Check your levels of male and adrenal hormones that could be affecting your sex drive, mood, muscle mass, and energy levels, with our at-home male hormone blood test.

The symptoms of a male hormone imbalance include difficulty getting or keeping an erection (erectile dysfunction), loss of interest in sex (low libido), loss of muscle mass, an increase in abdominal fat, mood changes, lack of energy, and difficulty sleeping.

The good news is that there are many ways you can improve your overall health, which could help keep your hormones balanced. These include a targeted supplement protocol with our team can assist you with.

Q. How do you support me with my results?

In ADDITION to your lab report we provide the following options which are INCLUDED in the package prices;

A) Follow up personalised written report produced by our clinical team (click HERE for team info) highlighting dietary and lifestyle advice plus links to supplement protocols, specific doses and any further testing requirements included. We use the patient information you provide us at checkout along with your results to compile personalised action points for you.

OR

B) Follow up 30-minute video call to discuss your results and answer any questions you have. Once the lab has completed your results you will be sent these via email with a link to book a time and day online. You will also then be given the option to upgrade your 30-minute call to a 45-minute call for an additional £30 if you wish. During the call your practitioner will explain the results in more detail and what they mean for you. After your call you are sent a personalised list of supplements & the dose your practitioner advises with links to purchase from our supplements store. This is for your convenience. You are of course welcome to purchase supplements elsewhere. You will also be provided with a list of follow up tests should this be required plus a copy of your recorded zoom call which you can download and keep.

OR

C) Both Zoom call and written report with personalised next steps (Zoom call is first and written report follows).

Are you experiencing symptoms such as reduced interest in sex, erectile dysfunction, or reduced muscle mass, and want to investigate the cause? Maybe you’re trying or planning to have children and want to explore whether a hormonal imbalance could be affecting your fertility.

Our male hormone test gives you information on 10 biomarkers and is a comprehensive breakdown of the major male hormones. This test will check whether your levels are in the normal range for your age. Regular testing lets you monitor your hormone levels and understand how they change over time.

Male hormones are chemicals that coordinate different functions in your body by carrying messages to your organs, skin, muscles, and other tissues. Although male hormones are mostly associated with fertility, they play a vital role in your overall health and wellbeing. Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone. It’s responsible for male characteristics, and helps regulate sex drive, muscle and bone mass, fat distribution, and the production of red blood cells and sperm.

Other hormones that play an important role in male health include follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which is crucial for healthy sperm production, and luteinising hormone (LH) which helps make testosterone.

Male hormones work together in a complex network. So, if one or more of your levels is outside the normal range, it can impact other hormones in your body. This can affect your physical and mental health.

That’s why our male hormone imbalance test measures testosterone alongside other key hormones that can influence its levels. These include LH, FSH, prolactin, and DHEA sulphate, which your body uses to make testosterone. It also measures oestradiol, which influences sexual function and is essential for sperm production.

Our male hormone check gives a thorough overview of your hormone health, which may help explain causes of symptoms like low sex drive, mood changes, or low energy

Most of the testosterone circulating in your blood is bound to proteins (particularly SHBG and albumin). This is known as bound testosterone and isn’t available for your cells to use.

To give a more accurate picture of your testosterone status, our Male Hormone Blood Test calculates your level of free (or unbound) testosterone. This is based on your total testosterone level, and your levels of SHBG and albumin. Your free testosterone level tells you the amount of testosterone that’s available for your body to use. World renowned Human Biologist Gary Brecka recommends men over 18 know their numbers when it comes to testosterone.

