Collecting this in one place because it comes up every few weeks and the answer is always assembled from scratch. It is about the hormone panel, and it is deliberately narrow — everything I am not confident about is marked as such.
What is actually established
Most of the hormonal change here is a consequence of adiposity falling rather than a drug effect. Less adipose tissue means less aromatase activity, so in men testosterone commonly rises and estradiol falls, and SHBG rises as insulin resistance improves — which means total testosterone can rise while free testosterone moves less than expected. In PCOS, improved insulin sensitivity frequently restores ovulation, which is a fertility change people are not always expecting.
The condition it depends on
This is a case where measuring the free fraction rather than the total matters, because SHBG is moving at the same time.
What I am not sure about
So the question, as narrowly as I can put it: why total and free can move differently here, and which of the two is worth tracking. Numbers rather than impressions, if you have them.
BenResearch_OR said:Most of the hormonal change here is a consequence of adiposity falling rather than a drug effect.
HPA axis assessment on the hormone panel: rarely ordered but informative for understanding the stress-metabolism connection:
4-point salivary cortisol:
- Morning: 16 ng/mL → 12 ng/mL (improved)
- Noon: 8 ng/mL → 5 ng/mL
- Evening: 4 ng/mL → 2 ng/mL
- Night: 2 ng/mL → 1 ng/mL
The cortisol curve is normalizing — less flat, better diurnal variation. Reduced visceral fat = reduced cortisol overproduction. The metabolic benefits cascade into stress hormone regulation.
BenResearch_OR said:Most of the hormonal change here is a consequence of adiposity falling rather than a drug effect.
Hormone panel changes on the hormone panel — relevant for anyone curious about endocrine effects:
- Testosterone: increased 42% (weight loss reduces aromatase in adipose tissue)
- Estradiol: normalized from elevated baseline
- SHBG: increased appropriately
- Free testosterone: increased 18%
- Cortisol AM: within normal limits, no significant change
My reproductive endocrinologist says the testosterone improvement alone could explain the energy and mood benefits I've experienced.
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View ResultsDr.LipidDallas said:Hormone panel changes on the hormone panel — relevant for anyone curious about endocrine effects: Testosterone: increased 42% (weight loss reduces…
Sex hormone labs after weight loss on the hormone panel — for the men in this thread:
Testosterone: 332 → 612 ng/dL (dramatic improvement!)
Free T: 6.7 → 12.2 ng/dL
Estradiol: 44 → 26 pg/mL
SHBG: 22 → 46 nmol/L
Visceral fat contains aromatase which converts testosterone to estrogen. As you lose visceral fat, this conversion decreases and testosterone naturally rises. I feel 10 years younger.
VendorMark said:HPA axis assessment on the hormone panel: rarely ordered but informative for understanding the stress-metabolism connection: 4-point salivary…
Same pattern here, and in the same order. I had assumed I was the exception until I read this.