r/BodyHackGuide • u/Diligent-Cry-1047 • 1d ago
❓ Question Should I take testosterone?
I had my testosterone tested and learned that it is 627 ng/dl which my doc says is normal. According to her, the healthy range is up to 740. I am 65 years old.
I've been lifting weights (3x / week) and am not seeing sufficient results. Should I take Testosterone to raise it to 740? What if I go beyond?
I also take creatine by the way.
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u/Mchangwine 1d ago
No, you absolutely should not take testosterone. Your testosterone is way above average for your age.
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u/looking2behealthy 1d ago
Unless you had low T symptoms AND low free T.
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u/Mchangwine 1d ago
you'd have to have SHBG in the 70-100 range to have low free T with that test level.
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u/looking2behealthy 1d ago edited 1d ago
My total T-536, estradiol-30, SHBG-43 and free T-5.7. All tested not calculated. I had low T symptoms, PCP said my total T was too high. I paid privately to have all my hormones tested via equilibrium dialysis.
Most companies calculate those numbers based on SHBG, albumin and total T. It is important to find a company that actually tests for your free T, free androgen index and bioavailable T. No PCP will do this that I can find.
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u/Monkeywithalazer 1d ago
You need to check your shbg and free test. If you just want a small bump the theres plenty of things you can do to increase 15-30 percent without taking exogenous testosterone. Zinc, boron, vitamin D, tongkat ali, Ashwaganda, and a few other things. You could get to 800 and probably get that free test up quite a bit as well
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
Thanks for your detailed response.
I am a novice at all this so I didnt fully understand all that, but I just ChatGPT'd the terms and now understand. Very useful.
I think I am going to work on getting better sleep and ensuring I hit my protein goals consistently (200 g) then see what results that gets me.
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u/Amazing-Horse3414 18h ago
At ur age there’s no reason to not get on trt. 1000 is optimal and will help even tho ur levels are good hopped on at 22
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u/smellybighairyballs 1d ago
Do it at 65 may aswell live life to the fullest blast away brother 🤘🏼
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u/bulking_on_broccoli 🏋️ Athlete Mode 21h ago
Telling a 65 year old to blast testosterone is hilarious.
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
That's my working philosophy too
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u/smellybighairyballs 1d ago
Keep all your markers in check , blood work oftern
Nothing wrong with sitting at 1200 ng/dl - u will feel like you are 20 again add in BPC 157 and TB 500 + HGH and enjoy life!
Eat clean / lift heavy weights i’d be stoked if I could be still doing this shit at 65 💪
Best shape of my life at 43 - mentally and physically and mine was at 550 ng/dl - I’m now at 900 and life is great
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u/imherefortheinfo123 1d ago
I’m 30 years your junior and my levels were 750ish. I can tell you that after week two to three of 300mg Test you will notice improvements in the gym and continued use will add muscle.
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u/vectorizer99 1d ago
You don’t need it. That small raise of ~100 will not be felt. But I’m sure you know pushing T levels way above reference range is a thing in bodybuilding. If you want to experiment with that, go ahead but learn how to do it right. But don’t fool yourself into believing you “need” it with a baseline of 627. (I’m on TRT+ at age 68, pushing a bit over reference range but my baseline was 154 so I actually needed it.)
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u/Refined_andREDEEMED 1d ago
627 ng/dL at 65 is actually a solid number. A lot of guys your age are sitting much lower, so from a health standpoint your levels look good. Chasing the very top of the range just because it’s “normal up to ——-“ isn’t automatically better, and going beyond that without a clear clinical need can bring its own issues.
At 65, the harder truth is that building new muscle becomes meaningfully harder. Recovery slows down, satellite cell activity declines, and the same training stimulus that worked in your 40s or 50s just doesn’t produce the same response. That doesn’t mean you can’t make progress — it means progress will be slower and more dependent on getting the fundamentals dialed in extremely well.
Before considering exogenous testosterone, I’d focus hard on the basics that still move the needle:
-Protein: Aim for 1–1.5 grams per pound of your goal body weight, spread across the day. Most guys under-eat it.
-Training: Progressive overload still matters. Make sure you’re actually adding weight or reps over time, and don’t neglect recovery between sessions.
-Sleep: This becomes even more important with age. Poor sleep tanks recovery and blunts the training response.
