What is Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)?
What is Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)?
SHBG is a carrier protein that binds to and transports estrogens and androgens. Your body only uses a small amount of these sex hormones at any given moment and the purpose of SHBG is to safeguard them from being metabolized too quickly.
SHBG has a high binding affinity for testosterone and therefore SHBG-bound testosterone is considered biologically inactive, i.e. it is unable to exert an influence on your mind and body.
With all other factors being equal, SHBG and free testosterone hold an inverse relationship:
Why is SHBG Important?
Higher SHBG translates to lower levels of free T and lower SHBG means higher free T.
This relationship is crucial because a man with normal total testosterone but high SHBG can still end up experiencing the symptoms of low testosterone.
The normal range for SHBG in men lies between 10 to 57 nmol/L.
High SHBG translates to less bioavailable testosterone.
Low SHBG, though, is not a good thing either and has been linked to increased rates of obesity and diabetes.
As with most things in life, balance is key.
How To Check Your SHBG
You can get this test online for cheap WITHOUT a doctor or insurance.
Kind Regards,
David, RN, CCRN
Founder of AndrogenHacker
