Is Microdosing Testosterone More Effective?
There are definite benefits, but also a few reasons for concern. Our doctor breaks it down.
There are definite benefits, but also a few reasons for concern. Our doctor breaks it down.
Microdosing testosterone is a newer concept that some within the TRT community believe will be the future of testosterone replacement therapy. In short, it’s taking the bare minimum amount of testosterone more often instead of a far larger dose every few weeks.
The methodology behind microdosing makes sense: it’s meant to closely deliver the same amount of testosterone your body would naturally produce daily.
Whether it’s safe and effective is a question that’s increasingly being asked by our clients. Our doctors hear it in consultations and it’s come up within our Hone Community, where our members interact, discussing treatment and lifestyle topics.
The question popped up there during a recent Hone Community AMA with Dr. Jim Staheli, Hone’s Medical Director. Staheli was asked for his thoughts on increasing T injections to decrease the peaks and valleys of TRT or feeling “unstable,” a term used to explain the suboptimal feeling after a large dose of TRT trails off.
“Our goal as physicians is to deliver a therapeutic dose in the most effective manner to deliver you the best outcome,” Staheli said. “Ultimately, microdosing works well. Little doses on a daily basis are better than a larger dose on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. It’s effective; it’s a great way to go.”
Staheli explained that your method of injection—subcutaneous versus intramuscular—would impact how quickly your body would absorb a microdose of testosterone. “In intramuscular injections, you have a lot of blood vessels there, so the absorption will be greater and faster, whereas a subcutaneous shot would have less absorption at a slower rate,” he said.
“It’s going to take time for that distribution process to occur. The testosterone has to be metabolized, then it comes back to the liver, then it’s excreted; it’s a long process. And everyone is different,” he said. “Your doctor should be thinking about how fast you metabolize and absorb your TRT because you want as much coming in as leaving the system.”
When you inject testosterone weekly or even twice a week, you can experience peaks and valleys in how you feel. Right after getting an injection, you may feel great, but when your T levels fall, they can bottom out below your therapeutic threshold, leaving you feeling “unstable” or suboptimal.
With microdosing, you’re skipping this unpleasant cycle.
You’re also avoiding the mental anxiety that often accompanies feeling unstable. If you know that your best feelings will soon be followed by uneasy periods, it can get to your head.
Microdosing may also boost the conversion of testosterone to DHT, a potent form of testosterone.
“Men aren’t as consistent as you’d like them to be,” Staheli smirked. “With microdosing, you have to be super consistent. You can’t inject daily for two weeks, then slowly fall off that schedule.”
The second issue is that “the little testosterone vials we have aren’t designed for multi-dosing,” Staheli says. “When you’re drawing seven to 15 shots from a vial, you will lose some T. You’ll compensate for that loss eventually, but that will be an issue.”
Accordingly, microdosing will be more expensive. “You’ll pay more trying to replace the T you’re losing in the vial,” he says.
Staheli shared that while Hone doesn’t yet offer microdosing, “we’re definitely looking into this and hopefully, we’ll be able to consider it in the near future.”
You can watch Staheli’s video on microdosing TRT (2:55) and the full AMA—which also covered NAD+, TRT and fertility, weight gain, and TRT and high blood pressure—by joining our Hone Community today. It’s easy, free, and full of information.