Research

Energy balance

Transdermal TRT improves metabolic markers, including resting energy expenditure (REE) and HDL cholesterol, in men with spinal cord injury, potentially reducing cardiovascular disease risk.

Testosterone therapy can help boost your metabolism and improve your 'good' cholesterol (HDL) levels, which is beneficial for heart health. This happens partly because building muscle increases your resting energy expenditure. While this doesn't replace the need for a healthy diet, it provides a metabolic advantage that can help manage weight and cardiovascular risk over time.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Bauman et al., observed a significant increase in resting energy expenditure (pre: 1283 ± 246 kcal/day, 12 months: 1410 ± 250 kcal/day) via favorable changes in LBM with TRT... improvements in LBM and RMR (1393 ± 220 kcal/day) persisted along with elevated HDL-C.
Tom E. Nightingale et al. · Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine · 2017

Why this rating

Based on a single study in SCI patients and meta-analyses in able-bodied men; requires replication in larger SCI trials.

Source

Body composition changes with testosterone replacement therapy following spinal cord injury and aging: A mini review

Tom E. Nightingale et al. · Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine · 2017

DOI 10.1080/10790268.2017.1357917

narrative_reviewCited 34×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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