Androgen & anabolic-receptor signalling
One of 6 mechanistic pathways to 💪 Build muscle & strength · 15 options
The androgen receptor is the most powerful hypertrophic switch the body has. Restoring or supporting it changes the ceiling on everything else in this list. Note what is deliberately absent: SARMs are not stocked, on Cam's flat rule.
Total testosterone alone tells you very little. Free T is the bioavailable fraction, SHBG explains why it might be low with a normal total, and LH/FSH tell you whether the problem is the testes or the pituitary — which decides the entire treatment.
Total TestosteroneFree TestosteroneSHBG (Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin)LH & FSHEstradiol, Sensitive (LC/MS-MS)📋 Pre-TRT Baseline covers these in one panel →
What engages this pathway
Ordered by how directly each one acts on the mechanism above — never by how much trial evidence exists. Each links to its full breakdown with dosing, half-life and vendor.
💉 Enclomiphene
Blocks estrogen feedback at the pituitary so LH and FSH rise and the testes produce more testosterone — endogenous, with fertility preserved. The isomer that does this without clomiphene's zuclomiphene baggage.
💉 HCG
Mimics LH directly at the Leydig cell. Maintains testicular function and intratesticular testosterone, which is what preserves fertility and testicular volume on TRT.
💉 Kisspeptin
Acts upstream of GnRH — the furthest-upstream lever in the whole axis. Human studies confirm it raises LH and testosterone acutely; a sustained anabolic protocol does not exist.
💉 Gonadorelin
Synthetic GnRH, pulsed. Stimulates endogenous LH/FSH release; the short half-life means frequent dosing is the mechanism, not a flaw.
💉 Triptorelin
A GnRH agonist that stimulates then profoundly downregulates the axis. Used as a single-dose restart tool; sustained use does the opposite of what this pathway wants.
💉 Clomiphene
The mixed isomer SERM. Raises LH and testosterone effectively; the zuclomiphene fraction accumulates and drives the mood and visual side effects.
🧬 Testosterone Support
A cofactor blend. Rational support for the axis; not a replacement for a hormone that is actually low.
🧬 Tongkat Ali
Eurycoma reduces SHBG and raises free testosterone in several human trials, with the best effect in stressed or subfertile men. One of the few herbals here with real RCT support.
🧬 Fadogia Agrestis
Raises testosterone in rodents by apparently acting at the Leydig cell. No human trials at all, and the rodent testicular-toxicity findings at higher doses deserve more attention than they get.
🧬 Boron
3 mg daily raises free testosterone and lowers SHBG in small human studies within a week. Cheap, well-tolerated, and the effect is modest but replicated.
🧬 Zinc
Required for testosterone synthesis. Correcting deficiency raises testosterone; supplementing a replete man does nothing, which is the pattern for almost every mineral here.
🧬 Vitamin D
Vitamin D receptors are present in Leydig cells and status correlates with testosterone across large cohorts. Trials of supplementation in replete men have been null.
🧬 Shilajit
A 90-day RCT showed raised total and free testosterone. Fulvic acid and dibenzo-α-pyrones are the proposed actives; heavy-metal contamination in unpurified resin is the thing to check.
🧬 Cistanche
Echinacoside and acteoside are proposed to support the axis and erectile function. Traditional use is long, human trials are short.
🧬 Creatine
Not androgenic — but it raises DHT modestly in one study and, far more importantly, is the single best-evidenced strength and lean-mass supplement available. Phosphocreatine resynthesis is the mechanism and it is not in dispute.
The other 5 routes to build muscle & strength
Pick the pathway that matches where you are actually stuck. An appetite drug does nothing for someone who already undereats.
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Frequently asked questions
The androgen receptor is the most powerful hypertrophic switch the body has. Restoring or supporting it changes the ceiling on everything else in this list. Note what is deliberately absent: SARMs are not stocked, on Cam's flat rule.
15 options are mapped to this pathway in the Vault, including Enclomiphene, HCG, Kisspeptin, Gonadorelin. They are grouped by the mechanism they act through rather than ranked by how much trial evidence exists — 10 carry clinical validation and 4 are mechanistic predictions.
Total testosterone alone tells you very little. Free T is the bioavailable fraction, SHBG explains why it might be low with a normal total, and LH/FSH tell you whether the problem is the testes or the pituitary — which decides the entire treatment. The markers worth checking are Total Testosterone, Free Testosterone, SHBG (Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin), LH & FSH.
Unproven is not the same as ineffective. Of the 15 options on this pathway, 10 have clinical validation and 4 are graded theoretical — meaning the mechanism is sound but the specific human trial has not been run, which is true of a great deal of what works in this space. Nothing on this page is ordered by evidence tier, because sorting by trial count would bury the compounds you came looking for.