Brad Talks Testosterone Testing (And Other Important Blood Tests)

Let’s talk about testosterone testing and other important blood tests you can track for your overall health, wellness, vitality, and longevity.

I recorded this show on the occasion of my first visit to the blood lab after signing up for Vitals Vault’s premium program, and I talk about some of my favorite markers while pedaling home from the lab.

I focus a lot on testosterone because I believe it’s a great proxy for overall wellness, vitality, recovery, and resilience to stress. I share my own numbers, which have ranged from 562 to 1,004, and explain why I’m so intent on keeping testosterone levels high as I age.

I also get into the roughly 1% annual decline in average male testosterone levels since the 1980s, vitamin D and the widespread fear of the sun, why looking beyond LDL can give you a better picture of your lipid panel, and the lifestyle practices that can help optimize testosterone—from sleep and diet to avoiding chronic cardio, lifting heavy things, sprinting once in a while, and even maintaining a winning relationship.

TIMESTAMPS:

Testosterone testing is the best proxy for your overall state of wellness, vitality, and recovery or resilience to stress. [00:51]

Brad checks his testosterone level frequently because it is his way of monitoring the stress impact from his training. [5:41]

Triglycerides to HDL ratio is a premier indicator of your heart disease risk factor. It is much better than looking at total LDL cholesterol. [06:42]

In 2017 they lowered the ideal level of testosterone due to the widespread decline of testosterone among males around the world. [09:02]

If you are not optimizing your sleep, including down and rest time, you cannot reduce your stress. [12:13]

Get the junk out of your diet. If you are in that chronic cardio pattern in your exercise, you may be tanking your testosterone. [12:37]

If there is arguing and other dysfunctional patterns in your relationship, it will tank your testosterone as well as shorten your lifespan. [13:34]