Androgen Receptors | How To Increase Your Response To Testosterone

Summary

This video script delves into the critical role of Androgen receptor function in male hormone health, explaining how testosterone's effects are contingent upon these receptors' proper operation. It explores the receptors' locations, their unique cellular positioning, and the process of androgen binding and gene activation. The script further discusses factors influencing receptor density and sensitivity, such as androgen levels, exercise, cortisol, and nutrient intake, and warns against certain compounds in foods and supplements that may impede Androgen receptor function. The importance of maintaining a balance in hormone levels for optimal health is emphasized.

Takeaways

• 🔬 Androgen receptors are crucial for testosterone to exert its effects, such as muscle growth and bone health, and are found throughout the body with concentrations in muscle, bone, testes, and brain tissues.
• 🔍 Androgen receptors are located in the cytoplasm, not on the cell surface, requiring hormones to pass through the cell wall to bind to them.
• 💡 In the absence of androgens, Androgen receptors are bound to heat shock proteins, which stabilize them until they can bind to androgens and activate genes within the cell nucleus.
• 🚫 Proper functioning of Androgen receptors is more critical than the amount of testosterone present in the bloodstream, as non-functional receptors can't utilize high levels of testosterone.
• 🏋️ Exercise and sauna use, which increase heat shock protein expression, may play a role in stabilizing Androgen receptors, though more research is needed.
• 🔑 Androgen receptor density, expression, and stability are key factors influencing their functionality, with high expression and stability leading to higher receptor density.
• 🔄 Androgen receptor sensitivity is determined by affinity (the likelihood of androgen binding) and transcriptional activity (the efficiency of genetic activation post-binding).
• 🌡️ Maintaining healthy levels of testosterone is important for optimal Androgen receptor function, as both excessively high and low levels can negatively impact receptor health.
• 🏃‍♂️ Acute increases in testosterone through exercise and avoiding ejaculation may positively affect Androgen receptor function, although long-term effects are not fully understood.
• 🤔 Cortisol, typically associated with stress, may actually improve Androgen receptor function acutely, but chronic stress can have detrimental effects.
• 🍽️ Adequate caloric and nutrient intake, including specific vitamins and minerals, is essential for maintaining optimal levels of hormones like leptin, insulin, IGF-1, and growth hormone, which in turn support Androgen receptor health.

Q & A

What is the primary role of Androgen receptors in the body?

Androgen receptors are responsible for binding to androgens like testosterone, DHT, and androstenedione to carry out their biological functions such as increasing muscle mass, improving bone health, stimulating sperm production, and maintaining secondary male sex characteristics.

Where are Androgen receptors typically located within the cell?

Androgen receptors are located in the cytoplasm of the cell, unlike neurotransmitter receptors which are found on the outside of cells. Hormones must pass through the cell wall to reach and bind to the Androgen receptors.

What happens to Androgen receptors in the absence of androgens?

In the absence of androgens, most Androgen receptors are typically bound to heat shock proteins that help stabilize the receptor. The receptor then dimerizes, exposing a nuclear localization site, and travels to the nucleus of the cell to activate and transcribe various genetic factors.

How does the level of testosterone impact Androgen receptor function?

High levels of testosterone can increase the transcriptional activity, affinity, and overall health of the Androgen receptors, which allows them to persist longer and increases their density. However, extremely high levels of testosterone, such as from injections, can negatively impact Androgen receptor function.

What is the relationship between exercise and Androgen receptor stability?

Exercise is known to increase the expression of heat shock proteins in the body, which are important for stabilizing Androgen receptors. This suggests that exercise may play a foundational role in maintaining Androgen receptor function.

How does the density of Androgen receptors affect their functionality?

Density refers to the number of receptors in a given location within the body. Higher density levels indicate more receptors, which can lead to higher levels of androgen signaling and vice versa.

What factors influence Androgen receptor sensitivity?

Androgen receptor sensitivity is influenced by factors such as affinity—the likelihood that testosterone will bind to the receptor—and transcriptional activity—the activity that happens once a ligand like testosterone binds to the receptor.

How does cortisol impact Androgen receptor function?

