Hoping Dr. Cam can chime in here.
65 y/o male.
1st phase of my recomp via a cut accomplished.
Was finally able to drop 30lbs and bodyfat from 26% to sub 10% with no loss in muscle mass.
Will be lean bulking with the goal to add 20lbs of LBM w/o adding bf via lean bulk
Enclomiphene update -18 mos.
observations:
- unstable levels -
Don't know if it's the low carb, low fat diet, but T levels dropped to the lower trough levels as well as E2, SHBG, whereas TSH increased and T3 decreased.
I believe I've reached the ceiling with enclomiphene after 18 mos of trialing it. I also take Metformin for prediabetes/insulin resistance prevention and geroprotection, but I realize it can have an anti-anabolic effect as well as suppress IGF-1.
I am now wanting to know if adding oral or topical NT to my enclomiphene would get me to the next level of maintaining my low bf but mainly provide enough anabolism to add more LBM. Injectable T is not an option for me right now.
Since I'm on a low fat diet as part of my recomp, the NT gel would work better since there's no need to consume the 30g minimum of dietary fat. Exception with oral NT, if possible, would be to not take with fat and just titrate the dose to the desired serum level - but I don't know if that's feasible.
Would NT - oral or topical be able to suppress SHBG to allow FT to increase? Enclomiphene can only go so far in my case with respect to both TT and FT while suppressing IGF-1 and increasing to some degree SHBG, thus limiting anabolism.
Wouldn't topical NT have the same problems with inconsistent serum levels as Androgel and the other topical testosterone gels?
What levels for TT/FT can I expect on NT oral vs gel and how stable are serum levels when on the gel?
Only issue is whether E2 and SHBG will spike.
And as to the spike in DHT, I would counter with topical dutasteride to prevent alopecia.
Goal: to add 20lbs of LBM w/o adding bf via lean bulk + ↑ anabolism.
65 y/o male.
1st phase of my recomp via a cut accomplished.
Was finally able to drop 30lbs and bodyfat from 26% to sub 10% with no loss in muscle mass.
Will be lean bulking with the goal to add 20lbs of LBM w/o adding bf via lean bulk
Enclomiphene update -18 mos.
- maxed @ 25mg/day
- taken on empty stomach with water in a.m.
observations:
- unstable levels -
- TT lows in the low 600s; highest 950
- FT: lows in the mid 80s; highest 135
- no variance in FSH/LH
- E2 low 29; high 34
- SHBG low 40s; high mid 60s
Don't know if it's the low carb, low fat diet, but T levels dropped to the lower trough levels as well as E2, SHBG, whereas TSH increased and T3 decreased.
I believe I've reached the ceiling with enclomiphene after 18 mos of trialing it. I also take Metformin for prediabetes/insulin resistance prevention and geroprotection, but I realize it can have an anti-anabolic effect as well as suppress IGF-1.
I am now wanting to know if adding oral or topical NT to my enclomiphene would get me to the next level of maintaining my low bf but mainly provide enough anabolism to add more LBM. Injectable T is not an option for me right now.
Since I'm on a low fat diet as part of my recomp, the NT gel would work better since there's no need to consume the 30g minimum of dietary fat. Exception with oral NT, if possible, would be to not take with fat and just titrate the dose to the desired serum level - but I don't know if that's feasible.
Would NT - oral or topical be able to suppress SHBG to allow FT to increase? Enclomiphene can only go so far in my case with respect to both TT and FT while suppressing IGF-1 and increasing to some degree SHBG, thus limiting anabolism.
Wouldn't topical NT have the same problems with inconsistent serum levels as Androgel and the other topical testosterone gels?
What levels for TT/FT can I expect on NT oral vs gel and how stable are serum levels when on the gel?
Only issue is whether E2 and SHBG will spike.
And as to the spike in DHT, I would counter with topical dutasteride to prevent alopecia.
Goal: to add 20lbs of LBM w/o adding bf via lean bulk + ↑ anabolism.