Hormones:

Testosterone

Testosterone is a hormone that causes male characteristics. For men, it helps to regulate sex drive and has a role in controlling bone mass, fat distribution, muscle mass, strength and the production of red blood cells and sperm. Testosterone is produced in the testicles of men and, in much smaller amounts, in the ovaries of women. Testosterone levels in men naturally decline after the age of 30, although lower than normal levels can occur at any age and can cause low libido, erectile dysfunction, difficulty in gaining and maintaining muscle mass and lack of energy. Although women have much lower amounts of testosterone than men, it is important for much the same reasons, playing a role in libido, the distribution of muscle and fat and the formation of red blood cells. All laboratories will slightly differ in the reference ranges they apply because they are based on the population they are testing. The normal range is set so that 95% of men will fall into it. For greater consistency, we use the guidance from the British Society for Sexual Medicine (BSSM) which advises that low testosterone can be diagnosed when testosterone is consistently below the reference range, and that levels below 12 nmol/L could also be considered low, especially in men who also report symptoms of low testosterone or who have low levels of free testosterone.

Free testosterone - calc

Most testosterone circulating in the blood is bound to proteins, in particular SHBG and albumin; only 2-3 % of testosterone is free and available to cells. This test uses an algorithm to calculate the level of free or unbound testosterone in relation to total testosterone, SHBG and albumin.

FSH

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) is produced in the pituitary gland and is important for women in the production of eggs by the ovaries and for men in the production of sperm. In men, FSH acts on the seminiferous tubules of the testicles where they stimulate immature sperm cells to develop into mature sperm.

LH

Luteinising Hormone (LH) is produced by the pituitary gland and is important for male and female fertility. In men it stimulates the production of testosterone.

Oestradiol

Oestradiol is a female steroid hormone, produced in the ovaries of women and to a much lesser extent in the testes of men. Low oestradiol can cause osteoporosis.

Free androgen index

The free androgen index (FAI) is a calculation used to determine the amount of testosterone which is free (unbound) in the bloodstream. Most testosterone is bound to proteins sex hormone binding globulin and albumin and is not available to interact with the body's cells. The FAI is a calculation based on the ratio of testosterone and SHBG and is a measure of the amount of testosterone that is available to act on the body's tissues. The free androgen index is used in women to assess the likelihood of polycystic ovarian syndrome. In men, free testosterone gives a better indication of testosterone status.

Prolactin

Prolactin is a hormone which is produced in the pituitary gland and plays a role in reproductive health.

Adrenal Hormones:

DHEA Sulphate

DHEAS is the sulphated form of DHEA, a hormone which is produced by the adrenal glands and is responsible for male characteristics in both men and women. DHEAS gradually declines from the age of 30 onwards.

Proteins:

Albumin

Albumin is a protein which is made mainly in the liver. It helps to exert the osmotic pressure which holds water within the blood. It also helps carry nutrients and medications and other substances through the blood and is important for tissue growth and healing. Albumin also carries hormones around the body, therefore measuring the amount of albumin in the blood can help us calculate how much hormone is available to your tissues.

SHBG

SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) is a protein which transports the sex hormones (testosterone, oestrogen and dihydrotestosterone (DHT)) in the blood.Hormones which are bound to SHBG are inactive which means that they are unavailable to your cells. Measuring the level of SHBG in your blood gives important information about your levels of free or unbound hormones which are biologically active and available for use.

Taking your Sample;

Prepare for your Male Hormone Blood Test by following these instructions. Take your sample between 6am and 10am. Avoid nipple stimulation or any kind of sexual activity for 24 hours before taking this test, as these can increase prolactin levels. Heavy meals and strenuous exercise can also impact prolactin results and are best avoided before taking the test. Avoid taking a finger-prick sample from a finger used to handle hormone gels in the past 4 weeks. Use gloves when applying these. Do not take biotin supplements for two days before this test, discuss this with your doctor if it is prescribed.

There's a maximum level of testosterone that this test can detect. If you take medications or supplements that boost testosterone, your level might exceed this limit. But, providing your sample is sufficient, we can dilute it to measure even higher levels. So, this limit is unlikely to affect your results.

Your kit is shipped via Royal Mail. Use the instructions to take your finger prickblood sample then pop your sample back in the freepost bag back to the labs using any postbox. Results are expected in 6 working days. The Lab GP will comment on your results and our own team will also provide advice on rectifying any levels out of range via supplements, diet and lifestyle changes.

HERE you can read about various factors that can negatively affect testosterone levels.