Cortisol, particularly in acute stress situations, appears to improve Androgen receptor function by modulating hormonal transduction pathways and reducing inflammation. However, chronic stress and high cortisol levels can have negative effects.

What role do insulin, IGF-1, and leptin play in Androgen receptor health?

Insulin, IGF-1, and leptin, which are released in response to adequate caloric and nutrient intake, appear to have a positive impact on Androgen receptor health, density, and efficiency primarily by improving the stability of the receptors.

How can growth hormone potentially improve Androgen receptor function?

Growth hormone, released in response to low blood glucose levels, has a secondary purpose of preserving important bodily structures. This preservation may indirectly support Androgen receptor function by signaling the body to prioritize sexual health during times of energy availability.

What are some common compounds found in food sources that may block Androgen receptors?

Compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, isoflavones, lignin, curcumin, EGCG, resveratrol, quercetin, berberine, genistein, and others found in common food sources have been shown to potentially block Androgen receptors, especially when consumed as supplements.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 Androgen Receptor Function and Optimization

The first paragraph emphasizes the importance of Androgen receptor function in male hormone health, explaining that the effectiveness of testosterone depends on these receptors. It discusses the biological roles of Androgen receptors, such as muscle mass increase, bone health, sperm production, and maintenance of male sex characteristics. The paragraph also explains the unique cellular location of these receptors and how they operate, including their binding to heat shock proteins in the absence of androgens, their subsequent dimerization, and their role in gene activation within the cell nucleus. The summary highlights the idea that optimal Androgen receptor function may be more critical than the levels of testosterone present in the bloodstream.

05:02

💪 Enhancing Androgen Receptor Density and Sensitivity

This paragraph delves into the specifics of Androgen receptor function, focusing on receptor density and sensitivity. Density refers to the number of receptors in a given location, which affects the level of androgen signaling. Receptor expression and stability are key factors influencing density. Sensitivity is determined by the receptor's affinity for androgens and its transcriptional activity, which measures the receptor's response once bound to an androgen. The paragraph suggests that improving these qualities can enhance overall Androgen receptor health and functionality, and it touches on the hormonal pathways that can augment Androgen receptor functionality, such as the positive response of Androgen receptors to androgens like testosterone.

10:03

🏋️‍♂️ Hormonal Pathways and Lifestyle Factors Influencing Androgen Receptor Function

The third paragraph explores how hormonal pathways and lifestyle factors such as exercise and ejaculation avoidance can impact Androgen receptor function. It mentions the acute increase in testosterone levels due to these activities and hypothesizes their potential positive effects on Androgen receptors. The paragraph also discusses the role of cortisol, which contrary to common belief, may improve Androgen receptor function acutely by modulating hormonal transduction pathways and reducing inflammation. However, it cautions against chronic stress, which can have negative effects.

15:04

🍽️ Nutritional Intake and Hormones Affecting Androgen Receptor Health

This paragraph discusses the impact of nutritional intake on Androgen receptor health, focusing on hormones like insulin, IGF-1, and leptin, which are released in response to adequate caloric and nutrient intake. It suggests that these hormones improve Androgen receptor stability and density. The importance of specific nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, and certain vitamins and minerals that can influence hormone release and Androgen receptor functioning is highlighted. The paragraph also mentions the potential of EL carnitine to increase Androgen receptor density and the role of growth hormone in preserving bodily structures during catabolic states.

20:05

🚫 Compounds That May Inhibit Androgen Receptor Function

The final paragraph warns about various compounds found in common foods and supplements that may block the Androgen receptor. It lists several such compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, isoflavones, and others, which have shown in vitro to reduce or block Androgen receptor activity. While there is not enough evidence to completely avoid these compounds, the paragraph advises caution, especially with supplements containing them, to ensure optimal Androgen receptor function and overall androgenic signaling in the body.

Keywords

💡Androgen receptor

Androgen receptors are proteins found within the cytoplasm of cells that androgens, such as testosterone, bind to in order to exert their biological effects. In the video, it is emphasized that the functionality of these receptors is critical for male hormone health, as even high levels of testosterone are ineffective without properly functioning androgen receptors. The script discusses the importance of optimizing androgen receptor function for the benefits of testosterone, such as increased muscle mass and improved bone health.

