Ask a man which hormone matters to him, and nine times out of ten you'll hear "testosterone". Fair enough, but it's only part of the story. Your testosterone only means something once you also know how much of it is freely available, and how it relates to hormones like SHBG and oestradiol. That interplay is what men's health really turns on.
This piece explains which hormonal blood values are interesting for men, what they can mean, and what to watch for. No quick fixes, just a clear overview.
Which hormones matter for men?
For men the hormonal picture is about more than testosterone alone. Think free testosterone, SHBG, oestradiol and DHEA, plus stress hormones like cortisol. Together they give a fuller picture than one loose value.
The idea: hormones work in a network. A single number, such as total testosterone, can mislead if you don't know the rest.
Below is an overview of values often mentioned for men, and what they can reflect.
| Hormone or value | What it may reflect in men |
|---|---|
| Testosterone (total) | General androgen status |
| Free testosterone | The part that is biologically available |
| SHBG | How much testosterone is bound and therefore less available |
| Oestradiol | The oestrogen balance, which plays a role in men too |
| DHEA(-sulphate) | A precursor hormone from the adrenal gland |
None of these values tells the whole story on its own. They gain meaning in combination, and always alongside your symptoms and your GP.
How do you read a hormone result?
A hormone result is no report card. The reference values on your result are averages for a group, and your healthy value can sit a little off them. Context is everything.
Timing plays a part too. In men, testosterone is highest on average in the morning, so the time of your blood draw can colour the result. A cold, poor sleep or a hard training session just before can also shift values temporarily.
So one loose measurement says less than a series over time. Treat a result as a snapshot you look at together with your symptoms and your GP.
And watch the units. Labs sometimes report in different units, so numbers can look very different at first glance while meaning the same thing.
Testosterone: total and free
Total testosterone measures all the testosterone in your blood, bound and unbound. Free testosterone is the small part that isn't attached to proteins and is biologically active. That distinction can matter.
Two men with the same total testosterone can have very different free testosterone, depending on their SHBG. So looking only at total can give a distorted picture.
We work out the difference between the two in free versus total testosterone. For normal values and what a low value can mean, read testosterone levels in men.
What testosterone does in your body
Testosterone isn't only a libido hormone. It plays a role in your muscle mass, your bones, the production of red blood cells and your mood. So a strongly disturbed value often affects more than just your interest in sex.
That also makes it hard to read. Complaints that can relate to testosterone overlap with complaints from very different causes, such as anaemia or a thyroid problem.
A blood value helps separate such directions. It proves nothing on its own, but it does give your GP something concrete to work with.
Keep in mind that body and hormones move along with your age and your lifestyle. One measurement is a photo, not a film.
SHBG: the quiet regulator
SHBG stands for sex hormone-binding globulin, a protein that binds testosterone. The more SHBG, the less testosterone is freely available. That makes SHBG a key to reading your testosterone values well.
Researchers stress that a calculation of free testosterone based on SHBG is often more informative than total testosterone alone (Vermeulen et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1999).
SHBG isn't fixed. The value can rise with age and with an overactive thyroid, and fall with excess weight, insulin resistance or an underactive thyroid. So your free testosterone can change while your total testosterone stays the same.
What SHBG does exactly and why it fluctuates, you'll read in SHBG explained.
Oestrogen in men
Yes, men have oestrogen too. Part of your testosterone is converted into oestradiol, and that balance matters for your bones and libido, among other things. Too much or too little can both be unfavourable.
Many men don't know this and are startled when oestradiol shows up on their result. No need: it simply belongs there.
The conversion of testosterone into oestradiol happens under an enzyme, aromatase, which sits mostly in fat tissue. More belly fat can strengthen that conversion. That's one reason weight and hormone balance are linked in men.
Why men have oestrogen and what it does is in oestrogen in men.
DHEA and other hormones
DHEA is a hormone from your adrenal glands that serves as a building block for testosterone, among others. The value declines on average with age, which makes it a popular topic in conversations about getting older.
Stay level-headed here: a lower DHEA is partly part of ageing and is not a diagnosis on its own.
Some people link DHEA to energy and ageing, and supplements are for sale. The evidence for those is mixed, and what suits one person doesn't automatically apply to another. Discuss such choices with your GP.
What DHEA is and what the value can mean is in what is DHEA. A broader overview of hormonal blood testing is in hormone blood test.
What affects your male hormones?
