Most people know the testosterone hormone, but most of them do not know the difference between total testosterone and free testosterone, which is more important in biological processes.
Natural total testosterone in adult man is about 240 ng/dl to 950 ng/dl and in adult woman about 8-60 ng/dl
It is the total testosterone hormone in the body and is divided into three parts: free testosterone, testosterone bound to globulin and testosterone bound to albumin, When performing a test for total testosterone, the results may be correct. However, symptoms of low testosterone appear in men, because the result of a total testosterone test measures the level of total testosterone in the body. It does not determine the value of free testosterone (the active hormone) in the body. Therefore, when conducting a testosterone test, it is preferable An analysis of the level of free testosterone in particular, Most of the testosterone (up to 98%) in the blood is bound to proteins. The remaining testosterone (2%) circulates in the blood as free testosterone. Total testosterone is measured by labs protein bound and unbound (free) testosterone.
1-free testosterone
Free testosterone is the hormone that is effective in building muscle, hair growth, improving mood and improving sexual status, and it represents about 2% of total testosterone, but in some cases it binds to globulin protein and becomes inactive and may be replaced in the body by converting testosterone bound by albumin to free testosterone as the binding of testosterone to albumin is weak (a weak bond that can be easily broken), so the testosterone bound to albumin can be converted to free active testosterone.
Normal free testosterone level for men 9.3 -26.5pg/ml for age 20/29 year, and naturally decrease to 6.6-18.1pg/ml for age above 40 year.
2- Testosterone bound by globulin represents about 40% to 50% of the total testosterone in the body. This hormone is produced in the liver and is responsible for providing free testosterone in the body. The body cannot take advantage of this type in building our muscles or improving our moods, meaning that it is not the main responsible for determining masculine traits.
SHBG-linked testosterone is generally harmless, but when its level in the body increases, it may lead to a decrease in free testosterone due to the binding of free testosterone to globulin shows why some people have a high level of total testosterone and yet suffer from symptoms of testosterone deficiency .
The SHBG protein binds itself to many free testosterones, which leads to a decrease in free testosterone in the body. Research has shown that diet, exercise and staying away from bad eating habits may lead to a deficiency of SHBG protein in the body, and thus increase the percentage of free testosterone.
3- Albumin-bound Testosterone:
The rest of the testosterone inside the body is bound to a protein called albumin, and albumin is a protein secreted in the liver, and its function is to control the level of fluids in the body. Like SHBG-bound testosterone, albumin-bound testosterone is inactive, but unlike SHBG-bound testosterone, the bond between testosterone and albumin is weak, and the body can easily break it down and release free testosterone in the body when the body needs it. It collects the testosterone bound to albumin and free testosterone in one result when doing an analysis of the percentage of testosterone in the blood.
When something doesn't seem to be working, most men have a strong desire to know the source of the problem so it can be "fixed". Men who have problems in the bedroom may spend some time on the Internet looking for solutions. Sooner or later, these queries will turn to testosterone levels in men. If you look a little deeper, you will come across the term "free testosterone". Shouldn't it be easy to find out from here? Does free testosterone affect biological processes or total testosterone?
It is clear to us from the above that free testosterone is responsible for the vital processes in the body, and the percentage of free testosterone in the body can be measured by testing the percentage of free testosterone in the blood.
Total testosterone is 98% protein bound testosterone and 2% free testosterone.
See also Impact of low free testosterone levels.
If the total testosterone level in the blood is measured and the result is correct, this does not mean that the percentage of free testosterone in the blood is healthy, because there may be an imbalance that leads to the transformation of free testosterone into an inactive hormone bound to proteins, which reduces the decrease in free testosterone
Or, conversely, the testosterone strand bound to albumin can be broken down to increase the amount of free testosterone. So if you do a total testosterone test, you should do a free testosterone test to find out the amount of the active hormone in your blood.
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