Order a testosterone test and check your level

A testosterone test gives you a concrete data point about a hormone that directly affects your performance. Testosterone plays a role in muscle growth, strength, recovery after training and your energy levels.

If you feel flatter than usual, recover more slowly or notice a change in libido, a measurement can help you spot patterns. The result is not a diagnosis, but a starting point you can discuss with a doctor.

This test may suit people who:

• train intensively or lift weights and want to track their recovery
• notice their energy, motivation or libido changing
• want to record a baseline to follow change over time
• are curious how sleep, training and body composition influence their hormones

Measuring testosterone can be relevant for both men and women, although the reference ranges differ for each.

This test measures one biomarker in your blood:

• Total testosterone: the total amount of testosterone in your blood, so the protein-bound fraction plus the free fraction.

If you want to measure your testosterone, the total value is often the starting point. If you are specifically interested in the free fraction, there is a separate free testosterone test for that. You can read more on the page about total testosterone.

Your testosterone value can say something about how your body responds to training, recovery and lifestyle. A lower value can go together with less energy or slower recovery, but does not say everything on its own.

Because testosterone fluctuates through the day and is usually highest in the morning, a single measurement is always a snapshot. A doctor looks at the wider context: your value, your symptoms and often other hormones too.

For this test, blood is drawn at a certified sample point. There are more than 750 locations across the Netherlands, which you choose yourself after ordering.

You do not need to see your GP first. You pick a location and a time that suit you; the draw is done by trained staff and usually takes only a few minutes.

Because testosterone is usually highest in the morning, blood is preferably drawn early in the day. That makes measurements taken at different times easier to compare.

The test can be useful if you notice a change in energy, recovery or libido, or if you want to record a baseline to track your progress. What you do with the result is something you discuss with a doctor.

Your result shows your testosterone value alongside a reference range and a short explanation. What counts as a healthy value varies by lab, age, sex and the time of the draw, so numbers alone say little.

A lower or higher value may point to something worth looking into further, but confirms nothing on its own. Your result is read by a doctor, who places the value in context.

For a testosterone measurement, a draw in the morning is advised, because your value is usually highest then. Try to plan the draw at a calm moment, so preferably not straight after a hard training session.

Fasting is usually not needed for testosterone. If you use medication or hormones, ask your doctor whether that could affect your result.

Your results are available online within a few working days. You see your testosterone value, its reference range and a clear explanation.

Every blood test result includes a professional assessment from a BIG-registered doctor. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.