Testosterone Levels Suck - Due to Overtraining?

[composite]

So I have been feeling fatigued and beat up as indicated in another thread
http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=52962, but a lot better the last few days. I thought it may be due to overtraining and being older (40), but I wanted to get some blood work done.

My T levels suck! Was tested in 2012 and it was 480ng/dL. Not great, not terrible. Just got my recent test back and it was 160ng/dL. 348 is the low end before considered to be low T. Could this be due to over training or is this simply too low and it is HRT time?

It would seem to me that regression in strength and increased fatigue would be related to the low T. I plan to get tested again in a few weeks and see how it goes. For now, I am on a deload and just taking it easy.

P.S. Doc mentioned that I should try a gluten free/low inflammation diet. But that may be to treat the fatigue I was complaining about. Somehow, I don't think gluten is going to solve the low T and with levels like this, I don't think I will feel great even if I am gluten free. I don't even eat anything with gluten normally (maybe minor amounts only). It would seem the low T is clearly the problem. I guess the only question is if it will rebound if I get my programming right or if this simply too low and HRT is needed.

[Músculo-Tonto]

[stonerider maneuvre]

[Músculo-Tonto]

If you're burning out by not recovering sufficiently, accumulated fatigue will lead to constant high cortisol levels, among other things.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...drenal_fatigue

http://peaktestosterone.com/Inflammation.aspx

http://www.glutenfreesociety.org/glu...terone-levels/

M-Testosterone

[Músculo-Tonto]

Wow you weren't offered replacement testosterone with a score like that? I suppose it won't help matters to explain that you have the same testosterone level as a teenage girl--or maybe it would if you told the doctor this. Makes me wonder: if Doc thinks gluten free diet will raise your T levels to normal for 40-year old, does Doc think a 16-year old girl can ramp up T to that of a middle aged man doing the same thing?

Good luck man

You should always look for ways to improve your health naturally, first. (Classic example: If you had high blood pressure, then lose weight and/or stop smoking, etc, instead of continuing on your lifestyle course and automatically popping statin-drugs into mouth.)

M-T

[travelgirl1978]

Did you have your blood drawn early in the morning, the day after a heavy workout?

My hubbie thought he had low T even though he was relatively asymptomatic (or having symptoms that could be explained by something else anyway). Two tests showed low total T levels (200 and 250). Then I read in SS that T levels are depressed about 12 hours PW.

So he did a 3rd test after laying off the weights for 72 hours. 620.

Anyway, you didn't mention your free vs total levels. You should also check LH and FSH etc. General blood tests would be good too. There is a very good board on TRT over on T-Nation, check it out.

[composite]

Yeah, I have been looking at T-nation.

I did actually have a moderately heavy workout a few hours before getting blood work done. But that still begs the question about why the fatigue, brain fog, and other symptoms associated with low T exist. He did a lot of other tests related to fatigue as well and all normal (adrenal he mentioned, thyroid, B12). All good but low T stuck out like a sore thumb. I may just stay away from the weights for a week or two completely since I am feeling pretty crappy. The only things that have changed in the last few months is the SS program and in increase in weight (added fat may be killing my T levels as well). Uggggh this is terrible since right now I have a limited time to be productive on a project and it is not going well because of this. Not fun.

Oh, I only have "Testosterone, Serum = 160ng/dL". It is not broken out or anything.

[John Hanley]

You're a 188# 40 y/o dude with a 95# press. You're not overtraining. Lifting is not causing the low T.

I often think men on this board are a little too eager to start TRT...but if I were in your shoes, I'd be considering it pretty seriously.

[composite]

Hey, my press got to 100+lb....but is actually down to 80lb now since I have been feeling tired and that 2.0 press is still giving me fits. Haha.

What I can't seem to reconcile is how can I go from 480 a couple years to 160. One possibility is the workout I did the day of the test messed up my levels.

But what is odd is that I have never been able to make it through the work day without feeling tired (even in early 20's). I was totally beat for no good reason. I am wondering if I have always had relatively low T levels and now it is just finally catching up to me in a way that I can't fight through anymore. In my case, maybe I am overtraining in the sense that at my T levels I just can't train hard? I wouldn't be overtraining compared to a person with normal T levels though. I do agree with that, which is what has me so confused. Most people say that it is harder to overtrain that you think and that my regimen shouldn't constitute overtraining. But again, if my T levels suck, then maybe it actually is overtraining in my case?

[John Hanley]

But again, if my T levels suck, then maybe it actually is overtraining in my case?

All the strong, not-overtrained women 'round here undermine this theory. As much as your t levels suck, theirs suck much more.

Your case is a weird one, & I hope you get to the bottom of things.

[composite]

You are probably right, but I don't know that comparing a man to a woman is fair. A guy is going to feel like crap at my T levels, while a woman would not. I can't even function normally, let alone weight train productively at these levels.

The risk of overtraining is also related to T levels. Guys with high T can train harder and guys on steroids can train even harder without overtraining. So naturally if you have low T, you are at a greater risk of overtraining. So maybe my T levels were just relatively poor to begin. I noticed things really went downhill when I got to the point where there last rep was a grind. After that, I lost a considerable amount of strength in a lot of the exercises.

Anyway, it is just something I will have to find a solution to. For now, I am going to just take 1-2 weeks off totally and see how I feel. I will retest at that point. Hopefully the doc will be more thorough in his testing as well.