Testosterone: Why SHBG Matters
SHBG and its Effects on Health
There is 1 biomarker that you want to measure that is essential of maximizing the availability of testosterone, which is Sex Hormone Binding Globulin. Both men and women need an optimized hormonal profile, and testosterone is one of the hormones that is important for both men and women.
What is SHBG?
Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) is a glycoprotein produced in the liver and commonly found in the bloodstream. It binds to any of 17 sex hormones, including testosterone and estrogen, and transports these chemicals throughout the body.
Testosterone and sex hormones are referred to as “bound” when attached to SHBG. So when these hormones are not bound to SHBG they are referred to as “free” or “bioavailable,” and can freely affect your body. The sum of bound and free testosterone is referred to as total testosterone.
Why is SHBG important for your health and performance?
A proper balance of testosterone and other sex hormones has a big impact on your health. Abnormalities in SHBG often precede imbalances of sex hormones, and high levels of sex hormones may lead to excess growth of cells thus leading to the formation of certain cancers, such as breast cancer.
Low SHBG
When look at blood work, identify if there is a low level of SHBG. Also take a look at your triglyceride and LDL because these are often associated with low levels of SHBG. Because of this, low levels of SHBG are linked with multiple cardiovascular illnesses in both sexes, including: [3]
Heart disease
Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
High SHBG and low free testosterone
However If SHBG is high, especially for males and athletes, it may decreases the amount of free testosterone. High levels of SHBGare associated with:
Infertility
Decreased sex drive
Erectile dysfunction
Keep in mind that low levels of free testosterone can result in reduced muscle growth and impaired post-workout recovery. On the contrary high levels of SHBG bind to estrogen and may reduce bone mass in both men and women.
Potential Causes of Low Levels of SHBG
- Taking hormones
- Hypothyroidism
- Insulin Resistance
- Obesity
- If you’re genetically predisposed to depositing fat in the liver it is possible to have low SHBG while being relatively lean
However as long as you know your genetic healthy baseline and you familiar with the external factors that may affect that baseline then you should be fine. The key always tends to come back down to diet and lifestyle.
According to Research
There has seemed to be new research involving the adipose tissue-secreted adipokine hormone, called adiponectin. It was found that adiponectin stimulates a the AMPK pathway, which leads to increased amount of SHBG through the HNF4-4A protein, and reduction in hepatic triglyceride levels.
low SHBG is associated with fatty liver disease and Metabolic Syndrome AND those with the syndrome = have low adiponectin levels.
Those on TRT and women on oral contraceptives should monitor their SHBG level as these exogenous steroids can lead to excessive spikes or reductions in this biomarker.
SHBG blood test costs $15 on a ordinary blood test site, and it’s worth checking at least 2x year.
Next Steps?
The first steps is to order the SHBG on your blood test, and adopt a quality exercise regimen and diet for longevity and enhancing your physique.
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