Description
BTI injury increased by 400% for TRT users! But, let's look at this through a magnifying glass!
Hey guys, Gert Louw here, and today I want to tackle a really important topic that’s been coming up in the fitness world – especially for us older guys on TRT. You all know as an older body coach, I’m a strong advocate for testosterone replacement therapy (when needed), but there’s been some buzz around a potential link between TRT and tendon injuries, especially in a major recent science study. So, let’s dig into it.
TRT: The Benefits Are Real
First off, let me make one thing clear. Low testosterone levels are no joke. If you’ve got low T, you’re looking at issues like depression, muscle loss, weight gain, and potentially some serious long-term health problems. That’s why doctor-prescribed TRT can be a game-changer. The benefits massively outweigh the negatives—when done under supervision.
A Friend's Scary Experience
But here’s why I’m bringing this up. One of my friends (using TRT), who’s slightly older than me and has been into muscle training for years, had a pretty terrifying experience recently. He ruptured both his biceps tendons—at the same time! Yeah, you heard that right. It’s called a distal biceps tendon injury, and to make matters worse, when that happens, one’s kidneys take a major hit while trying to filter out all the toxins from the muscle breakdown. We’re talking about potentially permanent kidney damage and well you all know torn biceps is not the easiest thing to fix.
Obviously, this kind of injury is devastating.
A further note on this: "According to Men's Journal, the muscle groups most commonly affected by injury are the shoulders, lower back, thighs, and calves, says Wang. Although researchers haven’t identified specific exercises that increase the risk, one known trigger is eccentric movements—the part of the exercise where the muscle lengthens instead of contracts. Examples include lowering into a squat or lowering a bicep curl. Seedman explains that eccentric loading uses less ATP (the energy source for muscles) than concentric movements, which means you may not feel as fatigued and can push yourself further—leading to potential overexertion and damage. Wang adds that rhabdomyolysis is also more commonly seen after repetitive eccentric activities like push-ups, sit-ups, squats, cycling, and hill training."
The Science Behind TRT and Tendon Injuries
Now, here’s where things get interesting. While digging into the science to find answers, the following recent (2023) science study came to light and raised some eyebrows. The study showed that prescription testosterone is linked to an increased risk of distal biceps tendon injuries. They looked at a massive group—over 776,000 guys between the ages of 35 and 75. And guess what? Men on TRT had a 400% higher risk of bicep tendon injuries compared to those who weren’t on TRT.
PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO FOR THE REST OF THE SCRIPT.
Happy training! Cheers...
Gert Louw