Your hormones don't stand apart from your lifestyle. Sleep, weight, alcohol, stress and age all influence them, sometimes more than people think.
Poor sleep can relate to a lower testosterone value. Excess weight, and especially belly fat, relates to a shifted balance between testosterone and oestradiol, because fat tissue can convert testosterone. Heavy alcohol use and prolonged stress return in this list too.
Age belongs here as well. Testosterone declines gradually with the years on average, but the pace differs a lot per person and is partly woven together with lifestyle.
The good news: you can partly influence many of these factors. That's not treatment advice, but it's a reason to look beyond just a pill or supplement. Don't expect miracles from one change, because it's the sum that counts.
When hormones seem out of balance
Vague complaints such as low energy, low libido or mood swings are often linked to hormones. Sometimes rightly, often there's more going on, like sleep, stress or thyroid.
The NHG, the Dutch college of general practitioners, stresses that complaints rarely come from one hormone. A broader look is usually needed.
Which signals may fit a hormonal imbalance, and which values give insight, is in hormonal imbalance in men. If fatigue plays a big role, then fatigue in men is a logical next step.
Signals men link to hormones
Some complaints are often linked to men's hormones. They prove nothing on their own, but can be a reason to take a look.
Think persistent low energy, a lower libido, trouble building muscle, irritability or poorer sleep. Each of these can relate to hormones, but just as easily to very different things.
That's exactly the catch. A low libido can relate to testosterone, but also to stress, relationship issues, medication or lack of sleep. A blood value helps rule directions in or out, neither with certainty.
So treat complaints as a reason for a conversation, not a diagnosis you make yourself.
Which blood values do you test?
If you want to map your male hormones, a men's hormone test usually measures testosterone, free testosterone and SHBG together. That says more than one loose value.
A men's hormone test brings these values into view together. If you want to look wider, an extended health checkup gives a broader overview. For prostate-related questions, the PSA value is a separate topic.
Who is hormonal blood testing for?
Hormonal blood testing is mostly useful if you have complaints you can't quite place, or if you simply want a picture of how you're doing. You don't have to be ill to be curious.
Think of a man around 45 with less energy and a lower libido than a few years ago. No alarm, but the wish to know whether something hormonal is going on.
Men adjusting their lifestyle also sometimes use blood values to see whether anything moves along over the months. See it as information, not a verdict.
What it isn't: a reason to worry without cause. A result is a starting point for a conversation, not an endpoint.
Common myths about men's hormones
Plenty of half-truths circulate around men's hormones. Let's set a few stubborn ones straight.
More testosterone isn't automatically better. Both too low and too high can be unfavourable, and a high value is no medal. Testosterone also isn't the same as masculinity; it's a hormone, not a character trait.
And then the supplements. Many products that promise to raise your testosterone have little solid evidence behind them. Be critical of big promises, especially when a product is sold alongside them.
Frequently asked questions about men's hormones
Which hormone is most important for men? There's no single "most important" hormone. Testosterone, free testosterone and SHBG are often looked at together because they influence each other.
Do my hormone values say whether I'm healthy? They give an impression, not a final verdict. A value gains meaning with your symptoms, and that's something you discuss with your GP.
Do men's hormones decline with age? On average testosterone declines gradually over the years, but the pace differs a lot per person.
Can I influence my hormones with food? Lifestyle, including food, relates to your hormone balance, but the effects are rarely as big as adverts promise. Be critical.
Do I need a referral for a hormone test? At Vitalcheck you can do a blood test without a referral. For interpretation and any next steps, your GP remains the point of contact.
What's the difference between total and free testosterone? Total measures all your testosterone, free measures the biologically available part. With unexplained complaints the free part can be more informative.
What you can do with this
Men's health is more than a testosterone value. If you want an honest picture, look at hormones in combination and track them over time if you like. Start small, with a few values and a conversation if something stands out. Recognise complaints or doubt a result? Discuss it with your GP.
Every blood test result at Vitalcheck includes a professional assessment by a BIG-registered doctor. A blood value is not a diagnosis: always discuss symptoms and treatment decisions with your GP.
References
- Vermeulen A, Verdonck L, Kaufman JM. A critical evaluation of simple methods for the estimation of free testosterone in serum. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1999. PMID: 10523012.
- NHG. Dutch College of General Practitioners: hormonal complaints and diagnostics. Accessed 2026.
- RIVM. Public health and care: men's health. Accessed 2026.
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