosters you will see advertised are:
Lots of supplements will actually have names like “TESTO…..” Or end in …BOLIC” implying that they are related to testosterone or have an anabolic effect. One other thing to note is the supplement industry does not have strict regulations on manufacturing processes and quality control so you are highly likely to not actually be ingesting what you think you have purchased.
A recent review on supplement quality:
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/science/herbal-supplements-are-often-not-what-they-seem.html
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) is a medical therapy prescribed and managed by a Doctor that uses Bio-Identical Testosterone to optimise testosterone levels to achieve therapeutic benefits (in both men and women).
Achieving removal/reduction of symptoms associated with low levels of testosterone such as libido issues, erectile dysfunction, anxiety and depression, low energy, and poor sleep (there are many more). Testosterone Replacement Therapy is proven to increase levels of testosterone in the blood consistently and with stability (if done correctly) to provide a better quality of life. Of course, balancing other hormones alongside TRT is part of the process but that will all be looked after if you go to a reputable TRT doctor.
TRT does actually bring the benefits that supplement adverts describe when mentioning the benefits of testosterone as you are actually increasing levels of the hormone. If you are concerned you may have low testosterone levels, or already know you do, and are symptomatic contact us today by clicking the button below and we can discuss which treatment we think is best for you.
This article has been researched and written based on scientific evidence and fact sheets that have then been crossed checked by our team of doctors and subject matter experts.
References, sources and studies used alongside our own in-house research have been cited below, most of which contain external clickable links to reviewed scientific paper that contain date stamped evidence.
Our team of healthcare experts and GMC registered doctors are licensed to UK GMC standards. We strive to provide you with the latest evidence based, researched articles that are unbiased, honest and provide you with accurate insights, statistics and helpful information on the discussed topic to ensure you gain a better understanding of the subject.
We value your feedback on our articles, if you have a well-researched paper you would like to share with us please contact us.
If you know your total testosterone reading from a previous blood test input the results to the left above to see if your testosterone levels are normal.
You may have low testosterone depending on the symptoms you have, please contact us to find out how we can help.
The Total Testosterone Level You Entered Is Incorrect. Figure Must be in nmol/L you can use our converter here.
Your testosterone levels appear to be in the normal range.
You must be over 38, have had your ovaries removed or have suffered with premature menopause to warrant further hormone tests.
Please contact us to discuss your hormones, we need your total testosterone levels to validate your hormone deficiency. You can order a blood test here.
You may have low testosterone depending on the symptoms you have, please contact us to find out how we can help.
You appear to have higher than normal testosterone levels, please contact us for further investigation.
You appear to have normal testosterone levels. Contact us if you have any concerns.
Mike Kocsis has an MBA with a focus on healthcare administration and is an entrepreneur and medical case manager for Balance My Hormones Ltd which offers medical services in the UK and Europe. Mike has over 20 years of experience in the healthcare sector, much of that working with people who have hormone imbalances. Mike has appeared on podcasts and radio and is an expert speaker on the subject of hormone imbalance. He specialises in Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and has helped thousands of people suffering from hormone imbalances recover and regain control of their lives. You can follow him on LinkedIn and on the Balance My Hormones YouTube Channel.
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