"Free Testesterone Level" any significant meaning?

[38inflorida]

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?

[MuscleScience]

free test is the test that is not bound to a transport protein and is able to move into the muscle cells freely.

[Coop77]

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.

[Oki-Des]

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.

[FireGuy]

Lowering your SHBG can significantly raise your free levels. The free levels is "where the moneys at" as my Endo likes to put it.

[marcus300]

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.

[AcePowerZ]

Testosterone lvls for a male should be between 300-1000 total.