The Morning Dose #34: Modifying the Gut Microbiome, Protein for Anti-Aging, and Thoughts on TRT Dosing

In this week’s edition of The Morning Dose:

Maximus Tribe Review

 Modifying The Gut Microbiome for Fat Loss

 Research Spotlight: Dietary Protein Intake and Healthy Aging

More Testosterone Isn’t Always a Good Thing

Let’s inject this.

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 Maximus Tribe Review

We’ve got another fantastic blog post on our website from head coach Daniel Louwrens. This week, he’s written an in-depth review of Maximus Tribe, one of the more popular online clinics out there.

The timing is perfect, because last week, we talked about enclomiphone (Maximus’ specialty), and I’ve been getting bombarded with Maximus Tribe ads for months.

As the use of enclomiphene as a popular TRT alternative continues to surge in popularity, more and more clinics that emphasize enclomiphene therapy as a viable alternative are popping up.

In this Maximus Tribe Review, Daniel explains the pros and cons, pricing, who it’s best for, and everything else you need to know about this company.

Maximus has grown and expanded over the years to include all kinds of offerings, and Daniel explains it all.

So, if you’ve been considering switching to (or starting) enclomiphene therapy, Daniel’s latest review is a must-read.

Read: Maximus Tribe Review

  Modifying The Gut Microbiome for Fat Loss

Let’s start with a big disclaimer here…

There’s still a lot we don’t know about the gut microbiome or its interactions with the rest of the body.

We know it can have a powerful impact on all sorts of things, like mood, appetite, and overall health, but the gut is incredibly complex and still requires a lot of research.

Thankfully, new research is published all the time–like this new study from Nature Metabolism.

Researchers wanted to examine the relationship between fiber intake in the form of resistant starches and the gut microbiome. To do this, they increased fiber intake in half of the study participants in this randomized trial.

The participants were not on antibiotics, probiotics, or any other medications that are known to impact the gut.

Half of the group received resistant starches before each meal, a type of fiber that’s very difficult to digest, and thought to impact the gut microbiome. The other half was instructed to eat as normal, and the calorie intake for both groups was controlled, so the fiber intake didn’t impact meal size.

Participants who received these resistant starches lost an average of 6 pounds in 8 weeks and experienced an increase in insulin sensitivity.

This was due to an increase in multiple probiotic strains, which is thought to have made an impact on insulin and weight loss.

As stated earlier, more research is needed on the gut microbiome, but this is a great study–particularly because eating more fiber is quite easy, and something we should be doing for our overall health anyway. Now there’s a bonus of improved weight loss from eating more fiber.

Need a starting point?

Try adding more lentils, whole grains, berries, and green vegetables to your diet, preferably with each meal.

 Research Spotlight: Dietary Protein Intake and Healthy Aging

We talk a lot about different anti-aging protocols and interesting research, and we’ve got another one for you today–thankfully, this one is very easy to implement right away.

A recent study found that a higher protein intake was associated with significantly higher odds of healthy aging in nearly 50,000 nurses studied from the 1980s to 2016.

For this study, healthy aging was defined as: “Being free from 11 major chronic diseases, having good mental health, and not having impairments in either cognitive or physical function, as assessed in the 2014 or 2016 NHS participant questionnaires.”

The study found that the higher the protein intake, the greater the chance of healthy aging, and plant protein had the biggest impact on health, but animal-based protein was also beneficial.

Now, some people out there will claim that high protein intake is harmful, if not dangerous, but we’ve yet to see convincing evidence.

Protein supplies essential amino acids that are used for growing hair, skin, and nails, not to mention repairing and maintaining muscle tissue.

As we age, staying active and maintaining a moderate-to-high protein intake is one of the most powerful ways to preserve muscle tissue, helping us stay mobile and active into our old age.

You don’t need to track your macros to eat more protein; you can simply aim to consume 30-40g per meal, supplementing with protein shakes as needed, or after workouts.

This isn’t a fun hack or new peptide, but this a foundational habit that we’ve long known is important for body composition and muscle mass–now we know that it impacts all aspects of healthy aging.

And if you are looking for more advanced anti-aging tactics, be sure to read our guide to the best anti-aging peptides.

More Testosterone Isn’t Always a Good Thing

Here’s an interesting thought for your weekend…

Higher testosterone levels aren’t always a good thing.

Yes, we’re a site that provides education on SARMs, peptides, anti-aging, and of course, TRT, but that doesn’t mean we encourage everyone to seek the highest possible TRT dose at all times.

Allow me to explain.

We see SO many men who are started on absurdly high TRT protocols.

In fact, when I started TRT several years ago and wasn’t very educated on the subject, I learned this lesson the hard way. My doctor started me on a very aggressive protocol that he’d named after himself, and prescribed to every patient…

Eight weeks after initiating therapy, my total testosterone had spiked from 314 ng/dL to nearly 1,900 ng/dL. Along with that came a host of unpleasant side effects (needless to say, I’m no longer with this doctor).

On paper, it’s easy to think that this means more of the positive benefits, but this is only true to a certain extent. 

If you’re clinically deficient in testosterone, or even on the low end of the “normal” range, there’s a good chance that bringing yourself to the high of the range will make you feel better. Great!

But I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about the guys who are hitting double the normal range, expecting miracles, and wondering why they feel awful.

We are seeking optimal health above all else.

And indefinitely running a TRT protocol that’s essentially a low-dose bodybuilding cycle can come with all kinds of problems, like:

High blood pressure

Elevated hematocrit

Hair loss

Acne

Body hair growth (think back, shoulders, etc…)

Mood swings

Loss of libido

Erectile dysfunction

Anxiety

Insomnia

Gynocemastia

And more. These sound like symptoms you’d expect to fix with TRT, right? They are, but too much can throw off your hormonal balance and make you feel even worse, which is why you should always aim for the optimal dose for you.

Now, we’re not trying to scare you, and the dose you use is between you and your doctor. And some people do need to reach higher than normal levels to achieve symptom relief.

But I’m tired of seeing men who are prescribed a modest protocol turn to internet forums and be told that it’s far too low, leading them to look for those TRT clinics that will prescribe nearly anything under the sun… more often than not, this only causes problems.

Look for a doctor that will help you start with a modest does, re-assess via bloodwork every few months, and increase as needed.

TRT is for life, so there’s no hurry to get it right, and you don’t want to start way too high and end up with unnecessary side effects. Trust me on that one.

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