TRT and low body temperature: what the science says

What did @southsidemadedez actually say?

Honestly, not much that's decipherable. The transcript reads: "So when I did it again, look at that low tumm. It fits you. Hey, you tell me how to start. So when I got me right, not for real, shit. Okay." That's the whole thing. The caption references a "low temp" which, in TRT circles, likely means a low body temperature reading, possibly linked to thyroid function or metabolic rate. But the creator never actually explains what they measured, what it means, or why it matters.

What we're working with here is a 22,700-view TikTok that gestures at something health-related without saying anything clinically coherent. The phrase "low temp" is doing a lot of heavy lifting with zero support behind it.

Does the science back this up?

There's real science connecting testosterone, thyroid hormones, and basal body temperature, but nothing in this video actually references any of it. So backing up a claim that was never clearly made is a strange exercise.

What we do know: body temperature is regulated by thyroid hormone activity, and testosterone can modestly influence thyroid-binding globulin (TBG) levels. Men on TRT sometimes report changes in how they feel metabolically. A 2013 study by Mazer published in Thyroid documented that androgens reduce TBG, which can alter free thyroid hormone levels without changing TSH. This is real, relevant physiology. But a single temperature reading shown on camera, with no baseline, no context, and no explanation, tells us nothing actionable. A "low temp" could reflect dozens of variables: time of day, ambient room temperature, oral versus axillary measurement, or plain old thermometer variance.

No single data point makes a trend. That's not how clinical interpretation works.

What did they get wrong (or right)?

Getting something wrong requires actually saying something, and this video barely clears that bar. The creator didn't make a specific false claim, which means they also didn't make a useful true one. The caption phrase "look at that low temp" implies the reading is meaningful, possibly surprising or concerning, but without a reference range, a measurement method, or a before-and-after comparison, viewers have no way to evaluate it.

What's potentially misleading is the implied framing: that this temperature reading is connected to TRT in some significant way. That framing, without explanation, can push viewers toward self-diagnosing metabolic or thyroid issues based on one number. That's a real problem. People in TRT communities are already prone to over-interpreting single biomarkers, and content like this feeds that tendency without adding any educational value.

To be fair: if the creator is tracking basal body temperature over time as part of a broader self-monitoring routine, that's not inherently bad practice. Consistent morning temperature tracking has some utility in assessing thyroid function patterns (Barnes, 1976, Medical Hypotheses). But that context is completely absent here.

What should you actually know?

Body temperature as a health metric is more nuanced than a single reading suggests. Basal body temperature (BBT) is typically measured first thing in the morning, before getting out of bed, using a precise thermometer, and tracked across multiple days. A one-off reading shown on camera is not a clinical data point.

In the context of TRT, if you're genuinely concerned about thyroid function, the appropriate step is getting a full thyroid panel: TSH, free T3, free T4, and reverse T3. Some integrative practitioners also look at TBG given testosterone's influence on it. A 2019 review by Samuels in New England Journal of Medicine outlined how thyroid and sex hormone axes interact, reinforcing that these systems don't operate in isolation.

If your temperature is consistently low and you're on TRT, talk to the provider managing your protocol. Don't interpret a TikTok clip as medical guidance. The video offers no dosing information, no protocol advice, and no clinical interpretation, which is the one thing it accidentally gets right by omission.