Testosterone
 

Do you take it? Why or why not?

If so, has it changed your riding?

If not, does it bother you when other people do?

I'm curious to hear other people's thoughts.

There has been a lot written about testosterone supplementation. Most of it, other than by the sellers, is negative. I sure wouldn’t do it. Do I care if others do? No, it’s their health at risk, not mine. Google testosterone supplementation side effects.

I find it has really helped with my energy levels, muscle mass, mental clarity, recovery, it generally makes me feel years younger. Yes there are unproven potential side affects however I have no family history of the risks associated. Functional health is as important as actual longevity I live and act like I am a decade younger at least what is that worth? This year I toured solo over 10 weeks in Europe and felt great like I was on a gap year from university, I feel this would not have been the same without supplemental T.

I think the OP and all responders should identify their age. Sure, this is the Fifty Plus forum. but are you 51 or 71? Age is not the only factor, but recently I have noticed that many BikeForum members are in their 70s. I am 59yrs old. I have not taken any T supplements. though I have about it.

I don't and never will, not worth it. It will just mess up your body and hormones. It's nothing but artificial boost.

It's just a short term gain at the expense of long term health and well being. The main problem is that these type of drugs shut down your body's natural ability to make testosterone. Once you start T supplementation you have to stay on it for the rest of your life because if you ever stop it completely wreck you up. You basically become a slave and an addict to a drug. Not worth it.

I'm turning 50 in a few months.

For the record, I'm not considering T supplementation for myself. Too many potential risks later in life for my liking.

I know a couple guys in my cycling sphere who have started it recently and their riding has gone through the roof. I'm glad it has improved their quality of life but it does bother me when one of them enters a competitive event or takes a local KOM. Maybe that's silly but it feels like an unfair advantage for people who don't have a true medical need.

Couldn’t agree more. For those of us who still like to compete against ourselves or others, it definitely tilts the scales and makes what could be attainable out of the question. But then, on various segments, one never knows if a 50 (or 60 or 70) year old is being towed by a paceline or riding a tandem, or is using testosterone. Even if there was a way to self report and reclassify such enhancements, many people wouldn’t do it anyway, so I mostly compete against myself and don’t worry about 70 year olds doing 32 MPH on a flat segment.

If you take it, it will suppress you natural production, essentially making you an addict. It causes baldness, and encourages prostate growth, up to and including cancer.

I talked to my doctor, who is an older cyclist. I got a blood draw, he said my T is normal for my age and strongly advised against supplementing with it. Too many downsides. The weight room will raise your T, so get after it.

My CABG was near the end of April and it's taken me until a month ago to get back in the gym regularly. Now I'm in there twice a week, 2-3 hours total. My muscularity is already noticeably increasing as is my power on the bike. Seems to be OK. I should mention that I supplement with about everything that's been shown to be effective in clinical trials, just not T. HMB definitely increases muscle growth but only in geezers, not kids.

I wonder whether the propensity to take performance-enhancing supplements ("shown to be effective in clinical trials" or otherwise) among people in the fifty-plus age group correlates to at least some degree with a history of taking recreational drugs back in the '60's and later. I wasn't tempted by drugs or drinking then, and that hasn't changed over the years, even in the face of encroaching decrepitude.

I know other ex-racers who similarly didn't take drugs back then and don't take them now. Might be an interesting subject for a poll here.

Riding "through the roof" -- placebo effect, I suspect. Unless those guys actually had clinical hypogonadism.

For "the rest of us" older guys, taking T won't turn us into supermen. A little better: EPO production, muscle mass, recovery. No real endurance gains.

On the other side of the ledger, higher: blood viscosity, blood pressure, risk of heart attack or stroke, prostate growth, hair loss.

Suspecting, and knowing are completely different things.

I am mid 50's and do not take supplements. I have to admit some consideration to talking to my HCP about it as I have absolutely zero energy, zero drive, zero stamina for anything. I am also concerned about the possibility of the side effects and concerns about having to be on it from then forward especially where policy changes and whatnot could make such 'drugs' less available or harder to get.

