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Huberman Lab
Dr. Kyle Gillett: Tools for Hormone Optimization in Males
Dec 12, 2022
02:20:43
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Quick takeaways
- Behavioral, nutritional, supplement-based, and prescription drug-based tools can optimize male hormone levels for improved mood, libido, well-being, strength, cognition, and psychological factors.
- The timing and duration of puberty can impact adult height, body composition, and long-term hormone levels, emphasizing the need for healthy body fat levels and avoiding excessive fat accumulation.
- Regular blood work is crucial for monitoring hormone levels and optimizing hormone health throughout life, focusing on testosterone, estrogen, SHBG, and other hormone levels.
- Excessive masturbation and pornography use can deplete dopamine and prolactin, affecting libido and hormone balance, highlighting the importance of moderation in sexual practices.
- Peptides and hormone therapy can be effective for optimizing hormone levels, but caution and monitoring should be exercised to ensure safety and proper dosing.
Deep dives
The Importance of Hormone Optimization in Men
Dr. Kyle Gillette discusses the importance of hormone optimization in men, focusing on behavioral, nutritional, supplement-based, and prescription drug-based tools. He highlights the impact of hormones on mood, libido, well-being, strength, cognition, and psychological factors. Dr. Gillette emphasizes the need for specific recommendations based on individual goals and ages, urging individuals to gauge and understand their own libido and hormone levels. He discusses whether hormone optimization should be pursued continually throughout the year and the behavioral foundations of optimal hormone function.
Understanding the Impact of Puberty and Testosterone Levels
Dr. Gillette delves into the significance of puberty and its impact on male hormone optimization. He explains how the timing and duration of puberty can affect adult height, stature, body composition, and long-term hormone levels. Dr. Gillette provides insights into the misconceptions surrounding resistance training and its effects on growth. He outlines the importance of maintaining a healthy body fat level and avoiding dirty bulking, as excessive fat accumulation can produce early puberty and impact hormone levels.
The Importance of Blood Work in Hormone Optimization
Dr. Gillette emphasizes the significance of regular blood work in monitoring hormone levels throughout life. He recommends getting blood work done around the later stages of puberty to assess hormone optimization and health. Dr. Gillette highlights the importance of tracking testosterone, estrogen, SHBG, and other hormone levels to determine an individual's unique hormone status. He also discusses the potential effects of caloric restriction, stress management, and social connections on hormone optimization.
Examining the Role of Pornography and Masturbation in Hormone Optimization
Dr. Gillette explores the impact of pornography and excessive masturbation on hormone levels. He explains how frequent masturbation and pornography use can deplete dopamine and prolactin, affecting libido and hormone balance. He encourages moderation in sexual practices and highlights the potential long-term consequences of excessive porn consumption and masturbation on overall hormone optimization.
Optimizing Hormones with Peptides
Peptides can have varied effects on hormone levels. GHRP peptides, like tesamorelin and sermorelin, can stimulate the release of growth hormone, while ghrelin agonist peptides like ibutamoren can bind to ghrelin receptors and increase growth hormone levels. Peptides like BPC-157 can be used to improve tissue healing and recovery. However, it is important to exercise caution when using peptides, as their effects can be dose-dependent and vary from person to person. It is recommended to source peptides from reputable providers to avoid any potential risks or contaminants.
Testosterone Therapy and Dosage
Testosterone therapy can be helpful for individuals with low testosterone levels looking to optimize their hormone levels. A common dosage range for testosterone therapy is around 100-120 milligrams per week, divided into two or three doses for better absorption. It is crucial to monitor hormone levels and work with a knowledgeable healthcare professional to ensure proper dosing and to address any potential side effects. Regular blood work can help assess hormone levels and ensure safety.
HCG and Clomiphene as Alternatives to Testosterone Therapy
HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) can help maintain sperm production while on testosterone therapy, making it a good option for individuals concerned about fertility. Some individuals may also consider alternatives like clomiphene, which can increase luteinizing hormone (LH) levels and enhance testosterone production. However, it is important to note that these alternatives should be used with caution and under the supervision of a healthcare professional, as they can have complex effects on hormone levels and may not be suitable for everyone.
