Men who want to look and feel their best know a secret: hormones are an essential component for aging gracefully. Unlike men in their teens and twenties, older individuals don’t produce testosterone as they did in early adolescence. For this reason, the most common form of testosterone therapy prescribed to men are injections, because of the affordability and quick results.
Whether you’re a man who wants to hit the gym and sculpt their physique, or you’re a guy who wants to reignite the spark with his lover, here’s what you need to know about differences in the types of testosterone to make the right choice.
Testosterone Cypionate: The Slow-Rolling Solution
If you’re serious about testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), you’ve stumbled across the term ‘cypionate’ in your research. Cypionate belongs to a group called androgens, whose primary role is to accentuate male characteristics and the expression of masculine qualities.
What makes cypionate desirable in a clinical setting is how quickly the injection results occur within patients. Within a week, patients already sense and feel the positive benefits of their medication, and as a result, their lives improve tenfold. Located below are a few experiences commonly reported by TRT patients using Testosterone Cypionate:
– Improved sexual desire
– Increased muscle mass
– Weight loss
– Strength boost
– Mental clarity
– Elevated motivation and confidence
Since Testosterone Cypionate is a modified version of naturally-occurring hormones in the human body, its effectiveness lasts longer than our biological secretions. While results vary from patient to patient, a testosterone injection using Cypionate releases a steady level of hormones over a one- to two-week period, with effects lasting upwards of seven to eight days.
Testosterone Enanthate: Fast and Reliable Results
Testosterone Enanthate is quickly becoming the go-to solution for men who want to feel youthful throughout their waking hours. Unlike Cypionate injections, Enanthate is a fast-acting hormone that gets you up and running in a matter of days, not weeks. An average dosage of 100mg of Testosterone Enanthate results in an absorption rate of 73mg, resulting in a high-yield treatment for therapeutic needs.
A potential downside to Enanthate usage compared to Cypionate is how frequently a patient must inject medication into their muscle. Enanthate’s quick-acting effects are desirable, but the benefits of the hormone, also known as its half-life, are shorter than Cypionate’s. On average, the results of Enthantate dwindle around the five- to the seven-day window, meaning patients must inject weekly to keep their low testosterone symptoms at bay.
Tesosterone Propionate: The Speedy Hormone
Propionate Testosterone is, quite literally, a sprinter in the realm of long-distance runners. Propionate’s metabolization takes three to five days to render, and many patients feel its effects within a few hours.
For patients who need a quick-acting solution to their woes, Propionate seems to be their answer. Quick response times and impressive results mean that individuals can lead a life on their terms within a week, and life-altering side effects of low hormone levels dwindle rapidly. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows: Propionate is, by far, the most injection-demanding hormone of all.
Testosterone Propionate users must have a fearless mindset when it comes to needles and the willingness to poke themselves frequently. For most men, intramuscular injections (IM) are administered in two- to three-day windows for optimal hormone regulation. If a patient fails to meet these injection requirements, side effects manifest quickly, leaving the patient feeling groggy and unproductive.
Testosterone Suspension: The Ugly Side of Hormone Usage
Testosterone Suspension, also known as Aqueous Testosterone Suspension, is a rarely-prescribed hormone for patients with low hormone levels. The reasoning for this is twofold: pain and injection frequency.
In the real world, no one likes sticking themselves with needles regularly, and no one enjoys the dull ache of intramuscular hormone injection. With Testosterone Suspension, both of these variables are necessary to keep adequate amounts of hormone in the patient’s system.
The half-life of Suspension ranges from five hours to seven hours, with its effects wearing off within the length of an average day. For patients, Suspension requires multiple, strategically-timed injections throughout their waking hours to keep side effects under control.
The Best Testosterone to Take, and Potential Side Effects
While results may vary, Testosterone Cypionate seems like the most tried-and-true solution for hormone therapy. Although its effects take weeks before manifestation, it allows patients to live a productive lifestyle while improving their sexual desire.
More importantly, Cypionate does not require multiple injections throughout the week. In a general sense, a patient can receive an intramuscular injection every 1.5 to 2 weeks and breathe a sigh of relief.
However, TRT isn’t a fool-proof remedy for low testosterone production. On the contrary, hormone therapy has subtle side effects that negatively influence some patients. Although these drawbacks are rarely experienced when a patient uses TRT under medical supervision, here’s what men should be familiar with:
– Acne
– Infertility and low sperm mobility
– Excessive oil production
– Emotional instability
– Risk of heart attack
– Man boobs (Gynecomastia)
– Cardiovascular stress
– Sweating
– High blood pressure
However, these side effects are somewhat infrequent, and with the proper care, TRT patients can reclaim their lives and gain confidence once more. Whether you’re a person who feels depressed and sluggish or you want to get more out of your health, Testosterone Enanthate, Cypionate and Propionate therapies are worth exploring.