Testosterone, and its associated replacement therapy, has long been associated with bodybuilding and gym culture. Since testosterone is the primary male sex hormone, it regulates muscle mass and development, fat distribution and bone mass density, three key aspects of physical performance.
However, despite a pantheon of clinical trials and published, peer-reviewed studies, there still remains a number of myths around TRT and its effects on muscle growth in particular, as well as bodybuilders in general.
To help dispel some of these, we’ve picked out some of the most asked questions around TRT and bodybuilding and answered them for you.
Does TRT build muscle?
In short, yes. Testosterone Replacement Therapy has been proven to improve protein synthesis, the process that rebuilds muscle fibres after exercise. This doesn’t just improve muscle growth, it can also reduce the amount of recovery time needed, allowing users to exercise more often, which can encourage hypertrophic muscle growth.
Additionally, TRT has been proven to increase muscle mass in elderly testosterone-deficient men, regardless of physical output.
Is Testosterone a steroid?
Yes, natural testosterone is what’s known as an anabolic-androgenic steroid. Anabolic refers to testosterone’s ability to build muscle, with androgenic referring to increased male sex characteristics.This is a different type of steroid to corticosteroids, which can be associated with widespread side effects throughout the body with long term use.
However, the term “anabolic steroid” can refer to a number of designer drugs designed to mimic the effects of testosterone, or high-level usage of natural testosterone.
TRT vs Anabolic Steroids
TRT differs from anabolic steroids, despite testosterone itself being a steroid. TRT is a legally practiced medical procedure that is designed to replenish the body’s natural level of testosterone. By contrast anabolic steroids, which are often unregulated and used unsupervised, aim to quickly increase the body’s level of testosterone far past a natural baseline to drive quick results.
Steroid use has a well documented history of adverse side effects, some of which can be severe. While TRT can also have side effects, these can be identified early and managed through regular testing and treatment plan adjustments by your doctor.
Is TRT the right choice for all bodybuilders?
Whether TRT is the right choice for you, whether you are a bodybuilder or not, is down to a range of subjective factors like:
- Lifestyle
- Diet
- Medical history
The best way to see if TRT is right for you is to talk to an experienced and qualified doctor, and to test not only your testosterone levels, but a range of other factors as well. Our staff have helped thousands of patients over the years with TRT assessment and treatment, and will always discuss all of your options, as well as any potential ramifications with you so that you can make an informed choice about your health and wellbeing.
