Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Above roughly 250 ng/dL, the prostate androgen receptor is saturated. More testosterone in the blood doesn't produce more cellular signal. Libido follows the same plateau. Muscle, within the normal physiological range, follows it too. The wellness-clinic industry is built on getting this part wrong.
Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum and Dr. Austin Baraki cover the saturation model, the dose-response data on testosterone and muscle (and the difference between standard TRT doses and supraphysiologic doses), and what to do when a patient walks in convinced his target is 900. From Episode 2 of our Signal book launch series.
Pre-order our book, Signal: barbellmedicine.com/signal
Watch the full episode on the channel: youtube.com/watch?v=Gz9utAEx9-w&feature=youtu.be
Chapters:
00:00 The prostate cancer fear that led to the discovery
01:25 What "saturation" actually means at the receptor
03:00 Libido on the same plateau (Framingham, HIM data)
04:30 Muscle: the dose-response data going back to the 1990s
06:00 Standard TRT vs. supraphysiologic doses (3–6x difference)
07:30 The 12-week trial that tested it (preview)
08:45 The patient at 480 who wants 900
10:30 "What is the optimal level?" — Austin's CTM analogy
12:00 What you should be doing instead of chasing the number
Resources & links
Signal — Feigenbaum & Baraki (Barbell Medicine, 2026): coming soon
Episode 1 (Is the Testosterone Crisis Real?): youtube.com/watch?v=dm5FxIw-I7Y&feature=youtu.be
Training Plateau Action Plan (free): barbellmedicine.com/training-plateau-action-plan
Barbell Medicine programs and consultations: barbellmedicine.com
To support us and get ad free listening, plus special product discounts, and exclusive content, go to supercast.barbellmedicine.com
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20554979
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29562364
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18308002
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16670164
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19112025
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18838208
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27210182
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10523012
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33739153
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40066943
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26075486
Above roughly 250 ng/dL, the prostate androgen receptor is saturated. More testosterone in the blood doesn't produce more cellular signal. Libido follows the same plateau. Muscle, within the normal physiological range, follows it too. The wellness-clinic industry is built on getting this part wrong.
Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum and Dr. Austin Baraki cover the saturation model, the dose-response data on testosterone and muscle (and the difference between standard TRT doses and supraphysiologic doses), and what to do when a patient walks in convinced his target is 900. From Episode 2 of our Signal book launch series.
Pre-order our book, Signal: barbellmedicine.com/signal
Watch the full episode on the channel: youtube.com/watch?v=Gz9utAEx9-w&feature=youtu.be
Chapters:
00:00 The prostate cancer fear that led to the discovery
01:25 What "saturation" actually means at the receptor
03:00 Libido on the same plateau (Framingham, HIM data)
04:30 Muscle: the dose-response data going back to the 1990s
06:00 Standard TRT vs. supraphysiologic doses (3–6x difference)
07:30 The 12-week trial that tested it (preview)
08:45 The patient at 480 who wants 900
10:30 "What is the optimal level?" — Austin's CTM analogy
12:00 What you should be doing instead of chasing the number
Resources & links
Signal — Feigenbaum & Baraki (Barbell Medicine, 2026): coming soon
Episode 1 (Is the Testosterone Crisis Real?): youtube.com/watch?v=dm5FxIw-I7Y&feature=youtu.be
Training Plateau Action Plan (free): barbellmedicine.com/training-plateau-action-plan
Barbell Medicine programs and consultations: barbellmedicine.com
To support us and get ad free listening, plus special product discounts, and exclusive content, go to supercast.barbellmedicine.com
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20554979
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29562364
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18308002
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16670164
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19112025
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18838208
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27210182
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10523012
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33739153
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40066943
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26075486
