Boosting Energy A Vitamin D and Testosterone self-experiment using biomarker and activity tracking

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Agnes Bennett
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1 Boosting Energy A Vitamin D and Testosterone self-experiment using biomarker and activity tracking Maximilian Gotzler QS Meetup Berlin - August 22nd, 2013

2 Outline 1. Initial Situation - Why did I do it? 2. The Experiment - What did I do? 3. Results - What did I learn? 4. Next Steps - What will I do next?

3 1. Initial Situation Before I started the experiment, I was experiencing: Shoulder pain Bad mood, winter depression Lethargia, no motivation to work out Sleepiness during the day Light skin rash on upper arms Restless nights Low level of energy

4 Vitamin D Vitamin D is a secosteroid, technically not a vitamin Can be built by the body with UVBlight Present in certain foods and supplements Regulates more than 1,000 genes Recommended level varies between ng/ml in the blood Peak athletic performance usually reached at around 50 ng/ml Vitamin D increases need for Vitamin A and Vitamin K2

5 Vitamin D Deficiency Depression or seasonal affective disorder Obesity Daytime sleepiness Joint and bone pain Skin rashes and acne Osteoporosis Low sex drive

6 Baseline-Test Blood test checking multiple markers including: Vitamin D and Testosterone

7 2. The Experiment Supplementing Vitamin D3 and tracking biomarker, mood, and activity changes

In a Nutshell Doctor s Best Vitamin D3 5000 IUs 2x per day = 10,000 IUs/day 2 Green Pasture cod liver oil capsules 2x per day = 3500 IUs Vitamin A and

8 In a Nutshell Doctor s Best Vitamin D IUs 2x per day = 10,000 IUs/day 2 Green Pasture cod liver oil capsules 2x per day = 3500 IUs Vitamin A and 600 IUs Vitamin D Total Vitamin D : Total Vitamin A : 10,600 IUs /day 3,500 IUs/day Baseline-Test Re-Test May months of supplementation August 14

9 Expectations Increase in Vitamin D 25 OH Cholecalciferol level Increase in Testosterone level Less shoulder pain Improved mood More energy Less sleepiness during the day Better sleep at night Better skin

10 Activity Tracking Using Jawbone UP Tracked my basic activity level and sleep patterns The UP broke after 1 month of tracking Sleep started to improve Data does not show activity while not wearing UP band

11 Subjective Changes More aggressive, competitive Irritable mood Less pain in shoulder Rash completely gone on arm It feels as if injuries heal much faster Better sleep, feel more rested during the day

12 Re-Test Blood test, this time only checking: Vitamin D and Testosterone

13 Trend Vitamin D 25 in ng/ml Testosterone in ng/ml May 14- Aug May 14- Aug

14 Possible Explanations Bizarely, testosterone dropped Vitamin D and Vitamin A were expected to increase testosterone Aggressive mood and more energy pointed to an increase Potential reasons The dose of 10,000 IUs of Vitamin D induced a deficiency in Vitamin K2, which is also related to testosterone production Daily fluctuation Another androgen increased instead of testosterone such as SHGB or (sex-hormone binding globulin), which binds to Testosterone making it inert, or LH (Luteinizing Hormone), which also increases aggression

15 3. Expectations Revisited ü Increase in Vitamin D 25 OH Cholecalciferol level - Increase in Testosterone level ü Less shoulder pain - Improved mood More energy - YES ü Less sleepiness during the day ü Better sleep at night ü Better skin

16 4. Next Trial Check Vitamin A, K2, LH, and SHBG levels Increase Vitamin D dose to 20,000 IUs/day Supplement Vitamin K2 2,000 mcg/day Record mood changes using a mood tracker Record strength increases in the gym Can I get rid of allergies and remaining joint pain using Vitamin D?

17 Thank YOU! Want to reach me? Tel.:

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