How Long Does It Take for Testosterone Replacement Therapy to Work?

You’ve been on testosterone for a while and can’t wait to see the effects of it.

But like any other treatment, testosterone therapy isn’t a quick fix. It would help if you were well-versed in when a specific effect of the therapy will start to kick in.

So, how long does it take for testosterone to work?

When Do We Start to See the Benefits of Testosterone Therapy?

How Long Does It Take for Testosterone to Work?

Below is a list of studies and their findings in terms of the effects of testosterone.

The essential effects include muscle mass and strength, body composition, and cardiovascular, psychological, and sexual health.

Muscle Mass and Strength

Study	Formulation	Onset of effects	Findings
Sattler, F. et al.	Transdermal testosterone (5 or 10 g/day) combined with growth hormone	16 weeks	Total lean body mass ↑ Upper and lower body muscle strength ↑
Caminiti G. et al.	Intramuscular long-acting testosterone (1000 mg)	12 weeks	Quadriceps isometric strength ↑ Maximal voluntary contraction ↑ Isokinetic strength ↑
Storer T. et al.	Up to 300 mg/week of intramuscular injections of testosterone	20 weeks	Skeletal muscle mass ↑ Leg strength ↑
Wang C. et al.	1% testosterone gel (50 or 100 mg/day)	6 months	Muscle strength in the leg press exercise ↑
Srinivas-Shankar, U. et al.	Transdermal testosterone (50 mg/day)	6 months	Lean body mass ↑ Lower limb muscle strength ↑
Basaria, S. et al.	Transdermal testosterone gel (starting dose 100 mg/day with possible 150 mg/day)	6 months	Leg press strength ↑ Chest press strength ↑ Stair climbing power ↑

Conclusion: Depending on the acquired testosterone levels, the effects of testosterone on muscle mass and strength are observable after 12-20 weeks, with the peak effects occurring after 6-12 months.

Body Composition

Study

Formulation

Onset of effects

Findings

Boyanov, M. et al.

Testosterone undecanoate (120 mg daily)

3 months

Total body mass ↓

Wang, C. et al.

1% testosterone gel (50 or 100 mg/day)

3 months

Total body mass ↑

Lean body mass ↑

Fat mass ↓

Conclusion: Depending on the acquired testosterone levels, the effects of testosterone on body composition are observable after 3 months, with the primary effects occurring on both lean and fat mass.

Cardiovascular Parameters

Study	Formulation	Onset of effects	Findings
Anderson, F. et al.	Intramuscular testosterone (250 mg) every two weeks	3 months	Diastolic blood pressure ↓
Zitzmann, M. et al.	Intramuscular long-acting testosterone (1000 mg)	10-14 weeks	Diastolic blood pressure ↓ Systolic blood pressure ↓ Resting heart rate ↓ by 40-44 weeks
Yaron, M. et al.	Transdermal testosterone (25–50 mg daily)	48 hours 3 months	Arterial stiffness measured as pulse wave velocity ↓ Arterial stiffness measured in extensive artery compliance ↓
Malkin, C. et al.	Intramuscular testosterone (Sustanon 100, 100 mg/ml)	4 weeks	Ischemic threshold ↑
Pugh, P. et al.	Intramuscular testosterone (Sustanon 100, 100 mg/ml)	12 weeks 180 mins	Exercise capacity ↑ Cardiac index (cardiac output related to body surface) ↑

Conclusion: Depending on the acquired testosterone levels, the effects of testosterone on cardiovascular health are observable after 180 minutes to 3 months, with the impact occurring on various parameters.

Psychological Parameters

Study	Formulation	Onset of effects	Findings
Jockenhövel, F. et al.	Intramuscular testosterone (Nebido 1000 mg)	3 weeks	Improvement in depression ↑ Good mood ↑ Bad mood ↓ Sociability ↑ Anxiety ↓ Concentration ↑ Self-confidence ↑
Wang C. et al.	1% testosterone gel (50 or 100 mg/day)	30 days	Motivation ↑
Boyanov, M. et al.	Testosterone undecanoate (120 mg daily)	1 month	Fatigue and listlessness ↓
O’Connor, D. et al.	Intramuscular testosterone (1000 mg)	2 weeks	Transient anger and hostility ↑ (only in men with testosterone raised above average)
Cherrier, M. et al.	Intramuscular testosterone enanthate (100 mg)	3 weeks	Spatial working memory ↑

Conclusion: The effects of testosterone on psychological health are observable after 2 weeks to a month, with the impact occurring on various parameters.