A buddy of mine who is within months in age to me started supplementing about a year ago and his life is much like mine was in my early 40's as far as his own musculature and energy levels. He was already balding, so that aspect didn't matter.

Suspecting--when you have a decent idea of how little effect T-supplementation has on endurance performance--has higher confidence than a wild guess.

My understanding is that red blood cell mass is increased pretty significantly which directly impacts VO2max, hence why its banned in all endurance sports. If there was no endurance gain why would it be banned?

One buddy with whom I've been riding for years started this spring and the change was dramatic. We have a long history of riding together and having similar abilities, and in the span of maybe 2-3 months his performance increased significantly. Not only his recovery, energy level and muscle mass, but his power output and endurance. He did not have hypogonadism.

It doesn't matter if the drug increased his performance, if there is ever a situation where his drug got cut off and he wasn't able to get his timely shots he is basically done and finished. A human wreck, he would feel more miserable than before he started taking the drug. ..Low energy, mental clarity, recovery, muscle mass can all be resolved with proper diet and workout routine and lifestyle change. Drugs which alter your hormones just ain't worth it.

I assume you have the same opinion on Birth Control pills.

Why can't you just stay on topic instead of trying to take the thread off the rails ?

There is a measured effect on hematocrit for many men, but the effect is modest (typically <4%). Statistically significant, but not substantial.

Don't take it personally. It was the testosterone talking.

I'm doing what I can to slow the onset of decrepitude. HMB is produced in our own bodies. It's a byproduct of the breakdown of leucine. "HMB works to help repair the structure and function of your muscles." A main reason that we lose muscularity as we age is that our blood levels of HMB drop. I take a quantity which brings my blood levels back to where they were some years ago. Sure, one can be pure and reject that sort of supplementation. I'd rather be strong and healthy. I also take creatine. I don't take banned substances. Other than a ruptured Achilles tendon and a slightly torn meniscus, I've never been injured, and I want to keep it that way. Strong muscles, bones, and connective tissue helps. Lifting as heavy as one can for reps is also huge. I got into gym work when I was in college and mostly have kept at it. It's all about trying to stay fit, slowing the physical aging process. One can't stop it, but almost. I should be back to being able to squat my bodyweight for reps by New Years. Age will win in the end, but I'll fight it all the way.

My post was mostly a speculation about which fifty-plus cyclists here who take various performance-enhancing supplements also did recreational drugs in the past. I can understand choosing to avoid addressing that topic, though.

My own current performance-enhancing regimen consists mostly of cutting back on my daily mileage (from doing upwards of 20-plus hours per week of training-level rides last year and the first half of this year) and getting much more rest. I haven't felt this strong in years. If I'd started taking PEDs and supplements, I'd be attributing the improvement to those, probably.

Your first consideration in taking Testosterone, or synthetic hormones like Anabolic Steroids, is your Prostate Cancer risk. If there are members of your ancestry that have had prostate cancer it certainly is not worth the risk.

Steroids in general can increase your performance and mental attitude in competition. Even low dose testosterone treatment in women transitioning into menopause is extremely helpful both mentally and physically.

Now for professional sports it is another animal. Athletes commonly use steroids during their off season for training. If its your job I can see compromising on the risk. If I have 2.3 million euros at stake I might consider a lot of compromise. But if I am just trying to get ahead of a few guys in the local pack, or look a little better in the mirror, nope, not worth the risk...

Overview of Tour de France Prize Money

The total prize money for the 2025 Tour de France is approximately €2.3 million. This amount is distributed among various classifications, stage winners, and team performances. (From the net?)

I wonder how many 50+ 60+ 70+ amateurs risk loosing millions of dollars by not winning a race.

No, I do not take it.

My wife wouldn't like me to do anything that might increase my sex drive.