I began working out when I was 13. After college post 2010 I experimented with Testosterone, from 200mg a week to 600mg a week. It’s a whole underground culture.
My own experiences were exactly like the stereotype— increased libido, increased muscle mass, increase strength, increase mood swings. The sex drive is palpable. It’s ferocoiously potent, increasing sexual stamina, confidence, euphoric feelings of dominance.
I have coached many pupils in the realm of Testosterone injection. Every single one has experienced the same side effects.
I want to stress something. The endocrine system is vastly complex. Every hormone influences a cascade of other hormones. For this reason, maintaining health (strenuous exercise and a sound diet) is essential for ensuring those side effects are predictable.
For example, when testosterone levels are high, the body naturally wants to convert excess testosterone to other hormones— namely estrogen.
High estrogen can cause all sorts of side effects, including bloat, fat gain, mood swings, acne, and gynomastia. (Think what happens when a woman gets her monthly period... her body is flush with estrogen, and all the accompanying side effects).
To remedy this, you take estrogen blockers. Or AI’s (aromatase inhibitors, which is the enzyme catalyst responsible for converting T into E).
However, some estrogen is good. It is what causes a lot of that well-being and euphoria. Block all estrogen and energy levels plummet.
This is just one. There is DHT, or di-hydro-testosterone, which is 10x more androgenic than testosterone. There is cortisol. There is insulin. There are effects on HGH levels.
The list of cascading influences on the endocrine system is complex.
What else effects hormones? Exercise- circulation and digestion.
Diet. What food you consume effects your sugar levels, which effect your hormones. Your fat and cholesterol consumption affects your hormones. (Cholesterol is the base fat molecule that the body uses to manufacture all other fat based hormones. Without it, hormone levels are depressed, and the endocrine system functions sub optimally).
I say all this because it’s complex.
Human organisms are complex.
If you don’t understand or appreciate the complexity, you’ll ascribe cause where it’s undue.
There is no magic bullet.
We are a complex organism.
I will say, however, that testosterone is powerful.
I am no longer on it today, and I look back and think about how powerfully it affected me psychologically, physically, and emotionally. It definitely can change your life, and you can get addicted to that change. It’s empowering.