You hear it all the time online and in real life.
Guys proudly proclaiming to all who will listen that they are, “all natty, bro” - that is, they are a natural (aka “natty”) lifter/athlete who doesn’t have to resort to the use of anabolic steroids to achieve what they’ve accomplished.
Guys have all kinds of reasons for making this claims.
Sometimes its a guy who’s clearly “roided” to the gills but claims natural status to avoid the stigma associated with steroid use or because it fits their particular brand (think Instagram’s Liver King).
More often, however, it is an actual natural lifter or athlete who smugly asserts their natty status to either discredit the physical achievements of an “enhanced” individual or to excuse their own lack of achievements relative to an enhanced athlete - often times its a bit of both.
It’s these guys who I’m addressing in today’s post. Maybe you’re one of these guys. If you are, I’ve got some bad news for you: You aren’t natty, bro.
None of us are.
Falling Testosterone Levels -
You may or may not have heard, but men’s testosterone levels have been falling dramatically and they’ve been doing so for quite some time [LINK].
Multiple studies [HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE] have come to the same conclusion that testosterone levels are dropping significantly.
And before you ask, yes researchers have taken into account confounding lifestyle and weight related factors. The results remain the same: men today are not the same as men were a few decades ago.
Declining testosterone levels are big problem for a number of reasons:
This is an issue we all need to take seriously. Unfortunately, those responsible for making policy and informing the public are more interested in hiding the facts.
But My Doctor Says I’m Within Normal Range!
What is considered “within normal range” for testosterone means fuck all nowadays.
Why?
For starters, we have efforts from the CDC [LINK] and Labcorp (the largest clinical laboratory in the US) that effectively lowers the reference ranges for testosterone in healthy adult men to compensate for the secular drop seen in men’s testosterone level[LINK] over the last several decades.
You can see the numbers they changed below:
And it’s not just here in the US. They’re up to shenanigans in the UK too.
Though we don’t have the earlier data for many of these labs, when we do, you can clearly see that the reference ranges have been lowered. See for yourself below:
This deliberate lowering of the testosterone reference ranges in men is incredibly significant because it obfuscates a very serious and alarming trend related directly to men’s health and quality of life.
Let’s say you were experiencing symptoms of low testosterone and decided to have your levels checked by your doctor or at a TRT clinic.
If you weren’t aware of this sleight of hand being pulled by the CDC, Labcorp, and other labs, your doc would tell you that your test levels are, “within normal range” and you’d just have to take his word for it - not knowing that there’s nothing normal at all with population wide decreases in male testosterone levels [LINK].
No longer getting morning wood? Sexual desire nearly non-existent? Losing muscle mass or struggling to make gains? Energy levels are rock bottom?
Well, tough shit.
The Science™ says your testosterone levels are “within range”. Welcome to the new normal!
Now anyone with a semi-functioning brain can see the flawed logic here:
“Testosterone levels have been falling for decades and instead of admitting there’s a problem we simply determined that the reference ranges need to be lowered.”
The main issue here isn’t being addressed, it’s being swept under the rug.
What’s Causing This ‘New Normal’?
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what is causing the drop in men’s testosterone levels.
But the most likely candidate, identified by researchers, seems to be the prevalence of endocrine disruptors in our environment. Endocrine disruptors like:
Widespread use of soy/soy lecithin [HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE]
Various known endocrine disruptors in our water supply [HERE]
Household cleaning supplies [HERE]
If you still think you’re “natty” after being exposed to all of that then, brother, you are delusional.
The truth is you aren’t a natural athlete because your testosterone levels are being unnaturally lowered.
I mean, at least the dude on roids is getting jacked, his libido is high, his confidence levels are high, and his athletic performance is definitely well above average.
What are you getting? Soft erections and soft bones?
Maybe We Need a Little Roid Rage?
I didn’t write this post to piss all over natural guys and make fun of them.
Rather the point of this post is to piss you off and get you to take control of your health and testosterone levels.
I want you to speak out about the amount of endocrine disruptors all of us are exposed to every day and educate those around you. Hell, share this post with them.
In the next post, I’ll address strategies you can implement to reduce your exposure to endocrine disruptors as well as ways you can increase your test levels.
I’ve also got a post coming down the pipeline that discusses the benefits and drawbacks of Testosterone Replacement Therapy for those of you interested in going down that route.
Until next time, keep kicking ass!
Further Reading -