💡Testosterone

Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone responsible for the development of male reproductive tissues and secondary sexual characteristics. The video script highlights that the effectiveness of testosterone is dependent on the proper functioning of androgen receptors. It is used as an example to illustrate the concept that hormone levels alone are not as critical as the receptors' ability to respond to those hormones.

💡Heat shock proteins

Heat shock proteins are a group of proteins that help in stabilizing androgen receptors in the absence of androgens. The script suggests that activities like exercise and sauna, which increase the expression of heat shock proteins, may play a foundational role in stabilizing androgen receptors. This connection implies that lifestyle factors can influence hormone receptor function.

💡Androgen receptor density

Receptor density refers to the number of androgen receptors present in a given location within the body. The video explains that a higher density of androgen receptors can lead to a more effective response to androgens. The concept is used to discuss how the number of receptors can influence the body's response to testosterone.

💡Androgen receptor sensitivity

Sensitivity of androgen receptors is a measure of how responsive these receptors are to androgens like testosterone. The script explains that factors such as affinity—the likelihood of testosterone binding to the receptor—and transcriptional activity—the subsequent genetic activity initiated by the receptor—are key components of receptor sensitivity. This concept is crucial for understanding how effectively the body can use testosterone.

💡Cortisol

Cortisol is a hormone associated with the stress response and is typically viewed negatively in the context of hormone health. However, the video script counterintuitively explains that cortisol can improve androgen receptor function, particularly in acute stress situations, by modulating hormonal pathways and reducing inflammation.

💡Exercise

Exercise is mentioned in the script as an activity that can acutely increase testosterone levels, which may positively affect androgen receptor function. The video suggests that while exercise is not typically considered for long-term hormone level increases, its acute effects might significantly influence androgen receptor health.

💡Leptin, IGF-1, and Insulin

Leptin, IGF-1, and Insulin are hormones that are grouped together in the script due to their role in responding to caloric and nutrient intake. They are described as having a positive impact on androgen receptor health, particularly by improving receptor stability and density. The video emphasizes the importance of adequate nutrition for hormone receptor optimization.

💡Growth hormone

Growth hormone is discussed in the script as a counterregulatory hormone that is released in response to low blood glucose levels. It is interesting because its secondary role is to preserve important bodily structures during a catabolic state. The script suggests that growth hormone may improve androgen receptor function, and consuming specific amino acids like arginine, glutamine, and glycine can increase its release.

💡Phytochemicals

Phytochemicals such as polyphenols, flavonoids, isoflavones, and others are compounds found in plant foods that have been shown to potentially block androgen receptors. The script warns that while these compounds are common in many foods, they might hinder androgen receptor function, suggesting a need for caution in their consumption, especially as supplements.

Highlights

Androgen receptor function is critical for male hormone health and is often overlooked.

Testosterone's effectiveness is dependent on the proper functioning of Androgen receptors.

Androgen receptors are primarily found in muscle, bone, testes, and brain tissues.

Androgen receptors are located in the cytoplasm, not on the cell surface.

Heat shock proteins stabilize Androgen receptors in the absence of androgens.

Exercise and sauna may play a role in stabilizing Androgen receptors through heat shock proteins.

Androgen receptor density refers to the number of receptors in a given location.

Receptor expression and stability influence Androgen receptor density.

Androgen receptor sensitivity is a measure of the receptor's responsiveness to testosterone.

Affinity and transcriptional activity are factors that influence Androgen receptor sensitivity.

Maintaining healthy testosterone levels is key to proper Androgen receptor functioning.

Acute spikes in testosterone levels from exercise may positively affect Androgen receptors.

Cortisol can improve Androgen receptor function, contrary to its role in stress.

Acute stress can have a beneficial effect on testosterone levels and Androgen receptor functioning.

Neurotransmitters like dopamine, norepinephrine, and glutamate impact Androgen receptor function.

Hormones like insulin, IGF-1, and leptin positively affect Androgen receptor health through nutrient intake.

Specific nutrients like zinc, magnesium, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids influence Androgen receptor functioning.

Growth hormone may improve Androgen receptor function by preserving body structures during caloric deficit.

Consuming enough protein and specific amino acids can increase growth hormone levels.

