I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Eric Serrano three times. Here’s the second set of interviews I did with him. Enjoy!

Overtraining and Stress

JP: How do you detect if someone is overtraining, and is there a way to gauge if stress is the main culprit?

Dr. S: When it comes to overtraining, you’ve got to be careful. Most people only look at your training program and say you’re fine, but they don’t consider other factors—your sleep habits, nutrition, and lifestyle. Are you married with children? Do you work full-time? All of these things play a role.

To gauge stress, you can measure cortisol in the blood, and now you can even assess its conversion in the urine, which gives a better picture. Research also indicates that measuring amino acids—specifically the glutamine to glutamic acid ratio—is effective. If I test that in the blood, I can tell right away if you’re overtraining. I discovered this ratio after reviewing several research papers, but it’s my little secret!

The Adrenal Stress Index (ASI) Test

JP: What’s your opinion of the Adrenal Stress Index (ASI) test offered by Diagnostechs? This saliva test measures free cortisol rhythm throughout the day and includes DHEA, insulin, progesterone, and other markers.

Dr. S: Saliva testing for cortisol is more accurate than blood, and urine testing is even more accurate than both—but it’s also more expensive. The body gets rid of cortisol by degrading it into cortisone, which can be measured in the urine. For most purposes, though, saliva testing is sufficient, and the ASI test by Diagnostechs is quite good.

Progesterone in Males

JP: Would you ever check progesterone levels in a male, and would you ever prescribe progesterone to a male?

Dr. S: Yes, I would check progesterone levels in men when:

• Their testosterone or DHEA levels do not return to normal after anabolic steroid use.
• They experience depression.
• They have joint problems.

Progesterone is actually considered the mother hormone.

JP: Hang on a second, I thought pregnenolone was the mother of all hormones?

Dr. S: Well, what comes after pregnenolone? Progesterone! I’d rather prescribe progesterone than pregnenolone to bypass an unnecessary step. To use an analogy, why build a house from the basement when you can start on the main floor?

I’ve tried this with a few males experiencing low testosterone, and it’s worked quite well. Just 100 mg, and they feel great—no more depression, no more headaches. It definitely has merit in certain cases.

Now, it can get complicated because progesterone can either increase androgen levels (anabolic hormones) or cortisol (a catabolic hormone). I can manipulate those pathways somewhat by giving the patient a small amount of cortisone to push progesterone toward the androgenic route.

Manipulating Cortisol Levels

JP: Hold up, doc. If you give cortisone, aren’t you just adding fuel to the fire?

Dr. S: Great question! Think about it this way—if a patient is under extreme stress and already producing high cortisol levels, giving them a small amount of exogenous cortisone can actually reduce their body’s own cortisol production through feedback inhibition. It’s a way of tricking the body!

JP: Ahhh, much like the trick you use for acid reflux—giving a small amount of hydrochloric acid, which actually helps reduce symptoms.

Dr. S: Exactly!

Coming Up in Part 2

Tomorrow in Part 2, we’ll look at DHEA, testosterone replacement, and other anti-aging therapies—plus, Dr. Serrano reveals a trick to increase your chances of conceiving a male.