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Looking back over some of my past blood work I see I had asked for a testosterone check last year. The test I got back is for "Free Testosterone (direct)" with a result of 15.7 pg/ml. Normal range is 8.7 - 25.1 pg/ml.
Is this a meaningful test or is a total testosterone level test better?
free test is the test that is not bound to a transport protein and is able to move into the muscle cells freely.
Your free unbound testosterone level is what really matters, because only free test binds to androgen receptors. I think that's right - someone correct me if I'm wrong.
various factors can cause your free testosterone to be low, even if your total testosterone is normal or high, so it's probably a better test to have done.
A buddy of mine recently said that his free test was high causing our hrt doc to question the last time he took AAS; even though his regular test levels were low.
We both told our HRT doc that we did AAS previously, but my buddy said it had been about a year or more since last doing it. We both are also 38 and living in Florida.
I just wanted to offer some additional information.
Lowering your SHBG can significantly raise your free levels. The free levels is "where the moneys at" as my Endo likes to put it.
Agree with the above.Quote:
Originally Posted by FireGuy1
Testosterone lvls for a male should be between 300-1000 total.