Speaker
Dr. Kyle Gillett
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1 episodes
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Dr. Kyle Gillett recommends that men get hormone blood work done roughly every 6 months in consultation with their physician.
Dr. Gillett warns that a pure carnivore or vegan diet in early 20s and teens is likely to significantly decrease free androgens.
Training vigorously for longer than one hour is not hormonally helpful and should be avoided, especially if done regularly.
Taking testosterone replacement therapy is almost never indicated for men in their 20s who have normal blood levels, with rare exceptions like Kallmann syndrome.
Hair loss is not a valid reason to avoid creatine; it merely resets the natural testosterone-to-DHT conversion balance and won't push androgens to supraphysiologic levels.
Oral L-carnitine has very low bioavailability of roughly 10%, requiring doses of 1,000–5,000 mg/day to achieve a therapeutic effect.
L-carnitine increases the density of the androgen receptor in the cytoplasm of cells, amplifying testosterone's effect even without changing testosterone levels.
Boron at 5–12 mg/day can acutely lower high SHBG, freeing up more testosterone; it may be one reason testosterone reference ranges are higher in Greece and Turkey.
Tongkat Ali at 300–1,200 mg/day upregulates enzymes in the steroidogenesis cascade, increasing total and free testosterone and slightly raising DHEA.
A rat study showed 300 mg/day equivalent is the dose with no toxicity for Fadogia agrestis; alternately 600 mg every other day or 3 times a week.
A typical physiologic starting dose for testosterone therapy is 100–120 mg/week divided into injections every other day or three times a week.
Alcohol significantly increases aromatase (converting testosterone to estrogen) and is GABAergic, reducing LH and FSH; Gillett recommends no more than 3–4 standard drinks per two weeks.
Low-dose tadalafil (2.5–5 mg/day) can cut nighttime urination episodes in half, improving sleep quality and secondarily boosting growth hormone and testosterone.
Topical finasteride is partially absorbed systemically and typically reduces systemic DHT by about 30%, offering a middle ground between full systemic suppression and no effect.
Unlike topical finasteride, topical dutasteride does not affect systemic DHT at all, making it preferable for men who want hair protection without hormonal side effects.
Just like a new car gets hooked up to a diagnostic computer, men should monitor hormone development throughout life. Testosterone, SHBG, and free testosterone are the key starting markers, and a 6-month follow-up cadence with a physician is the baseline standard.
Three to four vigorous exercise sessions per week is the sustainable sweet spot for hormones. Training vigorously for longer than one hour is not hormonally helpful — and doing it regularly is actively counterproductive.
Creatine slightly increases DHT, but only to what your genetics naturally allow — it won't push androgens to supraphysiologic levels. Hair loss is not a valid reason to avoid creatine, which also boosts ATP backup, reduces oxidative stress, and mildly raises total testosterone.
L-carnitine shuttles nutrients into mitochondria and — critically — increases the density of androgen receptors in the cell cytoplasm. This means testosterone binds to more receptors even without any change in testosterone levels, amplifying hormonal effect.
Tongkat Ali upregulates multiple enzymes in the steroidogenesis cascade, boosting the conversion of cholesterol into testosterone. It's most powerful when insulin and IGF-1 are low — such as during caloric deficits or low-carb diets — and the active compound is eurycomanone.
Fadogia agrestis increases luteinizing hormone release from the pituitary, triggering the Leydig cells to produce more testosterone. Based on rat-to-human dose translation, 300 mg/day is the safe threshold; 600 mg three times per week is a practical alternative.
A physiologic starting dose is 100–120 mg/week of testosterone cypionate or enanthate, divided into every-other-day or three-times-weekly injections. Warning signs requiring close monitoring include acne, hair loss, mental status changes, lipid shifts, cardiovascular risks, fertility issues, and elevated hematocrit.
Alcohol significantly increases aromatase activity, converting testosterone to estrogen. It's also highly GABAergic, suppressing LH and FSH release much like opiates do. And at 7 kcal/gram, it's nearly as calorie-dense as fat. Dr. Gillett recommends no more than 3–4 standard drinks per two weeks.
Topical caffeine and ketoconazole weakly block androgens at the scalp without systemic absorption. Topical finasteride still lowers systemic DHT by about 30%. But topical dutasteride, with its rapid local half-life, doesn't affect systemic DHT at all — making it the cleanest option for protecting hair without hormonal side effects.
Low-dose tadalafil (2.5–5 mg/day) supports prostate health, boosts blood flow, increases androgen receptor density (like L-carnitine does), and cuts nighttime urination episodes in half — improving sleep, which in turn raises growth hormone and testosterone.
Chronic stress derails all other hormone-optimizing efforts — diet, sleep, and exercise collapse when someone is overwhelmed. Finding a purpose in life, framed by Dr. Gillett as Maslow's self-actualization, is its own distinct lifestyle pillar for hormone health.
Caloric restriction only boosts testosterone if you have excess body fat to lose. For lean individuals, a caloric deficit reduces hormone building blocks, increases catabolism, blunts GH and IGF-1 signaling, and raises SHBG — all of which suppress free androgens.
Vitamin D is a sterol hormone itself — repleting a deficiency directly optimizes testosterone. Boron at 5–12 mg/day acutely lowers SHBG, freeing up more testosterone, and may explain why testosterone reference ranges are dramatically higher in countries like Greece and Turkey.
Pure vegan or carnivore diets during the teen years and early 20s significantly decrease free androgens. Dairy supports IGF-1, vitamin D supports testosterone, and fiber shapes the gut microbiome set-point for life — all of which matter enormously for hormone health during development.
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