Certain compounds found in common food sources may block the Androgen receptor.

Polyphenols and other plant compounds should be consumed cautiously due to their potential impact on Androgen receptors.

Transcripts

one of the most critical and often

overlooked aspects of male hormone

health is Androgen receptor function and

the reason for this is that it literally

doesn't matter how much testosterone you

have if your Androgen receptors The

receptors that testosterone binds to to

carry out its biological effect aren't

operating properly and so in this video

we're going to be taking a deep dive

into what Androgen receptors are how

they function and how to optimize their

functionality so uh let's go ahead and

dive in

Androgen receptors are essentially The

receptors that androgens like

testosterone DHT and andren aione bind

to to carry out their biological

function things like increases in muscle

mass improvements in bone health

stimulation of sperm production as well

as simple maintenance of secondary male

sex characteristics now generally

speaking Androgen receptors are found

throughout the entirety of the body and

various tissues however they're

primarily concentrated in tissues like

muscle tissue bone tissue um as well as

the test

and the brain and in other tissues that

are heavily dependent on Androgen

signaling for proper Health now

interestingly enough Androgen receptors

unlike neurotransmitter receptors are

not actually found on the outside of

cells they're rather found in this

cytoplasm of the cell where hormones

must pass through the cell wall and into

the cytoplasm of the cell in order to

reach and bind to the Androgen receptors

now in the absence of androgens most

Androgen receptors throughout the

entirety of the body are typically bound

to a protein known as heat shock

proteins that help to stabilize the

receptor in the absence of androgens and

after this the receptor then dimerizes

exposing a nuclear uh localization site

uh and then travels to the nucleus of

the cell where the receptor then um

activates and and transcribes various

genetic factors and activates and

deactivates various genes now without

proper functioning of the Androgen

receptors it literally does not matter

how much testosterone you have uh you

can have extremely high levels of

testosterone but if your Androgen

receptors are not functioning properly

you will have uh low Androgen signaling

and symptoms of low testosterone and on

the flip side of this it's entirely

possible to actually have extremely low

levels of testosterone but if your

Androgen receptors are functioning at an

extremely high efficiency uh you it's

actually possible to have absolutely no

uh symptoms of low testosterone and is

also why um there's actually a really

good argument to be made that Androgen

receptor function is actually more

important than the levels of

testosterone that you have in your

bloodstream now I'm not going to spend a

ton of time talking about this here just

because we have a lot to get through but

it is worth noting that because heat

shock proteins are the kind of like

default liend that is attached to the

Androgen receptor and helps to stabilize

the receptor in the absence of androgens

um there's a very strong argument to be

made that things like exercise and and

the sauna which do increase the

expression of heat shock proteins in the

body may have a very uh fundamental and

foundational role in stabilizing um

Androgen receptors now this hasn't been

extensively looked at in any research

that I'm aware of yet however because of

the uh critical functioning role of heat

shock proteins at the Androgen receptor

it's entirely possible that heat shock

proteins are actually one of the most uh

potent ways to improve the functioning

of the andren receptor now when it comes

to understanding Androgen receptor

function and efficiency there are a

couple of definitions that I do want to

run through here very quickly uh just so

we can kind of get a grasp of how

Androgen receptors function before we

dive into how to improve their

functionality and the first one I want

to talk about is simply Androgen

receptor density now density refers to

the number of receptors in a given

location within the body and so when you

have more receptors in a given location

you're going to have a higher density

level and if you have lower levels of uh

receptors in a given uh location or

space you're going to have a lower

density level now when it comes to

density there's also a couple of other

terms that are worth noting here just

because they so potently influence

receptor density and one is uh the

receptor expression as well as the

receptor uh stability now receptor

expression simply refers to how many

Androgen receptors are being produced if

you have a higher level of expression

you're going to going to have a higher

number of Androgen receptors that are

being produced and then when it comes to

stability stability refers to Simply the

stability of The receptors the

likelihood that that receptor is going

to degrade over time and so if you have

a high level of expression and a high

level of stability you're going to end

up having a high density of Androgen

receptors now when it comes to Androgen

receptor sensitivity sensitivity

obviously refers to the sensitivity of

the receptor to things like testosterone

