The Morning Dose #9

In this week’s edition of The Morning Dose:

Ask A Coach: Weekly Q&A

Reader’s Corner: How to Build Muscle on TRT

 Research Corner: Lifestyle Factors that Crash Your Testosterone

Can Americans Afford Weight Loss Peptides?

Let’s inject this.

First time reading? I’m Matt, and this is The Morning Dose. Every week, our team scours 100s of sources to bring you need-to-know news and insights you won’t find elsewhere. All in 5 minutes. Did someone forward you this email? Sign up here.

 Ask A Coach: Reader Q&A

Want us to answer your questions? Hit reply, ask us your training, nutrition, or peptide questions, and we’ll choose one to answer in each edition of The Morning Dose.

We can’t guarantee an answer, but we’ll pick an interesting question each week to share. And if you want to speak with us directly about your burning questions, our coaching team is available for consultations.

Here are this week’s questions, along with our head coach Daniel’s answers.

“I want to learn about SARMS. My specific interest is in memory, healing injuries, and relieving arthritis. I suffered a major rappelling fall, and am having soft tissue injury pain which I believe is arthritis, and I’ve lost a lot of strength.”
-T.W.

Unfortunately, SARMS will not do anything to help promote soft tissue repair.

SARMS can increase muscle protein synthesis, but if you’re dealing with ongoing pain and soft tissue injury, the best option is to work with your primary healthcare provider to figure out exactly what’s going on.

If that doesn’t work, a better option may be to look into peptide therapies. SARMS are better for sports performance, while peptides are better for healing and recovery.

And when it comes to your memory, SARMS could make things even worse.

“Aside from diet, supplements, and a workout routine, what do you recommend that works best for leaning out and getting rid of fat?”
-M.P.

If you want to get leaner, the most important thing is to continue dieting, continue training, and be patient and consistent.

There’s no shortcut to fat loss, and if you’re not being 100% on point with your food, training, and sleep, there are no SARMS or peptides that will make up for that.

Now, if you are 100% consistent with your diet and training, you may be able to see a benefit from using SARMS or peptides… but think long and hard before using any sort of substance.

Everything has side effects, and you need to understand the pros and cons of any compound you’re considering using.

Even something like semaglutide, which is a very popular weight-loss peptide, isn’t without side effects–users report nausea, upset stomach, dizziness, fatigue, and there have been cases of stomach paralysis. Not to mention, semaglutide use may increase your risk of muscle loss.

If the side effects are worth it to you, then go for it. If you’re not willing to risk your health, then you simply need to continue dieting and be patient. If you think you need drugs to get lean, look at natural bodybuilders as the perfect example of what’s achievable with consistency, willpower, and patience.

“What do you think about using BPC-157 long term, and why? Just this year I have taken three cycles and I have noticed its tremendous effect on sport recovery, particularly for joints.

Although I started taking it for a tendonitis injury, I plan to cycle back on after 4 weeks off and perhaps use it long-term.

However, I do worry about the long-term negative impacts, though I have not seen much evidence of it yet. One such example is that my joints feel particularly inflamed when I finish a cycle. I don’t know if this is age related, or if this is indeed an impact of the BPC-157.”
-A.H.

The inflammation that you feel may have always been there, and you’re just feeling it more now that the BPC-157 is out of your system, kind of like taking away a pain medication.

While BPC-157 does promote healing, it can also offer soothing pain relief, which may blunt the pain of your injuries enough to make you think they’re fully healed. So it’s not likely that BPC-157 is causing inflammation, it’s probably just masking the ongoing issue you’re suffering from.

As for other long-term side effects, we simply don’t know, as there haven’t been any long-term human studies yet.

I wouldn’t suggest taking BPC-157 for extended periods of time– I’d much rather solve the underlying issue first, rather than rely on BPC forever. Your primary care provider can help you diagnose the pain, and refer you to specialists if needed.

If you try that and still can’t relieve your underlying issues, you may want to consider a growth hormone-based peptide. BPC-157 is best used for acute injuries, while growth hormone peptides are best used for broad-spectrum, full-body healing.

If you want us to answer your questions, hit reply and ask away!

  Reader’s Corner: How to Build Muscle on TRT

Over the past few weeks, we’ve received quite a few questions about TRT and muscle building.

Many men in their thirties, forties, and beyond are restoring optimal testosterone levels through replacement therapy, which is fantastic, and now they want to know how to optimize muscle growth.

