The number most people track is the wrong one.
When I got my baseline testosterone panel, my total T came in at 599 ng/dL. Not bad. Not exceptional. Pretty average for a man in his late 30s who trains regularly and takes his health seriously.
Three months later, my total T had dropped to 537 ng/dL. On paper, that looks like a failure.
But my free testosterone — the fraction your body can actually use — went from 93.0 pg/mL to 123.47 pg/mL. That's a 32.8% increase.
My bioavailable testosterone went from 191.2 to 243 ng/dL. Up 27%.
And my SHBG — the protein that binds testosterone and renders it inactive — dropped from 29 to 27.3 nmol/L by month 3, after briefly rising in month 2.
This is the data I wish I'd had six years ago when I started taking shilajit. So here it is.
Why free testosterone matters more than total
Total testosterone measures everything in your blood — bound and unbound. But roughly 97–99% of testosterone in your blood is bound to proteins, primarily SHBG and albumin. Bound testosterone can't activate androgen receptors. It can't build muscle, drive libido, or support cognitive function.
Free testosterone is the active fraction. It's what your cells can actually use.
When SHBG rises, it captures more testosterone — total T looks stable or even high, but free T drops and you feel it. When SHBG falls, more testosterone becomes bioavailable even if total T stays flat.
The goal of any testosterone optimization protocol, in my view, isn't to maximize total T. It's to maximize free and bioavailable T while keeping estradiol in a healthy range and SHBG manageable.
The protocol
I've been using shilajit for six years. Over the past three months I ran a structured protocol alongside blood testing to track what was actually happening.
Morning
- Shilajit resin 500mg — Black Lotus Shilajit
- LipoAshwagandha sCO2 400mg — Lotus Blooming Herbs
- L-Citrulline 3g in LMNT water
- Pycnogenol 100–120mg
- Tongkat Ali LJ100 100–200mg (Double Wood)
- Copper Glycinate 1mg (Pure Lab Vitamins)
- Vitamin D3/K2 5,000 IU D3 / 100mcg MK-7 (Trace Minerals liquid)
Evening
- Zinc Bisglycinate 25mg (Natural Factors)
Night
- LipoAshwagandha sCO2 400mg — Lotus Blooming Herbs
- Magnesium Glycinate 400mg elemental (California Gold Nutrition)
Added after Month 2 draw
- Methylcobalamin B12 1,000mcg daily (added after Month 2 showed 356 pg/mL — low-normal)
Cycling protocol
- Ashwagandha: 3–4 months on / 1 month off
- Tongkat Ali: 8 weeks on / 2 weeks off, offset from ashwagandha cycle
The data — three months of blood work
| Marker | Baseline | Month 2 | Month 3 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total T (ng/dL) | 599 | 544 | 537 | −10.4% |
| Free T (pg/mL) | 93.0 | 111.48 | 123.47 | +32.8% |
| Bioavailable T (ng/dL) | 191.2 | ~233 | ~243 | +27.1% |
| SHBG (nmol/L) | 29 | 32.2 | 27.3 | −2.4% |
| Estradiol (pg/mL) | <30 | 25.5 | 40.5 | — |
| Albumin (g/dL) | 4.5 | 4.71 | 4.48 | — |
| Prolactin (ng/mL) | 13.4 | — | — | — |
| Marker | Month 2 | Month 3 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSH (uIU/mL) | 3.21 | 1.77 | −44.9% |
| Free T3 (pg/mL) | 3.19 | 3.76 | +17.9% |
| hsCRP (mg/L) | <0.5 | <0.5 | — |
| ApoB (mg/dL) | 70.9 | 70.3 | −0.8% |
| LDL (mg/dL) | 85.96 | 80.76 | −6.1% |
| HDL (mg/dL) | 61.6 | 61.8 | +0.3% |
| Triglycerides (mg/dL) | 62.2 | 57.2 | −8% |
| Trig/HDL Ratio | 1.0 | 0.92 | −8% |
| Total Cholesterol (mg/dL) | 160 | 154 | −3.8% |
| Vitamin D (ng/mL) | 57.3 | 48.3 | −15.7% |
| B12 (pg/mL) | 356 | — | — |
| Ferritin (ng/mL) | 117 | 118 | +0.8% |
| Uric Acid (mg/dL) | 4.16 | 4.29 | +3.1% |
| Creatinine (mg/dL) | 0.924 | 0.857 | −7.3% |
| eGFR | — | 115.92 | — |
| Fructosamine (umol/L) | 238 | 227 | −4.6% |
| GGT (U/L) | 12.6 | 12.4 | −1.6% |
| ALP (U/L) | 60.6 | 67.1 | +10.7% |
| LDL/ApoB Ratio | 1.21 | 1.14 | −5.8% |
| Remnant Cholesterol (mg/dL) | 12.44 | 11.43 | −8.1% |
| Biological Age | — | 29 yr 3 mo | — |
| Rythm Score | — | 90% | — |
What I take from this
Total testosterone dropped 10%. I'm not concerned by that — total T fluctuates significantly based on sleep, stress, time of day, and hydration. A single draw is not a reliable trend signal.