um and is somewhat of a measure of the

likelihood that testosterone will bind

to something like an androgen receptor

and there's a couple of different uh

factors here as well that influence

Androgen receptor sensitivity the first

being affinity and the second being

transcriptional activity now receptor

Affinity refers to specifically the

Affinity of the receptor the likelihood

that testosterone will bind to the

receptor and the higher the AFF of the

receptor the higher the likelihood that

it will bind to an androgen if an

androgen is present and then when it

comes to transcriptional activity in

reference to the sensitivity of the

Androgen receptor the transcriptional

activity is a measurement or a um a

theoretical measurement in the very

least of the activity that happens once

a liand like testosterone or DHT binds

to the Androgen receptor the activity of

the receptor it going to the nucleus and

activating various genetic factors How

likely or how strong is that activity

and so when you have high Affinity

receptors that have a high

transcriptional activity a higher

likelihood of transcribing genetics

after being activated you end up having

a high sensitivity receptor and so if

you're trying to improve the overall

health functionality and efficiency of

your Androgen receptors these are the

two qualities that we're going to be

trying to address the density and the

sensitivity

and there are a handful of ways of doing

this however in this video what I want

to do is uh more so focus on the

hormonal Pathways that augment Androgen

receptor functionality and the first one

we're going to talk about here is

obviously androgens now within normal

levels higher levels of androgens

actually tend to increase Androgen

receptor functioning which is kind of

strange given that most receptors in the

body operate on a negative feedback loop

whereby when uh uh Li in the body

increases in its activity the activity

of the receptor tends to decrease to um

allow the body to reach some sort of

state of homeostasis however within the

context of androgens specifically and

androgen receptors Androgen receptors

actually tend to respond positively to

androgens like testosterone and so what

I mean by that is that when testosterone

levels are high you will typically see a

higher level of Androgen receptors and

the reason for that is when testosterone

binds to Androgen receptors it increases

the uh the transcriptional activity it

increases the Affinity increases the

overall health of the Androgen receptor

which allows it to stick around for

longer and eventually increases the

density of the Androgen receptors as

well in a particular area and so

generally speaking if you want properly

functioning Androgen receptors one of

the best things that you can do is to

have healthy levels of testosterone

however it's worth noting here that this

trend doesn't continue on forever

indefinitely if you start injecting

testosterone for instance it actually

starts to have a negative impact on um

Androgen receptor functioning and on the

flip side of this when you have

extremely low levels of testosterone you

will typically also have uh low

functioning Androgen receptors and so

the key when it comes to um optimizing

Androgen receptor function is just to

Simply have healthy levels of

testosterone not too high and not too

low if your levels are too low for too

long or too high for too long you will

end up having a negative impact on your

Androgen receptors now if you're

interested in taking a super deep dive

into how to naturally optimize

testosterone levels I do have an entire

video on this that I'll link at the end

of this video however there are a couple

of other things I do want to mention in

this context and that is exercise and

the avoidance of ejaculation and the

reason for that is that these activities

or lack of activities however you want

to uh uh categorize them have been shown

to potently and acutely increased

testosterone levels now in the hormone

optimization space we typically don't

look at these activities um as something

to meaningfully increase testosterone

levels over the long ha because of how

acute the effects of these activities

are however um it is entirely possible

uh that these acute spikes in

testosterone levels after um exercise

and because of a lack of ejaculation

might actually have an extremely potent

effect on Androgen receptors now um

again this hasn't been extensively

looked at yet in any clinical setting

however because increases in um

testosterone levels at least acutely and

within the normal physiological range do

appear to improve Androgen receptor

function funing it's entirely possible

that these activities can in fact

improve Androgen receptor health and

function now because testosterone levels

are so important to overall health as

well as Androgen receptor Health it can

be extremely helpful to keep track of

your testosterone levels and measure

your testosterone levels over a long

period of time and is is also why

today's video is sponsored by let's get

checked now let's get checked has been a

sponsor of this channel for years now

and the reason for that is because of

how awesome their test testosterone test

is it's an atome testosterone test that

they literally send directly to your

doorstep where you get to collect your