Note: men with testosterone raised above normal levels, probably due to high doses, may experience increased anger and hostility, yet the effects only occur transiently.

Sexual Parameters

Study	Formulation	Onset of effects	Findings
Jockenhövel, F. et al.	Intramuscular testosterone (Nebido 1000 mg)	3-12 weeks	Libido ↑ Sexual desire ↑ Sexual thoughts and fantasies ↑ Satisfaction with sexual life ↑ Morning erections ↑
Wang, C. et al.	Transdermal testosterone (up to 250 mg/day)	30 days	Sexual performance ↑ Satisfaction with erections ↑
Nieschlag, E. et al.	Intramuscular testosterone (1000 mg)	2-3 weeks	Ejaculations ↑ Sexual activity ↑
Yassin, A. et al.	Intramuscular testosterone (Nebido 1000 mg)	3-11.5 months	Erectile function ↑

Conclusion: Depending on the acquired testosterone levels, the effects of testosterone on sexual health are observable after 30 days to nearly a year, with the impact primarily on libido, erection, and ejaculation.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy Timeline

3 Weeks After Treatment

Improvement in depression, mood, sociability, anxiety, and self-confidence
Increased working memory and concentration
Increased libido, sex drive, sexual performance, and satisfaction with sexual life

6 Weeks After Treatment

Increased motivation
Increased ischemic threshold
Decreased fatigue and listlessness

3 Months After Treatment

Increased muscle strength
Increased or decreased total body mass
Increased lean body mass
Decreased fat mass
Reduced diastolic and systolic blood pressure
Decreased arterial stiffness
Increased exercise capacity
Increased erectile function

6 Months After Treatment

Increased skeletal muscle mass
Increased upper and lower body muscle strength
Increased strength training performance

Results Vary Depending on Individual and Therapy Formulation

How Each Individual Is Different

Each individual is different. So is the time when testosterone starts to kick in.

This time frame depends on the existing testosterone levels in your body, so the higher the hormone level you already have, the faster your body responds to the therapy. Don’t wait until your hormone “runs out” before you take the treatment.

Keep in mind that normal testosterone levels range from:

300 to 1,000 ng/dL in men

15 to 70 ng/dL in women

However, about 40% of men and women over 45 have testosterone lower than this range.

To determine your testosterone levels, you can visit a reliable clinic that specializes in hormone therapy to get your bloodwork done. A blood test is one of the most popular ways to test hormone levels. Remember to get a test specific to your gender, as a women’s hormone test will differ from a men’s test.

How Each Therapy Formulation Is Different

The therapy formulation is another factor that decides how quickly you respond to testosterone. Most doctors will offer you testosterone in low doses at first, then slowly increase the amount within several weeks or months if needed.

Hormone therapy aims to resolve the symptoms using as low a dose of the hormone as possible to minimize the side effects while not compromising the benefits of the treatment. However, if higher doses are required, you may need additional therapy to simultaneously deal with the side effects during the treatment.

Finally, consider all the available routes of administration. Each way of delivering the hormone into the body will offer different good and bad effects.

Two of the most popular methods today are:

Hormone injection
Hormone pellet implantation

These two routes of administration bypass the gastrointestinal organs and deliver hormones directly to the circulatory system, resulting in quicker effects.

Bottom Line: What to Expect From Testosterone Therapy

It’s no secret that feeling good comes from within.

When our bodies are working at optimum levels, we feel better. When our hormones are balanced, we have more energy, our skin looks great, our moods are stable, we sleep better, and we feel happier overall.

Hormone therapy can help restore your body to its ideal hormone levels, making you feel like yourself again. Whether seeking relief from the symptoms of low hormones or feeling your best, hormone therapy can be an effective solution.

Yunique Medical provides FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE for optimized health and performance. We offer customized, scientifically advanced treatments to create a new state of human thriving. Why be ordinary when you can be optimal?

HUMAN 2.0 begins here!

Contact us to schedule your FREE consultation at one of our three locations in Florida – Ocala, Fruitland Park (The Villages), and Daytona.

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