SHBG and Building Muscle

[Cockdeisel Member Find all posts View Profile Close Cockdeisel]

Hey, whats up everyone. Been off everything since September and tried to get my natty test back up and running, which I have not been successful. Started pct around July of 2012 and checked test levels mid September which was 70.1. Waited till November and levels were 189 total and 6.9 total. This past Friday my results were 107 total and 30 free. The doctor said my SHBG hormones were high which means they dont bind to all of my free test and magnify testosterone levels and possible side effects as well. He explained that total test really doesn't effect muscle mass as much as free testosterone. Now I think I understand the reason I kept increasing my dosage and wasn't seeing much of a difference. The more testosterone I add the more my SHBG Hormones increase and bind to free test. If this is true, can someone elaborate more to help me gain some lean mass. The doc prescribed 160mgs of testosterone cyp a week. Can I really gain from that amount?

[ODB Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ODB]

Cd go to this thread and peep the vid (Doc talks SHBG) ; http://juicedmuscle.com/showthread.p...0491#post70491

[ODB Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ODB]

Proviron should help also;
There is a study which Only 85 men out of 250 showed any suppression. Proviron did not shut down the HPTA in any of the subjects and that was at 150mg for 1 year. I would say its pretty safe and has very little effect on one's HPTA

This study shows no effect on normal LH and FSH with 100-150mg/ d mesterolone, and decrease of FSH/LH that were elevated.
Proviron doesn't substitute Clomid as hpta therapy, but doesn't get in the way, either.
The effect of mesterolone on sperm count, on serum follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, plasma testosterone and outcome in idiopathic oligospermic men.

here are some Natural natty SHBG inhibitors - allegedly;

1) Avena Sativa.
One promising cure to the lack of "wake up wood" is the herb Avena Sativa. Users report a substantial increase in morning erections while using this product. Such a reaction suggests that Avena Sativa may actually reduce Sex Hormone Binding Globulin. Another anecdotal bit of evidence is the fact that some users complain of an outbreak of back acne. This, too, is a sign of an abrupt hormonal change not unlike what occurs during puberty or the beginning of a steroid cycle. The one drawback of Avena Sativa is that many commercial brands lack the active extract and it's the extract that makes it effective. When purchasing Avena Sativa, make sure it lists the percentage of "Avenacosides."

It should be at least 5%. A daily dose of 500-1000 mgs may be just what you need to start the day off with a smile. Also, be aware of the old "bait and switch" tactic. There's one popular internet company that has used the active coside version of avena and naturally customers got good results. Then, they started putting the cheaper "non-coside" herbs into the formula. They even increased the total amount to make it look "new and improved" but of course more of the ineffective herb is meaningless. It's the cosides that count. The company in question even changed labels to "throw you off track." But coside percentages MUST BE STATED on the label.

2)Urtica Dioica.
also known as Stinging Nettles, is an extremely interesting herb. It's not only been shown to reduce SHBG but it also lowers the female hormone prolactin. This is good news to anyone looking to stay lean and avoid the side effects of too much estrogen such as water retention and gynocemastia. Nettles has also been shown as an effective treatment for Benign Prostate Hypertrophy, due in part to the fact that it will suppress DHT (Dyhydrotestosterone). This is both good and bad. Although DHT is often referred to as the "bad" testosterone, it's also anabolic and necessary for libido and erectile function. So it may seem as if the use of Nettles may be working against your goals, but that's only if excessive dosages are used. (Over 500mgs a day)

It is, however, a better choice for the treatment of an enlarged prostate than the more common application of Saw Palmetto which just blocks DHT but provides no benefit in terms of lowering estrogen or SHBG -- both of which are also a factor in prostate health. When testosterone isn't bio-available to the body, it can still impart its negative effects on the prostate. By reducing SHBG, prostate disorders can be avoided while increasing free testosterone and potential muscle growth.

3)carao.
From the jungles of Costa Rica comes a relatively new discovery -- to the western world at least. For years, the peasants living off the land have been using a unique medicine derived from the fruit of the Cassia Grandis plant.

It's known as Carao and has been an effective natural remedy for anemia. But it also has an interesting side effect in many men. It spurs spontaneous erections! Could this be due to a lowering of SHBG? At this point, it would only be speculative to say. One would think that something that cured anemia would be high in iron but tests on Carao extract reveal almost no iron. This one is a big question mark. There are no official studies on Carao. It could be nothing more than the impoverished people were anemic before taking it and once cured, felt completely revitalized, yet among athletes who have tried it, the consensus is that it definitely improves endurance and sex drive. If you're especially adventurous and are willing to do some investigating in order to track it down, Carao may be just what you're looking for.

There's a saying among the people who live in the small villages of Brazil: Until a man is 60, the child is his... after that, it's Catuaba. No, Catuaba isn't the town gigolo, it's an herb that has been used for centuries as a treatment for infertility. Studies are scant but one instance where Catuaba was administered to 100 men, it turned out that in more than half of them, sperm count increased while the weight of prostate decreased. This is tremendously exciting news to bodybuilders who want the most testosterone they can get without the potentially negative effects on the prostate.

4)Muira Puama.
is an exotic Amazon herb with rumored sexual enhancing properties that has been holding up to scientific scrutiny. Muira Puama was an ingredient in some of those "Anabolic Activators" from the early 90's which have fallen out of favor. Since the ingredients were based more on folklore than science, it was presumed there was little merit to such substances. Now medical research is bearing out what was just conjecture.

There have been several scientific studies on the effects of Muira Puama and its ability to lower SHBG. It all began when French scientists conducted studies on the effects of the herb on rats. It turns out their rate of copulation doubled! Ensuing tests of humans brought about encouraging reports. More than half of the men tested with Muira Puama report heightened sex drive and the ability to maintain an erection longer. It's been popular among herbalists, but even many medical doctors have begun recommending it for erectile dysfunction and lack of libido. The theory behind its effectiveness is believed to be the release of bound testosterone.

There are many versions of Muira Puama on the market, but as is the case with many herbal products, most of them contain little or no active sapions. When purchasing Muira Puama, make sure it contains the active extract.

[Cockdeisel Member Find all posts View Profile Close Cockdeisel]

Good look out with the video ODB, my doc told me the same thing... Just couldn't grasp the shbg binding up free test thing. I think I got it now. So I'm going to see if he can prescribe some proviron to help free up more test.