sample at home send it back to them they

analyze your test and then will actually

give you your results through their

online portal just within a few days and

so if you've never had your testosterone

levels checked before or it's been a

while since you've had your testosterone

levels checked make sure to check out

the link down below for 25% off of an

atome testosterone test now the next

hormonal pathway that appears to

influence Androgen receptor function is

cortisol but not in the way that you

might think that it does uh cortisol

typically gets a really bad wrap in the

hormone space for being the hormone that

triggers the stress response which is

extremely true and when cortisol levels

are chronically High it does tend to

suppress uh testosterone levels since

cortisol and testosterone share similar

precursors and actually share this same

precursor in the body however cortisol

appears to actually improve Androgen

receptor function which is extremely

counterintuitive now cortisol appears to

do this by modulating various hormonal

transduction Pathways in the body as

well as reducing inflammation which does

tend to have a positive impact on

Androgen receptor functioning however

the main point that I want to make here

is that cortisol actually acutely

speaking appears to have a fairly

anabolic and androgenic effect aute

bounce of stress not chronic but acute

bounce of stress actually appear to one

one trigger testosterone release as well

as improve Androgen receptor functioning

and it's only when um uh the acute

stress becomes chronic stress that you

actually end up running into um side

effects from elevated cortisol levels

acutely speaking rises in cortisol are

actually associated with an increase in

testosterone not a decrease as well as

an improvement in Androgen receptor

functioning and so it's actually really

important that we as guys intentionally

engage in stressful situations like

exercise and work a as a means of

activating the cortisol pathway

activating the release of testosterone

as well as um improving the

functionality of the Androgen receptors

but it's also really important to also

figure out ways of mitigating that

stress reducing stress level so that

acute stress that you're intentionally

putting yourself under doesn't become

chronic stress now what's interesting

here is that this idea that acute stress

is actually good and beneficial for

testosterone levels and androgen

receptor functioning is actually

supported uh by the fact that the

neurotransmitters associated with the

stress response also appear to have a

Bene a beneficial effect on testosterone

levels and androgen receptor functioning

things like dopamine things like

norepinephrine as well as glutamate all

appear to have a beneficial effect on

Androgen receptor functioning as well as

being involved with the stress response

and so so while chronic stress is a

really bad thing and chronic elevations

in dopamine nor edrine glutamate and

cortisol are not good not healthy uh for

your body whatsoever acute releases of

these neurotransmitters and hormones do

in fact appear to be beneficial for

Androgen receptor functioning now the

next hormonal pathway that I want to

talk about here is actually a set of

hormones that have very similar

functions so I'm kind of going to just

group them here together and that is

insulin igf1 and LEP now the reason I'm

grouping these hormones together is

because they all are released in

response to adequate caloric intake as

well as to a lesser extent carbohydrates

and protein now leptin igf-1 and Insulin

all appear to have a very positive

impact on Androgen receptor Health

density and efficiency and the reason

for this is primarily by improving the

stability of The receptors because

leptin igf-1 and Insulin all are at

least in response to high chloric intake

and high nutrient intake um it makes

sense that these hormones would have a

positive impact on stabilizing the

proteins that are found in the Androgen

receptor for the purpose of improving

their stability and

density now if you're trying to

intentionally optimize and increase the

levels of these hormone hormones by far

the most important factor to pay

attention to here is your caloric intake

and your nutrient intake because these

hormones are released in a response to

adequate amounts of calories and

adequate amounts of nutrients if you're

not getting enough calories and

nutrients you're going to have hinder

hindered levels of leptin insulin and

igf1 that's going to have a negative

impact on your Androgen receptors

however it's also worth noting here that

there's also a handful of very specific

nutrients that appear to have an

independent and notable impact on these

hormone levels independent of caloric

intake and those would be things like

protein um uh carbohydrates as well

carbohydrates are very potent at

stimulating insulin protein is extremely

potent at stimulating the release of

igf-1 as well as leptin carbohydrates

and fat also are extremely potent at

increasing leptin levels uh but there's

also some very specific uh vitamins and

minerals that have been shown to uh one

improve the release of these hormones as

well as influence Androgen receptor

functioning through those mechanisms and

those would be things like zinc

magnesium vitamin D omega-3 fatty acids