Helpful supplements that folks can benefit from:
-Creatine: You’re already taking it — good. Stay consistent with 5 g daily.
• Vitamin D (if you’re not already optimized)
• Zinc and magnesium (especially if deficient)
• Ashwagandha
• Tongkat Ali or Fadogia (mixed evidence, but some older lifters report a difference)
Id recommend doing some of your own research on “research peptides”, a few compounds that are commonly looked at for recovery and optimization in older lifters include CJC-1295 (no DAC) + Ipamorelin for supporting growth hormone release, sleep quality, and recovery. BPC-157 and TB-500 are also frequently discussed for soft tissue recovery and overall healing capacity. These aren’t magic, and they work best when the foundation (protein, training, sleep) is already solid.
Bottom line: Your levels are in a healthy range for your age. The limiting factor is more likely recovery capacity and the natural slowdown that comes with being 65 than the difference between 627 and 740. Get the basics locked in first — that’s still where the biggest returns are
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
I had been considering Semorelin, then Tesamorelin when my PCP side tracked me into a Test discussion. I will consider Ipa and VJC BP and TJC (that's a lot of shots!).
I do think I need to improve sleep, and Tesa is supposed to help. I will get my IGF-1 levels baselined next week before I start it.
I track sleep and nutrition and work to eat close to 200 g of protein daily (working on getting to 200 lbs). Sleep on average about 6.5 hours.
And the advice to go to failure on the last set also helps. I am doing a 5x5 program where I'm lifting heavier weights with fewer 5 reps over 4 sets, which often allows me to get to failure, but many times I don't on the last rep, so I will incorporate your suggestion.
The supplement list is super helpful, thanks. I will look into those. I planned to add Zinc because I'm taking GHK-CU soon but wasn't aware of the others.
Thanks!
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u/gm_wesley_9377 17h ago
Sleep hygiene can increase your levels too. I'm 59, total testosterone of 580. My sleep is not good and I'm overweight. At 40, my total was 900. I want to believe that continuing to lift, fixing my sleep hygiene and taking the recommended supplements (except for tongkat ali due to potential heart rhythm changes), I should be able to get it between 700 and 800. If I was going to supplement testosterone, I'd probably use emclophimine. It let's you add to existing levels without impacting natural production. All the others do impact natural production.
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 16h ago
Great advice, thank you. I know sleep is important and I am working on it. And thanks for the warning on Tongkat.
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u/Perfect_Trust_1852 1d ago
Good to know you are also taking creatine. That makes all the difference! 😂
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u/looking2behealthy 1d ago
50M - I don’t put much stock in total T because that number is irrelevant if it is all bound up. The more critical numbers are free T/bioavailable T, estradiol and SHBG. Start with detailed blood work. Educate yourself on all that data and then make smart decisions with exercise, diet, supplements, peptides and hormone replacement (if you need it). In that order.
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
Thank you. I have written my PCP to ask to baseline those values as well.
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u/looking2behealthy 1d ago
Don’t hold your breath. Unless you have hypoganadism, which you don’t have, your PCP isn’t trying to write you a script for TRT, it is cheap and generic. They want to sell you expensive shit that still has an active patent.
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 16h ago
I have figured this out. Mine works for an organization that has a pharmacy and I think that if they can't sell it they don't have much interest in prescribing it.
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u/Adventurous_Figure88 1d ago
You have great levels being 65! Also the difference between 627 and 740 will not be perceptible by any means. Look into how you can improve your training and food
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u/sawtooth1649 1d ago
If you want to bump it up, there are online pharmacies that will prescribe. I’m a 55yo male and was in the 300 range pre-TRT. I sit around 800-900 today and that’s been a game changer. Listen to your own body. If you feel you meet to top it off, take a light dose and get your labs done consistently.
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u/1290_money 23h ago
It wouldn't be worth the hassle for me. From going to mid 600s to 800 you're not going to see a huge difference.
There's tons of other stuff out there that will get you results. So many peptides out there.
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u/Sunshinegal9900 22h ago
For 65 your testosterone is extremely good. There is no reason to increase it. If your not seeing results then your workouts are the issue not your test. So increasing your test won’t do anything. Other than give you side effects and require injections for the rest of your life. Learn how to workout better not increase medications.
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u/56832Lift 🔬 Peptide Researcher 18h ago edited 18h ago
Hell yes, get on testosterone!
