Why am I not building muscle?
Difficulty building muscle despite consistent training often points to hormonal imbalances, inadequate recovery, or elevated stress hormones. Discover what's holding back your gains.
Why it matters
Muscle growth requires the right hormonal environment. Low testosterone, poor IGF-1 levels, or chronically elevated cortisol can all sabotage your muscle-building efforts, no matter how hard you train.
Many athletes train intensely but see minimal results because their hormone profiles aren't optimized for hypertrophy. Testosterone and IGF-1 are critical for muscle protein synthesis, while elevated cortisol from overtraining or stress can actively break down muscle tissue.
Understanding your hormonal baseline allows you to optimize training, recovery, and nutrition strategies to maximize muscle growth and strength gains.
Biomarkers we test
Testosterone
Male HormonePrimary muscle-building hormone for strength and recovery
IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor)
Crucial for muscle growth and tissue repair
SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin)
Affects availability of testosterone for muscle building
Cortisol
Stress hormone that can break down muscle tissue when elevated
Free Testosterone
Male HormoneBioavailable testosterone for muscle protein synthesis
Estradiol
AdvancedImportant for bone health and muscle recovery in both sexes