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Welcome to ExcelMale.com — the most trusted, expert-moderated community for men seeking evidence-based guidance on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), hormone optimization, and total wellness. Since 2010, we've helped thousands of men take control of their health.

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Navigating testosterone replacement therapy and hormone health can be overwhelming. Conflicting information, outdated medical advice, and unqualified opinions flood the internet. ExcelMale.com was created to cut through the noise — providing a rigorously moderated space where men share real experiences, backed by clinical research and guided by genuine expertise.

Whether you're exploring TRT for the first time, optimizing your current protocol, managing side effects like elevated hematocrit or estradiol, or seeking to preserve fertility with HCG therapy, our community offers the knowledge and support you need. We discuss everything from injection frequency and bloodwork interpretation to lifestyle factors that affect testosterone levels.

"I founded ExcelMale after decades of personal experience with hormone optimization and seeing how difficult it was for men to find reliable, science-based information. Every man deserves access to knowledge that can transform his quality of life."

— Nelson Vergel, Founder & Author of Testosterone: A Man's Guide

Nelson Vergel has spent four decades turning personal health challenges into a mission that's helped thousands of men reclaim their vitality. Diagnosed with HIV in 1985 and then creating a testosterone-based program to reverse wasting syndrome for himself and his peers, he became a pioneer in understanding how hormones affect quality of life—and has been on TRT himself for over 30 years.

A chemical engineer by training, Nelson has served as a key opinion leader for pharmaceutical companies on clinical research strategy, trained clinicians on hormone optimization protocols, and authored definitive guides including Testosterone: A Man's Guide & Beyond Testosterone. He founded DiscountedLabs.com to make lab testing accessible and built ExcelMale.com into a community where men find and share evidence-based answers.

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Decreased testosterone, DHT and estradiol were associated with higher mortality in men.
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Temporal Changes in Androgens and Estrogens Are Associated With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality in Older Men. Hsu B, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2016. Abstract CONTEXT: The dynamic temporal relationship between changes in...

Influence of IGF-1, DHEA and DHT on acne

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Arch Dermatol. 2005 Mar;141(3):333-8. Correlation between serum levels of insulin-like growth factor 1, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and dihydrotestosterone and acne lesion counts in adult women. Abstract OBJECTIVES: To...

Testosterone Gel Adherence Low Among Hypogonadal Men

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Fewer than one in five hypogonadal men are adherent to prescribed topical testosterone, new research indicates. The findings, from a large commercial insurance database, were presented May 5 here at the American Association of Clinical...

NY State Testosterone and HCG Prescribing Requirements

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Question from doctor: Can I use EMPOWER pharmacy in Houston to get testosterone to someone in NYC legally? For some reason there you need a prescription monthly as they don't allow refills and it is quite cumbersome to the patient...
No Link Between Testosterone Levels and Male Pattern Baldness
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A recent study failed to find a link between testosterone levels and male pattern baldness: A cross-sectional population study conducted in Northeastern Germany examined 373 men from the general population who had not received prescribed...

Testosterone Replacement Enhances the Effects of Metformin on Lipids and Inflammation

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Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2015; 123(10): 608-613 The Effect of Metformin and Metformin-Testosterone Combination on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Men with Late-onset Hypogonadism and Impaired Glucose Tolerance Abstract No...

Testosterone Reduces Fat by Decreasing Leptin Resistance

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“The novelty in our study stems from the fact that we simultaneously investigated the effects of testosterone in the context of a rigorous weight-loss program,”Mathis Grossmann,MD,PhD,FRACP,professor in the department of medicine at the...
Exposure to Phthalates Decreases Testosterone and Sperm Quality in Men
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Phthalates are used in a large variety of products, from enteric coatings of pharmaceutical tablets and nutritional supplements to viscosity control agents, gelling agents, film formers, stabilizers,dispersants, lubricants, binders, emulsifying...
Research Options for Erectile Dysfunction: Stem Cells and More
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The best paper to date summarizing research therapies for ED. I highly recommend reading the full paper below (attached file- Register on ExcelMale to open it). Abstract: Although oral phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors are...
Water Retention Caused by Testosterone May Have Nothing to Do with Estradiol
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I get a lot of emails from men on testosterone replacement therapy (and/or HCG) that feel they have water retention (some with ankle swelling) and they are puzzled that their estradiol is low or below 35 micrograms/ml. They may have tried...

Testosterone Therapy Does Not Increase DVT and Pulmonary Embolism in 71,000 Patients

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Association Between Testosterone Replacement Therapy and the Incidence of DVT and Pulmonary Embolism: A Retrospective Cohort Study of the Veterans Administration Database. Sharma R, et al. Chest. 2016. Abstract BACKGROUND...

Testosterone Therapy Increased Fat Loss During Low Calorie Diet in Obese Men with low T

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Effects of testosterone treatment on body fat and lean mass in obese men on a hypocaloric diet: a randomised controlled trial. Ng Tang Fui M, et al. BMC Med. 2016. Abstract BACKGROUND: Whether testosterone treatment has benefits on...

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