vitamin A and there's also a handful of

other vitamins that have been shown to

influence these metabolic pathways and

so one of the things that's really worth

understanding here is that your body

does tend to prioritize reproduction

things like testosterone production

sperm production Androgen receptor

health

when you have adequate amounts of food

and nutrients and so if you are either

lacking caloric intake or any one of the

particular nutrients that affect um

Androgen uh health and androgen receptor

uh functioning there will be a reduction

in Androgen receptor Health as well as a

reduction in leptin levels insulin

levels and igf1 levels and so again if

you're trying to optimize Androgen

receptor fun functioning through

optimizing leptin insulin and igf-1 the

main thing to really pay attention to

here is to make sure that you're getting

enough calories and enough nutrients and

um this would also apply to things like

El carnitine ELC carnitine is really one

of the only uh supplements and nutrients

that has hardcore clinical data to

support the fact that it can increase

Androgen receptor density and we really

don't understand entirely why this is

quite yet however one of the leading uh

uh theories is simply that carnitine is

able to signify to the body that there

is enough ATP enough energy enough

calories coming in and enough nutrients

coming in to support um uh energy

metabolism in the body which then allows

the body to

prioritize um Sexual Health the

production of testosterone as well as

the receptors that testosterone binds to

now another hormonal pathway that

appears to increase and improve Androgen

receptor function is growth hormone and

I find this one to be particularly

interesting because of the fact that

growth hormone unlike insulin igf-1 and

uh leptin is a counterregulatory hormone

which simply means that it's released in

response to low levels of blood glucose

and the primary uh point of of growth

hormone being released by the body is to

mobilize fatty acids and amino acids for

the purpose of gluconeogenesis and

increasing the availability of ATP in

the body however the secondary purpose

of growth hormone is to hold on to the

structures in the body that are most

important while you're in a chloric

state when you're in a chloric state

your body is going to metabolize its own

bodily structures for ATP for glucose

and what growth hormone does is to

signify to very specific structures in

the body to not do that it prevents the

breakdown of things like ligaments

joints bones and tendons while you're in

a chloric uh deficit now when it comes

to optimizing growth hormone levels the

primary thing that you want to keep in

mind here is to consume enough protein

and specifically the amino acids

Arginine glutamine and glycine these

three specific amino acids appear to

have a fairly potent effect on growth

hormone release and when taken and

supplemented with do appear to increase

growth hormone levels and so consuming

enough protein just in general does

appear to increase growth hormone levels

but increasing the intake of those

specific amino acids appears to increase

it even further and so consuming these

things directly before bed or at least a

couple of hours before bed um may

actually uh help to improve the

pulsatile release of growth hor uh

hormone while you sleep and secondarily

improve Androgen receptor function as

well now the last thing I want to talk

about before we close this video out

very briefly is compounds that actually

have been shown that are found in very

common uh food sources to actually block

the Androgen receptor and these would be

things like

polyphenols flavonoids isoflavones

lignin curcumin kakin egcg Resveratrol

quatin dim berberine genistin

sulfurane marijuana lysene and the list

literally goes on and on and on there

are a ton of different compounds that

are found in very very common foods that

have been shown at the very least in inv

vitro setting to reduce or or actually

block the Androgen receptor and so

though there isn't enough evidence quite

yet to definitively say that you

shouldn't consume them for the purpose

of maximizing Androgen receptor function

there is enough evidence to S suggest

that you should be cautious of your

intake of some of these plant foods and

supplements now I will say in general

polyphenols don't cross the gut barrier

very well and so this may not be a

practical concern with food products

that are high in some of these

polyphenols however it may be enough

evidence to at least caution the use of

these as supplements and so uh I did

want to clo at least close this video

out with with mentioning that there are

a ton of different compound supplements

and food products that may actually

hinder completely hinder Androgen

receptor function and have a very

negative impact on overall androgenic

signaling in the body but other than

that guys that's pretty much all I have

for this video so if you have any

questions uh feel free to leave a

comment down below uh make sure to check

out the link down below for 25% off of

an atome testosterone test and if you're

specifically looking for coaching help

and optimizing your personal hormone

profile please feel free to reach out to

me there's a link down there for that as

well but other than that I'll see you

next time