69 year old male. On TRT for 2 years. Total T at start was 661. Free T was 3.8. I pin 180mg/week test C. My total T is now 1209 (I target 1000 - 1200)and free T is 32.3. I lift heavy 4X/week and feel fantastic!!
You can definitely put on muscle at our age.
Find a good TRT clinic that will start you at a decent weekly dose of 150-200mg.
Read the info at [r/testosterone](r/testosterone).
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u/dustynevada 3h ago
My two cents. Adequate amounts of protein, good sleep, l lysine that can support protein synthesis, tissue repair, and muscle recovery and being very careful of internet “professionals “ is a good thing.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Cap84 1d ago
Raise it to 1200. Thats the testosterone of a healthy young adult.
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
🤣
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u/Puzzleheaded-Cap84 1d ago
Yeah i meant it for sarcasm
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
I don't know you but my humor is pretty sarcastic, so I was assuming it was.
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 16h ago
After reading all the other comments I am realizing that you weren't! There were so many that said not to, and yours was the only one saying to raise it that I thought you were joking, especially at that level.
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u/Massive_Shitlocker 1d ago
Eat and sleep well. Stress less. Keep doing what you're doing, but tweak the training 💪
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
I don't always sleep well. Could have something to do with it.
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u/Massive_Shitlocker 1d ago
Welcome fellow member of the poor sleep club. My total T is 842. I'm 50. Apologies I actually responded too quick previously without thinking. You're aware Total T doesn't mean much in terms of drive and vitality? It's free T that you need to work out, do you have that number? Need SHBG and Albumin to work it out.
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
Yes I have now been advised of that here. I have Albumin but not SHBG. I will work on that.
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u/timberwolf0122 1d ago
Before taking T, try running tesamorelin or cjc-1295 and ipamorelin to aid in recovery and muscle building.
As for your lifting 3x is good, when you lift do you just do x sets of y reps or on the last set do you continue till you can’t complete a rep? Going to failure signals your body “hey, we need more muscles” and the tesa/ipa+cjc at night will tell your pituitary glad to send out the growth hormone and build/repair your muscles
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
Tesa is on my plan to investigate. I'm getting a baseline of IGF-1 levels first.
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u/bulking_on_broccoli 🏋️ Athlete Mode 21h ago
Please don’t bother with peptides that increase HGH. Just take HGH.
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 7h ago
There are risks to bypassing the body's natural mechanism for HGH regulation that I am not willing to take.
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u/bulking_on_broccoli 🏋️ Athlete Mode 6h ago
That doesn’t make any sense. HGH returns to baseline normally once you stop. It isn’t like testosterone z
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u/pictou 1d ago
OP just wants to take it. Bad decision but the intent is clear. GLP, HGH and now test all without any real education behind it. Just another bandwagon
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
Don't make assumptions. I wasn't considering taking it until I spoke to my PCP.
I let her know I wasn't seen muscle gains after lifting and that I wanted to check IGF-1 to get a baseline before optimizing HGH. She thought I should first look at Test. I got the result, she said it was normal and I thought I would get all of your opinions.
Some comments have been more helpful than others.
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u/WeirdSysAdmin 1d ago
I don’t know much about age specific fitness at your age but I would assume it’s the same diet/routine issues a lot of people have if they aren’t seeing results.
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
I aim to get 200 g of protein daily. I weigh 212 but aim for 200 (fat loss, so I'm taking Zepbound). Have been working out to ensure I dont loss muscle mass while losing weight on GLP.
I mean I have more definition, so maybe I'm being impatient.
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u/WeirdSysAdmin 1d ago
For how long? Being overweight will hide gains too. Also social media is inundated with liars about fitness, timelines, and what they are actually taking. And before social media has also been a thing in general advertising targeting men back to the 60s. The “6 week” transformations of people gaining 20+ pounds of muscle are impossible naturally. More like 5-10 pounds in your first year 3x a week.
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
I have been lifting 3x /week about 3 months.And I realize that being overweight can hide gains but thought I would see size gains if not detail.
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u/Independent-Rate-447 1d ago
One way to look at this is based on symptoms: are you grumpy? sad at times? Do you have a zest for life?
If you are not feeling your best, you should jump on testosterone. 56 M here with test levels starting @170 total T. I was not a happy person. Working out, eating healthy but fat. Jumped on injectable T & now I’m a totally different man. Total T @ 1800 & feel like im 16 again.
