Total testosterone rose substantially and free testosterone barely moved, which took a while to make sense of.
What would genuinely help is knowing why total and free can move differently here, and which of the two is worth tracking.
Tell me what I have not thought of.
NurseLeah_Nash said:Total testosterone rose substantially and free testosterone barely moved, which took a while to make sense of.
Hormone panel changes on the hormone panel — relevant for anyone curious about endocrine effects:
- Testosterone: increased 35% (weight loss reduces aromatase in adipose tissue)
- Estradiol: normalized from elevated baseline
- SHBG: increased appropriately
- Free testosterone: increased 22%
- Cortisol AM: within normal limits, no significant change
My reproductive endocrinologist says the testosterone improvement alone could explain the energy and mood benefits I've experienced.
LabKate said:Hormone panel changes on the hormone panel — relevant for anyone curious about endocrine effects: Testosterone: increased 35% (weight loss reduces…
Sex hormone labs after weight loss on the hormone panel — for the men in this thread:
Testosterone: 298 → 538 ng/dL (dramatic improvement!)
Free T: 7.3 → 13.8 ng/dL
Estradiol: 45 → 24 pg/mL
SHBG: 20 → 44 nmol/L
Visceral fat contains aromatase which converts testosterone to estrogen. As you lose visceral fat, this conversion decreases and testosterone naturally rises. I feel 10 years younger.
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Shop Reference StandardsNurseLeah_Nash said:Total testosterone rose substantially and free testosterone barely moved, which took a while to make sense of.
Can confirm. Same sequence, different timescale. The detail I would add is minor and it is already implied above.
Adding the clinical framing, because it changes how the question reads.
HPA axis assessment on the hormone panel: rarely ordered but informative for understanding the stress-metabolism connection:
4-point salivary cortisol:
- Morning: 18 ng/mL → 14 ng/mL (improved)
- Noon: 7 ng/mL → 5 ng/mL
- Evening: 4 ng/mL → 2 ng/mL
- Night: 2 ng/mL → 1 ng/mL
The cortisol curve is normalizing — less flat, better diurnal variation. Reduced visceral fat = reduced cortisol overproduction. The metabolic benefits cascade into stress hormone regulation.