Total testosterone rose substantially and free testosterone barely moved, which took a while to make sense of.
What I am trying to establish is why total and free can move differently here, and which of the two is worth tracking.
I would rather have one careful answer than five confident ones.
NurseLeah_Nash said:Total testosterone rose substantially and free testosterone barely moved, which took a while to make sense of.
HPA axis assessment on the hormone panel: rarely ordered but informative for understanding the stress-metabolism connection:
4-point salivary cortisol:
- Morning: 15 ng/mL → 15 ng/mL (improved)
- Noon: 9 ng/mL → 6 ng/mL
- Evening: 5 ng/mL → 2 ng/mL
- Night: 3 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.
Dr.SleepRoch said:HPA axis assessment on the hormone panel: rarely ordered but informative for understanding the stress-metabolism connection: 4-point salivary…
Hormone panel changes on the hormone panel — relevant for anyone curious about endocrine effects:
- Testosterone: increased 28% (weight loss reduces aromatase in adipose tissue)
- Estradiol: normalized from elevated baseline
- SHBG: increased appropriately
- Free testosterone: increased 31%
- 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.
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View ResultsNurseLeah_Nash said:Total testosterone rose substantially and free testosterone barely moved, which took a while to make sense of.
Second this.
From the other side of the consultation, briefly.
Sex hormone labs after weight loss on the hormone panel — for the men in this thread:
Testosterone: 352 → 632 ng/dL (dramatic improvement!)
Free T: 6.7 → 14.2 ng/dL
Estradiol: 49 → 22 pg/mL
SHBG: 18 → 42 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.