Testosterone is important, but higher is not automatically better. In a conversation with Dr. Andy Galpin, nutritional scientist Dr. Ben House explained why trying to keep testosterone “as high as possible” can create serious health concerns.
“Left ventricular hypertrophy is a reason not to redline it,” House said. He also warned that elevated testosterone can increase erythropoietin, or EPO, which encourages the body to produce more red blood cells. A higher red blood cell count can make blood more viscous, placing additional strain on the heart.
“So you’re now you’re not pumping blood, you’re pumping oil,” House explained. Combined with an enlarged heart muscle, this can create a dangerous workload that should not be maintained for years.
House also challenged the idea that testosterone alone determines muscle growth. He noted that studies conducted within the normal physiological range have consistently failed to show a clear relationship between total testosterone and the amount of muscle gained through resistance training.
“Every study to date has not shown a relationship between total testosterone and the amount of muscle that people gain,” he said.
That does not mean testosterone is irrelevant. Very low levels can affect intimacy function, energy regulation, and other physiological processes. However, a moderately higher reading does not necessarily translate into more muscle, strength, or better performance. House pointed out that some highly muscular people have ordinary testosterone levels, while some people with high readings do not gain exceptional amounts of muscle.
The conversation also emphasized the importance of investigating why testosterone is low before considering testosterone replacement therapy. House said obesity is currently a major driver of low testosterone in men. Sleep loss, inadequate energy intake, excessive dieting, certain medications, micronutrient deficiencies, sleep disorders, and medical conditions can also affect the hormone system.
“There’s 120 things that can cause low testosterone,” House said. “You should be asking like why is this low?”
He stressed that treatment should involve informed consent and appropriate monitoring. Important markers can include hematocrit, lipids, prostate-specific antigen, estradiol, and cardiovascular indicators.
Testosterone replacement can be life-changing when medically appropriate, but taking enough to reach consistently high levels is a different situation from restoring testosterone to a normal range.