After all, building muscle while suffering from low testosterone can be quite challenging, if not impossible. Going on TRT fixes this problem, but remember one thing…

Clinically-dosed TRT is NOT a shortcut.

Sure, some sketchy clinics will prescribe very high doses of “sports TRT” and take you well above your natural testosterone threshold, but at that point, you’re essentially running a steroid cycle, which we don’t recommend.

Instead, work with a clinic that emphasizes safe use, and will help you optimize your hormones with minimal side effects. We strongly recommend and trust the folks at Fountain TRT, an online clinic specializing in affordable, safe TRT.

Once you’ve brought your testosterone back to the normal range, you’ll build muscle just like everyone else–a well-designed resistance training program, a calorie surplus, adequate protein intake, and proper recovery.

There are no shortcuts to getting jacked, and true TRT simply restores normal function. It doesn’t make you a superhuman who needs a specialized approach to training and nutrition.

Building muscle is a long, slow process, but if you have the basics covered, all you need to do is trust the process and be patient.

The essentials?

0.8-1g of protein per pound of body weight

Resistance training at least 3-4 days per week

Eat in a calorie surplus of 200-300 per day

Prioritize sleep and recovery between sessions

If you do those things consistently, you’ll be well on your way to building muscle with your optimized testosterone levels.

And if you’re looking for specific advice and a tailored plan, our coaches are ready to help you.

 Last Week’s Poll Results

Last week, we asked if you’ve ever used peptides – here are the results.

Yes, I Have – 65%
I’m Considering It, But Not Yet – 35%
No, I’m Not Interested – 0%

Here are some of the interesting comments we received:

“Favorable response to BPC157. Impamorelin- no noticeable response. PT-141 extreme nausea at 250 mcg, nice response at 100mcg ”

“I have actually tried a few different peptides. Some have made a difference for me and some have not.”

“I am getting close to the end of my weight loss journey and it is getting very tough. Considering using something to help, but I am uncertain. Damage to important internal organs is simply not worth that last 10 or 15 pounds.”

Research Corner: Lifestyle Factors that Crash Your Testosterone

This past Tuesday, the American College of Physicians published a new meta-analysis looking at the various lifestyle factors that influence testosterone levels in men.

Why do some men need testosterone replacement therapy as early as their thirties, and some men maintain high testosterone levels well into their sixties and seventies?

Doctors have long suspected that lifestyle factors play a role, and this meta-analysis, led by Dr. Ross Marriott of The University of Western Australia, took a closer look at the existing data.

They examined a wide panel of men’s hormones, including testosterone, SHBG, luteinizing hormone (LH), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and estradiol.

Here’s what they found.

Testosterone was inversely associated with BMI – in other words, a higher BMI was associated with lower testosterone levels.

Testosterone levels were lower in men who exercise less than 75 minutes per week.

Testosterone levels were lower in smokers, those with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure.

SHBG, which impacts how much free testosterone is available in your body, was inversely related to age, as was LH, which impacts fertility.

The meta-analysis concluded that once you’re over the age of 70, it’s normal to experience a drop in testosterone levels and luteinizing hormone.

And if you’re younger than 70, your BMI, activity levels, and overall health play a huge role in your testosterone levels.

So, if you’ve got low testosterone levels, make sure to address the lifestyle factors first, before committing to a lifetime of TRT.

Get your body weight in a healthy range, quit smoking, and make sure you’re exercising regularly–particularly resistance training. This is the best way to optimize your natural levels and should be the first step you take.

If you’ve done that and still have concerns, you’ll want to speak to a men’s health physician.

We highly recommend the folks over at Fountain TRT, and they’ve created a special offer for Muscle + Brawn readers, allowing you to get tested and speak with a doctor for only $35. This is a no-brainer if you’re considering going on TRT!

Check Your Testosterone Levels for Only $35

Can Americans Afford Weight Loss Peptides?

Weight loss drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide continue to soar in popularity, and the demand far outweighs the supply in the United States.

While some reports show that half of Americans qualify for semaglutide therapy, the drug is incredibly expensive, even for those with good health insurance plans.

As we’ve covered in the past, the FDA has been cracking down on the compounding pharmacies that were making affordable peptides, forcing users to buy from shady research labs or spend quite a bit of money to get the name-brand… if you can find it in the first place.

Here’s a chart from Health System Tracker, comparing the price of semaglutide in the United States to the cost in other countries–we were shocked to see this.

As you can see, the United States has the highest monthly cost, and it’s not even close.

Even if half of Americans qualify for semaglutide to treat obesity, it may be a long time before this drug is affordable for the average person.