Considerations and Risks
When using any hormone optimization methods, it is essential to consider potential risks and side effects. Peptides and exogenous hormones can have diverse effects on different organ systems in the body, and monitoring should be done regularly, including blood work and clinical evaluations. Working with a well-versed healthcare professional who understands the intricacies of hormone optimization is crucial to ensure safety and efficacy. Additionally, lifestyle factors like nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management should also be optimized alongside any hormone interventions for comprehensive health benefits.
Effects of Cannabis and Nicotine on Hormones
Smoked cannabis diminishes testosterone levels and increases prolactin. Other cannabinoids, like CBD, are not particularly harmful. Smoked nicotine, especially from tobacco, affects testosterone and estrogen levels and can potentially lead to cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
Optimizing Pelvic Floor Health and Hair Loss
Correctly performed legwork exercises, like hack squats and deadlifts, can strengthen the pelvic floor, while incorrect form can weaken it, leading to sexual issues. Topical DHT receptor antagonists, like caffeine and ketoconazole, can help maintain or stimulate hair growth, but should be used cautiously. Avoiding BPA and phthalates found in plastics and some tap water sources is recommended for prostate and hormone health.
My guest is Kyle Gillett, MD, a dual board-certified physician in family medicine and obesity medicine and an expert in optimizing hormone levels to improve overall health. We discuss how to optimize male hormones using a range of nutritional and behavioral tools, exercise, and supplementation (including discussions on tongkat ali, fadogia agrestis, creatine, peptides and more). We explain how puberty and aging affect hormone levels, how to use bloodwork to monitor hormone levels, how hormone health impacts fertility, libido, hair loss, and prostate health, and describe behaviors that negatively impact testosterone levels. We also discuss how to approach prescription hormone therapies, including which biomarkers to monitor when using these approaches and how to optimize synergistic hormones (e.g., growth hormone and thyroid hormone) to support complete hormone health safely and rationally. Dr. Gillett offers numerous actionable tools that can be tailored to specific goals and age ranges to attain and maintain optimal levels of male hormones for overall health, well-being and longevity.
For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com.
Thank you to our sponsors
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Timestamps
(00:00:00) Dr. Kyle Gillett & Male Hormone Optimization
(00:03:56) Sponsor: LMNT
(00:07:43) Puberty: Height, Resistance Training, Childhood Obesity
(00:15:14) “First” vs. “Second” Puberty
(00:17:17) Hormone Optimization & Blood Work
(00:22:14) Diet, Exercise, Sleep & Hormones
(00:28:23) Hormones, Stress, Social Connection & Purpose
(00:32:19) Hormones, Supplementation & Medication
(00:34:08) Determining Individual Hormone Levels, ADAM Questionnaire
(00:40:35) Libido, Masturbation, Pornography & the Dopamine “Wave Pool”
(00:47:56) Sponsor: AG1
(00:49:46) Sustainable Exercise Regimen for Hormone Health
(00:58:12) Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT)
(01:01:02) Supplementation: Creatine & Hair Loss, Betaine, L-Carnitine & Allicin (Garlic)
(01:11:45) Vitamin D, Boron; SHBG & Free Testosterone
(01:15:34) Sponsor: InsideTracker
(01:16:39) Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia; Longjack) & Steroid Pathways
(01:22:09) Fadogia Agrestis & Testosterone
(01:26:32) Optimize Growth Hormone & IGF-1: Diet, Fasting, Supplements & Exercise
(01:31:52) Optimize Thyroid Hormone: Iodine & Goitrogens
(01:33:56) Peptides: Growth Hormone, Tesamorelin, Ibutamoren & Gut Microbiome
(01:42:06) Testosterone Therapy
(01:47:03) Prescriptions & Hormones: Human Choriogonadotropin (HCG), Clomiphene
(01:52:56) Testosterone Therapy + HCG, Fertility & Temperature
(01:55:30) Hormone Health Q&A: Marijuana, Nicotine, Cycling, Pelvic Floor, Alcohol, Fat
(02:06:08) Prostate Health & Tadalafil, Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)
(02:09:56) Hair Loss & DHT; Turmeric & Curcuminoids
(02:18:13) BPAs, Phthalates & Hormone Health
(02:21:55) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Social Media, Momentous, Neural Network Newsletter
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