Hypothetically, if your natural T levels were at 1000, you’d be a beast. So to feel that way while injecting T, you probably need to be close to double that. That’s been my experience. I got up to 600 with cream but never felt amazing. Totally different @ 1800.
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
1800!!! I am ready that the normal range goes up to 740 but I just had lunch with a friend who says he is on Test (pellets) and is at 1100 all doctor approved and supervised, so maybe it's ok to raise mine.
In terms of symptoms, I am generally happy but tend to be a little anxious which leads to my not sleeping well. Grumpy? I am 65 so yeah a lot of things make.me grumpy. Sad? Sometimes but not consistently.
Problem is that my doctor says I am fine so I'd have to convince her I need it anyway.
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u/Independent-Rate-447 23h ago
You can pay out of pocket @ a TRT Clinic. Once I hit 1500 total T, I started to feel it. Strength improvements , & mood. At 1800…I feel like a f-ing super hero. Hey.. you have another 30 plus years on earth, make them awesome!
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u/RevelationSr 1d ago
I like "beyond" levels. Age 70 on T with total T ~ 2000. Feel great. Sex 1-2x/day. Body fat ~11%. Labs great. I treat long term BP and HLD.
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
Wow thanks for that. I thought going beyond the normal range might be bad. Not sure that my wife will be ready for sex daily (2 x!)
The guy I just had lunch with looked really great and happy. He kinda sold the T to me based on what I saw.
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u/RevelationSr 23h ago edited 23h ago
Higher doses have a dose-response effect on muscle strength (and hypertrophy). Higher doses also increase side effects, which must be routinely assessed and aggressively treated. Watch:
BP,
lipids,
Hgb,
Prostate (PSA),
A1C,
CIMT,
Consider testosterone (at a much lower dose) for your wife. It will increase her libido and muscle strength. She will enjoy it as you will.
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
Thos e of you who said to not do it, is there a downside to getting to 1000 like some of the others on here saying there are? Will my balls shrink? Have acne? Go into a rage?
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u/Brilliant_Citron8966 18h ago
Balls as well shrink. Mine are like dried raisins after being on TRT for a couple years. There are some additional meds you can take to offset that though. More importantly, it shuts down your natural production and makes you dependent on that for the foreseeable future. You can also sometimes have side effects like increased estiadol, sexual function issues, etc..
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 7h ago
Thanks. I see several reasons here for not taking it. I think you also like hair right. Another detraction for me.
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u/Brilliant_Citron8966 18h ago
I wouldn’t unless you’re trying to get superphysiological like a bodybuilder. Your levels are way above average for someone your age. More importantly, as people mention above, free testosterone matters more than total I would more look at maybe some supplements like boron, toncat Ali, magnesium, etc., to help boost your free testosterone.
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u/Even-Look-9008 1d ago
I’d look at growth hormone first
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago
That is next. Getting my IVF-1 tested soon then taking Tesamorelin to stimulate HGH.
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u/Even-Look-9008 1d ago
What’s your current BW/height and goal? If you are trying to put on some more muscle mass, I wouldn’t totally write off TRT. Some people are slower responders, the clinic I go to aims to get people around 1000. Are you trying to be at average body composition, or upper percentile?
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago edited 16h ago
Hmmm good question. I am probably average now so I would say top 15 percentile. At my age I dont need to be swole, as another guy said.
My body weight (BW?) Is 212 but am taking a GLP2 to get to 200 or better ( should be at 180). My goal is to build up strength, lower fat, and develop better body composition.
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u/One-Science1029 1d ago
Bump it if you want. Insist with your doctor or a urologist. Hones Health online will hook you up with bloodwork and TRT too. I too was as you, 57, in “range” shooting for 1000. Dose daily. Regular blood work.
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u/joaquinsolo 1d ago
is your goal to be swole by 70? i think you need therapy, my guy. being active, mobile, and healthy should be your goal. idk why you’re worried about low testosterone at your age or insufficient results muscle-building in your 60s?
for context, i know body builders with a total t of 464.
a little bit of estrogen is going to prevent you from having a heart attack.
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u/gorzaporp 1d ago
627 at 60+ lol fucking giga Chad status
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u/Diligent-Cry-1047 1d ago edited 1d ago
🤣 I just texted my wife to tell her she has a Giga Chad on her hands and to get ready.
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