Actor Josh Duhamel, who has spoken previously about time spent at an off-grid cabin in Minnesota, says testosterone replacement therapy has left him feeling healthier at 53 than he did in his early to mid-30s.
Duhamel began testosterone replacement therapy, known as TRT, about five years ago after tests showed low testosterone levels in his early 40s. He later co-founded Gatlan, a men’s health company offering physician-guided testosterone replacement, hormone optimization, weight loss and longevity treatments.
Speaking on Dave Asprey’s podcast “The Human Upgrade,” Duhamel described the physical changes he has noticed since starting treatment.
“I feel better now than I did in my early to mid-30s. I’m not even kidding you. My joints, my back, my knees, everything. I just feel stronger.”
Duhamel said he initially faced pushback from his former talent representatives when he decided to launch Gatlan and put his name behind testosterone therapy publicly.
“I won’t tell you the agency that I’m no longer with, but they said, ‘Don’t do it. It’s bad for your image.’ And I was like, ‘Alright, watch.'”
He admitted the criticism weighed on him for a time. “I had to get over that for a little bit because I was like, ‘Maybe they’re right. Maybe I’m going to get, you know, made fun of in the town for having this company,'” he said. But he ultimately decided the topic deserved more open discussion. “My gut was, ‘Why not shine a light on this thing and make it OK?’ Because nobody’s talking about it. Everybody’s doing it,” he said, adding that he believes many men would benefit from the information.
Duhamel said his early experience sourcing testosterone was inconsistent. “I really started looking into it. Did the research, found somebody who I could find it from, you know, probably got some bad batches here and there. Didn’t really have a quality sort of source,” he said. Still, he noticed a difference. “I found that I was feeling better. I had that oomph that I didn’t have before in my 20s and 30s. And I said, ‘This s— works.'”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved testosterone products for men with low testosterone linked to certain medical conditions, and requires the products to carry warnings about increased blood pressure risk. The agency advises patients to discuss potential benefits and risks with their doctor before starting treatment. Duhamel said he injects testosterone three times a week to keep his levels steady.
Balancing Fatherhood and Energy
Duhamel credited the therapy with giving him the stamina to keep up with his young family. He and his wife, Audra Mari, 32, married in September 2022 and welcomed son Shepherd, now 2, in January 2024. In May 2026, the couple announced the birth of their daughter, Rocca de Leon Duhamel. Duhamel also shares 13-year-old son Axl with his ex-wife, singer Fergie, 51.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it. I have a 3-month-old baby and a 2 ½-year-old boy. And my oldest is about to be 13 tomorrow.”
“So, I’ve got a lot going on at the house,” he continued. “My poor wife, thank God, she’s such a rock star. She’s such a great mom. But when I’m home, we are on all day. It’s either changing the diaper or we’re potty training him now, too. He wants to go swimming. So, I’m swimming.”
He described the current stretch of parenting as demanding but manageable. “We’re just like, ‘You got that. I got this. OK, ready.’ It’s just like — it’s a tiring period of our life. This is about the most tiring it’s going to be,” he said.
Looking Toward Longevity
Duhamel said he’s encouraged by what he sees as a shifting conversation around hormone therapy. “I’m glad that we’re here now, and I’m glad that we have information that is contrary to what we thought for so many years. And we can actually do something. We can actually stay stronger, younger, longer,” he said, adding that curiosity, fascination and “probably” vanity all played a role in his decision.
“But mostly because I have young kids,” he said. “I want to be able to be a good dad and a physical and vibrant father for them physically for as long as I can. And mentally, for that matter.”
He said preserving his long-term health, not just feeling better in the short term, was central to his decision. “I love it. I’m excited about the idea that I’m going to … be as healthy as I can much longer than I would have before,” he said. “I want to see my grandkids. That’s a big ask.”
Duhamel said he believes hormone optimization deserves a place in broader conversations about aging for both men and women. “I think that men and women, for that matter, deserve an opportunity to be optimized for much longer than we ever thought we could be,” he said, “especially when the stuff is there, and it’s all medically backed and the science is there.” He encouraged people to at least consult a doctor about their options, saying, “there’s no reason to, you know, let the old man in the door if you don’t have to.”
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