What I do find meaningful: free testosterone increased consistently across both draws. Month over month. That's not noise.
SHBG behavior was interesting — it rose in month 2 then fell below baseline by month 3. Several compounds in this stack are associated with SHBG modulation, including shilajit's fulvic acid fraction and boron-adjacent mineral activity, as well as tongkat ali. I'm not attributing cause and effect here. I'm reporting what I measured.
The cardiovascular and metabolic markers are where I'd expect anyone's attention to go. LDL down 6%. Triglycerides down 8%. Trig/HDL ratio at 0.92 — well below the 2.0 threshold associated with insulin resistance risk. hsCRP undetectable at both draws. ApoB stable at 70.3 mg/dL.
Thyroid markers shifted notably — TSH dropped 44% and Free T3 rose 17% from month 2 to month 3. I added B12 after the month 2 draw which may have contributed. I note it without conclusion.
Vitamin D dropped 15% — from 57.3 to 48.3 ng/mL. I'll be increasing D3 intake heading into winter.
Biological age score of 29 years 3 months at the time of the month 3 draw. I'll let that speak for itself.
How I tested
The month 2 and month 3 panels are from Rythm Health — at-home blood draws with a comprehensive hormone and metabolic panel. Use my link for $20 off your first test. The baseline panel is from Quest Diagnostics via my physician.
If you're running a supplement protocol and not testing, you're guessing. Add a baseline draw before you start and a follow-up at 90 days. That's the minimum to know if anything is actually working.
The shilajit I use
After six years and dozens of brands tested, the only resin I use daily is Black Lotus Shilajit. Altai-sourced, IAS Labs verified at 64.51% fulvic acid, batch 93. Mercury undetected.
For ashwagandha I use Lotus Blooming Herbs twice daily — their LipoAshwagandha sCO2 extract is the most bioavailable form I've found. Himalayan-sourced, A2LA ISO 17025 lab verified, all heavy metals ND.
What I Use Daily
Black Lotus Shilajit Resin
Altai-sourced · 64.51% fulvic acid (COA) · Mercury ND
Final note
I'm an anthropologist who has studied traditional medicine use in Central Asia for over a decade and has used shilajit personally for six years. I am not a physician. Nothing here is medical advice. These are my personal results from my personal protocol. Your baseline, your physiology, and your response will differ.
If you're going to take shilajit for testosterone support, test before you start and test again at 90 days. Impressions aren't data. Blood work is.
Not sure which shilajit is right for you?
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Frequently asked questions
Does shilajit actually increase testosterone?
The evidence suggests shilajit may support free and bioavailable testosterone rather than total testosterone. Adrian Voss's 3-month self-experiment showed free testosterone rise from 93.0 to 123.47 pg/mL (+32.8%) while total testosterone dropped slightly. This is consistent with research suggesting shilajit's fulvic acid fraction may support SHBG modulation, making more testosterone bioavailable without necessarily raising total T.
What is the difference between free testosterone and total testosterone?
Total testosterone measures all testosterone in the blood — both bound (to SHBG and albumin) and unbound. Roughly 97–99% of testosterone is bound and cannot activate androgen receptors. Free testosterone is the unbound fraction your cells can actually use. When SHBG rises, free T falls even if total T stays stable. Testing free testosterone alongside total T gives a far more accurate picture of androgenic function.
What shilajit brand did Adrian Voss use in this protocol?
Adrian Voss used Black Lotus Shilajit resin — Altai-sourced, IAS Labs verified at 64.51% fulvic acid, Batch 93, mercury undetected. He has used this brand daily for six years and considers it the highest-verified resin in his database.
How long does it take for shilajit to affect testosterone?
In this self-experiment, measurable increases in free testosterone were visible at the Month 2 blood draw (from 93.0 to 111.48 pg/mL) and continued increasing by Month 3 (123.47 pg/mL). A minimum 90-day protocol with baseline and follow-up testing is recommended to identify meaningful trends.
Not sure which shilajit is right for you? Take our free 60-second quiz →
Adrian Voss is the founder of ShilajitPrice.com and a trained anthropologist with a focus on Cultural Anthropology and traditional medicine practices across the Carribbean, Central Asia and the Himalayas. He first encountered shilajit through his research studying traditional healing systems and Eastern Religion and has used it personally for over six years. Frustrated by the lack of transparent, data-driven information in the Western supplement market, he built ShilajitPrice.com to bring the same rigorous standards of research he applies in academic work to consumer supplement buying — starting with verified lab data, honest sourcing claims, and real price transparency.