Sex Hormone Panel (5 Markers)
The testosterone in the core panel is the total amount, but most of the testosterone in your body is bound to protein and cannot act. This add-on breaks that total down into the part you can actually use, and adds the upstream signal from the pituitary — completing the full picture of the sex hormone axis
Worth testing if:
- Long-term fatigue, falling libido and loss of muscle strength
- Irregular cycles, acne, excess hair growth or difficulty conceiving
- A normal health check but symptoms all the same
- Training, fat loss or muscle gain that has hit a wall
What this test is for
A blood sample simultaneously measures the core of androgen activity (free testosterone, bioavailable testosterone), binding and transport status (SHBG), and the upstream signalling that drives them (FSH, LH). More precise than total testosterone alone and more objective than self-assessing symptoms, it is the key tool for telling apart imbalance at three levels: total amount, usable amount, and upstream signal.
Testosterone falls by roughly 1% a year after age 30, while SHBG rises year on year at the same time. That means even when the total figure looks stable, the amount your body can actually use may be draining away twice as fast. By the time total testosterone on a health check drops below the reference floor, the usable amount has been below the level that supports daily life for a long while.
For women, imbalance between SHBG and LH/FSH is often laid down even earlier — PCOS symptoms usually appear in the teens or twenties but get dismissed as "a skin problem" or "irregular periods are normal for me" for years, until difficulty conceiving forces a proper look. Seeing all four markers together, earlier, tells you which axis has drifted out of balance.
Test items
5 biomarkers · 2 groups
Category
Free testosterone
Bioavailable testosterone
Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG)
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
Luteinising hormone (LH)
Four steps to start your test
Order online, book a location
Choose your test and pick a blood-draw time and location that suits you as you order.
A 10-minute blood draw
When the time comes you just show up. A professional takes your sample — we handle the rest.
Accredited laboratory analysis
Samples are processed by accredited testing institutions and interpreted to standard protocols.
Digital report
Once complete, your report is uploaded to your personal account with values and reference ranges clearly marked.
Pair it with Body Decode for the full picture
This test isn't part of the core package. Build a whole-body baseline with Body Decode, then add this test on top for fuller health context
| Body Decode + this add-on | This test on its own | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of biomarkers | 68 + this test's 5 | This test's 5 only |
| Biomarkers on this page | ||
| Cross-system interpretation | ||
| Full-system integrated report | ||
| Advisor report walkthrough | ||
| Personalized action plan | ||
| 120-day check-ins |
Frequently asked questions
My health check testosterone is in the normal range, so I should be fine
"Normal total testosterone" is a common reassurance, but 98% of testosterone circulates bound to protein — only the 1–2% of free T can actually enter cells. Research indicates that around 30% of men with symptoms of hypogonadism still have a total in the normal range.
Symptoms track the usable amount, not the total in storage.
I still get my period, so my hormones must be normal
Menstruating only means the endometrium is responding cyclically. It does not mean ovulation is normal, nor that androgens, SHBG and the LH/FSH ratio are balanced. A considerable proportion of people with PCOS still menstruate while androgen excess and metabolic risk quietly accumulate.
A regular cycle is the outcome; balance across the endocrine axis is the cause.
Can't I just take a testosterone-boosting supplement instead of testing?
Off-the-shelf testosterone boosters (D-AA, tongkat ali, zinc, vitamin D) vary widely between individuals, and without knowing whether the root cause is low total, SHBG locking it up, or a weak upstream LH signal, supplementing in the wrong direction may do nothing at all — or create further imbalance.
Knowing which level the problem sits at is what makes supplementing worthwhile.
I'm still young, so hormones shouldn't be an issue
Testosterone starts declining at 30, and signs of PCOS in women usually appear in the teens or twenties. Chronic stress, insufficient sleep and overtraining all directly disrupt hypothalamic–pituitary signalling, which can leave a 30-year-old with the endocrine profile of someone at 50.
Age is only a reference; the state of the axis is the real answer.
My symptoms are all vague — testing probably won't show anything
Fatigue, low libido, unstable mood, declining muscle strength, rising body fat — these "could be lots of things" symptoms are exactly how sex hormone imbalance typically presents. Looking at all four markers together narrows "it might be" down to "it's this specific axis".
Vague symptoms are valuable precisely because they all point to the same axis.
Even if it comes back low, I don't want drug treatment
Hormone replacement (HRT/TRT) isn't the only option. Sleep restructuring, resistance training, body fat management and specific nutrients (zinc, magnesium, vitamin D) all have clinical evidence for raising free T and adjusting SHBG. Research indicates free T rises by an average of 15–25% after 12–24 weeks of intervention.
Knowing the numbers is what lets you choose the path — medication was never the only answer.