A Note from Miguel: Behind the Scenes + So why hormones?

Hi friends,

I’m still laying the groundwork for launch.

Behind the scenes, I’ve been focused on building out the systems that will make the user experience as smooth as possible before officially opening my doors to the public.

You’d think setting up a practice like this would be straightforward - buy some software, click a few buttons, and you’re up and running. Not quite. Every task seems to generate three more. But like anything worth building, hopefully, the upfront work will pay off in the long run.

In my spare time, I’ve been hyper-focused on training for my first triathlon with an Ironman coach. Triathlons consist of a swim, bike, and run, back-to-back. I’ve done marathons before, but swimming and cycling are brand new challenges for me. Training with a coach has given me a fresh perspective on strength and endurance, and my first event is coming up in less than a month in Battle Creek, Michigan. This will be my first test to see if I have what it takes to eventually tackle an Ironman event.

So why hormones?

Well.... at one point, the thought of training for a triathlon event, or even finding consistent energy in my daily life, felt impossible. I was stuck: constant anxiety, poor sleep, zero motivation, and I struggled to get through each day.

I’d suspected low testosterone for a while. My labs came back as "low-normal" in 2022, not technically deficient, but far from optimal. At the time, I chose not to pursue replacement therapy and kept pushing forward.

Fast forward to 2025: my labs showed testosterone levels more consistent with an 80-year-old man. My Total Testosterone was a whopping 239. Finally, I had objective evidence as to why I was feeling the way I was.

For context, “normal” testosterone levels for this lab in particular range from 264–916 ng/dL. When levels hover in the 400–500 ng/dL range, many men experience bothersome symptoms: fatigue, low drive, mood shifts, even mild ED.

Andropause in men is essentially the male version of menopause, and I was right in the thick of it (I'll talk more about hormonal shifts in females in future blog posts - there's a lot to cover).

Since starting bi-weekly testosterone injections and addressing the cause of my symptoms, the difference has been nothing short of profound. My latest labs reflect that change, but more importantly, I feel like a new man, and I'm just getting started. I wouldn’t have found the motivation or capacity to train at this level without addressing my underlying health.

My most recent Total Testosterone was 633.

You might be wondering, Miguel, why was your testosterone previously so low?

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I could write a book regarding the causes leading to low testosterone in men. It's multifactorial and complicated. Especially when taking a functional approach to health to uncover the underlying factors that contribute to health and disease states.

I'll cover the major contributors to hormone imbalances in my next blog post.

For now, my focus remains on triathlon training and building the foundation for a practice that gives my patients the opportunity to reclaim their energy, their health, and vitality to live their lives - whatever that looks like for them.

I'll keep you posted as I get closer to the official launch.

This is a marathon, not a sprint.

Be well,

Miguel

Behind the scenes -

Earlier this month, my sister-in-law and nephew came to Connecticut for my daughter's dance recital, and they were the very first visitors to stop by and check out the office!