Men’s Health

The Link Between Sermorelin and Testosterone: Can Sermorelin Boost Your T-Levels?

Most men’s testosterone levels drop by about 1% per year after the age of 30.¹ Low testosterone levels impact up to 4 million American men, yet only about 5% of men with documented low testosterone levels receive treatment.² Because aging is a major risk factor for low testosterone, a condition known as andropause, many men seek therapies that can restore testosterone levels and reverse the symptoms associated with low testosterone, such as decreased muscle mass and strength, increased body fat, low energy and libido, and mood changes.

Sermorelin is a growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) secretagogue. It is not a human growth hormone (HGH). Sermorelin works with your body’s natural rhythms by stimulating the natural release of growth hormone. Because the benefits of restoring growth hormone align with the benefits of restoring testosterone, the two therapies are frequently used together.

What should you do if you think you have low testosterone levels?

The American Urological Association (AUA) has guidelines for identifying and treating testosterone deficiency. If you think your testosterone levels may be suboptimal due to aging or other risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, other metabolic conditions, steroid use, excessive alcohol consumption, or smoking, talk to your doctor.

Schedule a complete history and physical exam

The symptoms associated with low testosterone levels are nonspecific. Other medical conditions can cause changes in body composition, energy levels, and muscle mass. Schedule an appointment with your doctor for a complete evaluation to get a picture of your overall health.

Lab work

If your doctor believes that low testosterone levels are contributing to your symptoms, checking your testosterone levels is the next step in the AUA recommendations. A total testosterone level below 300 ng/dL is considered a reasonable cut-off for low testosterone levels.

Total testosterone level: In most cases, two separate testosterone levels are obtained, with both levels taken before noon, as testosterone levels tend to naturally decrease later in the day. Normal testosterone levels for adult males range between 280 and 1,100 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) and between 15 and 70 ng/dL for adult females. Normal lab values can differ between labs.

Luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH): LH and FSH are hormones secreted by the pituitary gland. LH stimulates the testes to produce testosterone, and FSH is involved in sperm production. Measuring these two hormone levels can help distinguish between low testosterone originating from a problem in the brain or pituitary gland from one in the testes.

Blood prolactin level: Prolactin is a hormone that stimulates breast development and milk production in the female. Increased levels in men may be a sign of a benign pituitary tumor, among other things.

Blood hemoglobin/hematocrit level: Low hemoglobin levels can indicate a medical condition, such as anemia. Testosterone replacement therapy may result in an increase in red blood cell production. As a result, both before and after treatment, a baseline hemoglobin/hematocrit level is recommended.

Lipid panel: This measures cholesterol and triglycerides and can help your doctor develop your risk profile for cardiovascular disease.

Based on your blood test results and medical history, additional lab tests or studies may be required. The AACC recommends a baseline level of free estrogen because some testosterone will be converted to estrogen, and a baseline estrogen level can help determine this conversion rate.³

Diagnosis

Low testosterone or andropause is a clinical diagnosis that requires a documented low testosterone level and symptoms consistent with low testosterone. Men with unexplained anemia, decreased bone density, diabetes, male infertility, chronic narcotic use, pituitary dysfunction, HIV/AIDS, exposure to chemotherapy or radiation, or chronic corticosteroid use may be diagnosed based on testosterone levels alone.

Why is it important to diagnose and treat low testosterone?

Low testosterone levels are associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart attacks, and blood vessel disease. However, lifestyle factors are also important.

Healthy lifestyle choices that can support cardiovascular health and testosterone levels include:

Maintain a healthy weight
Watch your blood sugar
Get enough vitamin D
Exercise
Get adequate, restful sleep
Reduce stress
Moderate or stop alcohol use
Stop smoking
Check your medications for potential side-effects
Avoid endocrine disruptors

Many men seek an evaluation for low testosterone after experiencing erectile dysfunction. The most common contributing factor to erectile dysfunction, or the inability to maintain an erection suitable for penetrative sex, is vascular disease. Talk to your doctor about all of your health concerns to develop an action plan to decrease your risk.

What are the benefits of Sermorelin for men?

Like testosterone, human growth hormone levels decrease with age, and this decrease causes similar symptoms to low testosterone.

Supplementing with human growth hormone is illegal in the United States, and the risks of long-term use are unknown. Sermorelin is a growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) secretagogue. It stimulates the natural release of growth hormone from your pituitary gland.⁴

Using sermorelin instead of recombinant human growth hormone allows your body’s feedback systems to continue to regulate growth hormone release.

Over 2,000 published papers have led to a consensus that replacing growth hormone can reverse many of the symptoms associated with aging related growth hormone deficiency.⁵

What are the benefits of Sermorelin and testosterone combined?

While taking sermorelin cannot boost your testosterone levels, taking the two treatments together can have synergistic effects. In a 6-month study that enrolled healthy men over the age of 65 who took testosterone and growth hormone replacement, lean body mass increased when they took either testosterone or growth hormone replacement. Men who took both had an additive increase in lean body mass.

Men who took either testosterone or growth hormone replacement alone had a decrease in total fat mass. Men taking both had the greatest decrease.⁶

Potential benefits of taking sermorelin include:

Decreased body fat
Increased muscle mass
Increased muscle strength
Increased bone mass
Better libido
More energy

Talk to a treatment specialist at Invigor Medical to learn more about sermorelin and how it may reduce symptoms of age-related decreases in growth hormone.

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Disclaimer

While we strive to always provide accurate, current, and safe advice in all of our articles and guides, it’s important to stress that they are no substitute for medical advice from a doctor or healthcare provider. You should always consult a practicing professional who can diagnose your specific case. The content we’ve included in this guide is merely meant to be informational and does not constitute medical advice.

References:

Feldman HA, Longcope C, Derby C et al. Age Trends in the Level of Serum Testosterone and Other Hormones in Middle-Aged Men: Longitudinal Results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 87, Issue 2, 1 February 2002, Pages 589–598, https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem.87.2.8201
Seftel, A. Male hypogonadism. Part I: Epidemiology of hypogonadism. Int J Impot Res 18, 115–120 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901397
AACC. (2020). Low Testosterone in Adult Men | Lab Tests Online. Retrieved from https://labtestsonline.org/conditions/low-testosterone-adult-men
Walker R. F. (2006). Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency?. Clinical interventions in aging, 1(4), 307–308. https://doi.org/10.2147/ciia.2006.1.4.307
Garcia JM, Merriam GR, Kargi AY. Growth Hormone in Aging. [Updated 2019 Oct 7]. In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Blackman MR, et al., editors. Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279163/
Blackman MR, Sorkin JD, Munzer T, Bellantoni MF, Busby-Whitehead J, Stevens TE, Jayme J, O’Connor KG, Christmas C, Tobin JD, Stewart JK, Cottrell E, St Clair C, Pabst KM, Harman SM. Growth hormone and sex steroid administration in healthy aged women and men: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2002;288:2282–92.