Muscle Loss
Muscle loss (sarcopenia or muscle wasting) occurs when the body breaks down more muscle tissue than it builds, leading to declining strength, shrinking muscle size, and reduced physical performance over time. Men may notice softer arms and legs, a weaker grip, difficulty with tasks like climbing stairs or lifting objects, and a shift toward more belly fat, even when body weight has not changed much. Because muscle is critical for metabolism, balance, and overall vitality, progressive muscle loss can also worsen fatigue, increase injury risk, and reduce quality of life.
What Causes Muscle loss?
Multiple factors can drive muscle loss, especially as men age, including hormonal changes, low testosterone, increased aromatization to estrogen, inadequate protein intake, chronic stress, poor sleep, and reduced physical activity. Low or suboptimal testosterone levels are strongly linked to loss of lean mass and increased fat mass, while elevated estrogen in men can further skew body composition away from a lean, muscular frame. Certain medications, chronic illnesses, and prolonged dieting or weight cycling can accelerate muscle breakdown, making targeted evaluation and treatment especially important for men who want to stay strong and active.
How Apex Men's Health Evaluates Muscle Loss
At APEX Men’s Health, evaluation for muscle loss starts with a detailed men’s health consultation, focusing on strength changes, exercise history, diet, energy, sexual function, and prior hormone use. Your provider typically orders comprehensive labs, which may include total and free testosterone, estradiol, LH, FSH, thyroid markers, metabolic labs, vitamin D, and sometimes inflammatory markers to understand the full hormonal and metabolic environment around your muscle loss. This data, combined with a physical exam and your goals, guides an individualized plan that addresses both hormone balance and lifestyle factors like resistance training and nutrition.
Muscle Loss Treatments at Apex Men's Health
The primary treatment goals at APEX for muscle loss are to optimize testosterone, control excess estrogen when appropriate, stimulate natural testosterone production when possible, and support the body’s ability to build and maintain lean muscle. Alongside hormone and medication strategies, your provider may encourage structured resistance exercise, adequate protein intake, and better sleep hygiene to maximize the impact of treatment. Not every man needs every medication; rather, therapies are selected based on labs, symptoms, and whether fertility preservation, body composition, or performance is the top priority.
Anastrozole (In Some Cases)
Anastrozole is an aromatase inhibitor that reduces the conversion of testosterone into estrogen, helping lower estradiol levels and support a more anabolic testosterone‑to‑estrogen ratio in select men. In the context of muscle loss, anastrozole may be used when labs show elevated estradiol—often in men with higher body fat or those on testosterone therapy—to reduce estrogen’s dampening effect on lean mass and help support muscle‑building efforts. Because over‑suppressing estrogen can have negative consequences, APEX uses anastrozole judiciously, adjusting doses based on repeat labs, strength changes, and overall well‑being.
Enclomiphene to Boost Natural Testosterone
Enclomiphene is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) that stimulates the body’s own production of testosterone by increasing pituitary release of LH and FSH, which in turn signal the testes to make more testosterone. For appropriate men—especially those who wish to preserve fertility—enclomiphene can raise endogenous testosterone, which may support gains in lean mass, improved strength, better energy, and reduced fat without directly supplying external testosterone. At APEX, enclomiphene is typically paired with lifestyle strategies like resistance training and adequate nutrition, and its impact is followed through regular labs and symptom tracking.
Testosterone Injections
Testosterone injections deliver bioidentical testosterone directly into muscle or subcutaneous tissue on a set schedule, providing robust support for men struggling with muscle loss and strength decline. When properly dosed, injectables can significantly enhance muscle protein synthesis, recovery from workouts, and overall performance, helping men add or reclaim lean mass while improving day‑to‑day energy and motivation. Because injections may create higher peaks in testosterone that can increase aromatization to estrogen, APEX carefully tracks estradiol, adjusts dosing frequency, and integrates medications like anastrozole when indicated to protect both muscle and metabolic health.
Testosterone Creams & Gels
Topical testosterone creams provide another TRT option for men who prefer to avoid injections, delivering hormone through the skin for steady, daily support. This route can improve energy, enhance gym performance, and support gradual increases in lean mass while maintaining a more stable hormone curve for some patients. As with injections, APEX uses follow‑up labs to ensure that testosterone is in the optimal range, estradiol remains controlled, and muscle strength and body composition are trending in the desired direction over time.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is used when men have clear clinical and laboratory evidence of low testosterone, particularly when they experience muscle loss, reduced strength, low libido, and fatigue. Restoring testosterone into a healthy physiologic range helps promote protein synthesis, increase lean body mass, improve power and stamina, and reduce visceral fat, all of which contribute to a more muscular, athletic build when combined with consistent training. At APEX, TRT is individualized, with close monitoring of levels, blood counts, and estradiol to maximize benefits for muscle and performance while minimizing potential risks.
how soon will I see Results?
With a tailored combination of hormone optimization, estrogen control when needed, and consistent training and nutrition, many men experience noticeable improvements in strength, muscle fullness, and endurance over several months. Clothes may fit better in the shoulders and arms, workouts feel more productive, and day‑to‑day tasks become easier as muscle returns and body fat decreases. Individual response varies, and long‑term success depends on adherence to both the medical plan and lifestyle recommendations, which your APEX provider will help you implement and refine.
Schedule a virtual consultation with us today!
Muscle loss does not have to be accepted as an unavoidable part of aging or stress. A virtual consultation with APEX Men’s Health gives you the opportunity to review your symptoms, labs, and goals and to explore whether anastrozole, enclomiphene, testosterone therapy, or a combination of approaches is right for your situation. Reach out to build a personalized plan that targets the hormonal drivers of muscle loss while supporting strength, performance, and long‑term vitality. Schedule your virtual consultation today!