What is male hormone health guidance?

Essentially, it is a comprehensive health management plan for male hormones (core being testosterone), cortisol and other related hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. It is by no means a "collection of aphrodisiac remedies" spread online. The core purpose is to help men maintain endocrine homeostasis and improve energy, physical fitness, mood and even reproductive-related health status.

I have been doing men's health management for almost 6 years. I have seen too many people misunderstand this guidance. I asked "What can I eat to quickly replenish testosterone?" In the past two months, I met a 32-year-old Internet operation and maintenance man. He worked on the project for more than half a year. He always felt heavy and his hair loss doubled. I bought an imported testosterone supplement from an Internet celebrity and took it for three weeks. Not only did I get a bunch of cysts and acne on my face, but I couldn't control my temper and got into two fights with my colleagues. When I went for a test, I found out that it was not his own testosterone secretion that was insufficient, but his cortisol levels from staying up late for a long time were too high, suppressing the testosterone activity. Taking supplements indiscriminately disrupted his own secretion rhythm.

There are indeed different opinions on the scale of intervention in this area. One group is evidence-based. They believe that as long as the total serum testosterone is detected to be lower than the normal range, exogenous testosterone can be supplemented in an appropriate amount without contraindications. It will have a quick onset of effect and a good experience.； The other group prefers natural regulation and believes that unless it is a pathological testosterone deficiency such as Klinefelter's syndrome or gonadal damage, hastily supplementing exogenous testosterone will inhibit the secretion ability of one's own interstitial cells. After stopping supplementation, it is prone to a cliff-like decline, and the gain outweighs the loss.

When we usually provide implementation guidance, we don’t stick to one school’s point of view. We first find out the actual situation of the user. Just like if the car you drive lacks power, you must first check whether the oil is filled in wrongly, there is too much carbon deposit, or the engine itself is broken. If you can’t get up, just add additives to the fuel tank, right? For example, if you often stay up late, adjust your sleep rhythm first, and if you are sedentary, arrange moderate-intensity strength training three times a week. If you are usually stressed out at work, you should first teach him to do 5 minutes of breathing regulation to lower cortisol. Only those who are truly diagnosed with pathological testosterone deficiency will be recommended to go to the endocrinology department of a regular hospital for intervention according to medical advice.

Speaking of which, I met a 21-year-old fitness enthusiast last week. After training for half a year, his muscle size did not increase, so he felt that his testosterone was low and he needed to be given guidance. As a result, he stayed up late every day to check his mobile phone until two o'clock.