Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) is a liver-produced protein that binds to hormones like testosterone and oestrogen, regulating how much is free and active in the body. It helps maintain hormonal balance, energy, and metabolism. In Australia, SHBG is measured in nmol/L, with a reference range of 11–71.
Tracking SHBG offers insight into how well your metabolism and hormones work together. Low levels can signal reduced metabolic efficiency, while high levels may limit hormone activity. Regular monitoring helps you understand how nutrition, exercise, and body composition influence long-term energy and wellbeing.
Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin is available in Vively's Metabolic Essentials Test. Book your blood test now for only $199 per test.
SHBG is a carrier protein produced mainly by the liver that binds to sex hormones (notably testosterone and oestrogen) circulating in the bloodstream. When hormones are bound, they are largely unavailable to tissues; the “free” fraction (unbound) is what can exert biological effects. Thus SHBG helps regulate how much hormone is active vs reserved.
Why does SHBG matter for long-term health and wellbeing?
Because SHBG regulates hormone bioavailability, it links directly to your metabolic and hormonal balance over time. Lower SHBG is often found in conjunction with insulin resistance, excess weight, and metabolic inefficiency — indicating the body may be struggling with energy regulation.
At the other extreme, too much SHBG can limit the free pool of hormones, potentially restricting tissue responsiveness. In both cases, deviations from an optimal window provide clues that lifestyle tweaks (nutrition, exercise, sleep) may help shift your trajectory before outcomes become more fixed.
What’s an optimal level of SHBG?
Here’s how the ranges stack up (in Australian units, nmol/L):
The standard laboratory reference range in Australia is approximately 11 to 71 nmol/L.
Within that, “optimal” is not universally established — it depends on age, sex, body composition, lifestyle factors, and how SHBG correlates with your free hormone levels. The optimal window is ideally where you maintain hormonal responsiveness, metabolic flexibility and stable energy through the day — and that’s something your coaching or clinician may help personalise.
What influences SHBG levels?
SHBG is sensitive to multiple lifestyle, biochemical and hormonal factors. Key influences include:
Insulin and metabolic state: Higher insulin exposure tends to lower SHBG expression in the liver.
Body fat and adiposity: More central fat tends to drive lower SHBG levels.
Nutrition and diet composition: Certain nutritional factors (carbohydrate quality, fructose intake, fatty acids) have been shown to affect SHBG gene expression in recent studies.
Age and hormonal context: SHBG tends to rise with age (especially in men), shifting the hormone binding equilibrium.
Liver function and systemic signalling: Because SHBG is synthesised in the liver, hepatic health, inflammation and signalling pathways (thyroid hormones, thyroid status, liver metabolism) also play roles.
What does it mean if SHBG is outside the optimal range?
If SHBG is lower than ideal (while still within the lab reference range), it may reflect an environment of elevated insulin, metabolic strain or excess adiposity — signalling that your hormone–metabolism balance is under pressure. If SHBG is very high, it could suggest that the free hormone pool is being curtailed, possibly reducing hormone responsiveness at tissues.
In both cases, it’s not a diagnosis, but a prompt — telling you your current lifestyle or metabolic state may require fine-tuning, sooner rather than later. Monitoring SHBG over time helps you see the direction of change and act proactively.
How can I support healthy SHBG levels?
You can support SHBG balance through lifestyle refinements that enhance metabolic resilience and hormonal equilibrium:
Focus on steady insulin control by choosing low‐glycaemic whole foods and moderating refined carbohydrate intake.
Prioritise body composition optimisation, maintaining lean muscle mass, minimising excess visceral fat via resistance training and consistent movement.
Pay attention to quality nutrition—adequate protein, healthy fats, fibre, micronutrients and phytonutrients that support liver and metabolic health (e.g. omega-3 fats, polyphenols).
Ensure sleep quality, stress balance and recovery—chronic stress or inadequate sleep can shift hormonal axes and influence insulin signalling.
Monitor and support liver health and systemic inflammation via antioxidant support, moderate alcohol exposure, and avoiding unnecessary liver stressors.
These strategies, when sustained, may help nudge SHBG toward your optimal zone and preserve hormonal/metabolic flexibility over time.
This information is provided for general health and wellness purposes only and does not replace medical advice.
References
Gyawali, P. et al. (2018). Cross-sectional and longitudinal determinants of serum sex hormone-binding globulin levels in community-dwelling men (MAILES study).
The blood test includes a breakdown of over 50 blood markers across hormones, heart, metabolism, liver and blood health, and also includes your Biological Age, which is a researched-backed analysis of your biological rate of aging, and indication of how well your body is aging. You will also receive personalised recommendations across nutrition, movement, sleep, stress and mindset, as well as resources to learn and develop knowledge in your body and health.
Vively includes 3x more lab tests than most GP check-ups, giving you a much more in-depth understanding of your health and wellbeing. Vively also tracks your results over time and brings you actionable insights based on your specific results. All lab tests come with a personalised protocol and action plan to improve your weight and long-term health.
The Vively membership contains everything you need to achieve your health goals:
- Access to your custom health protocol in the Vively app - Access to our support team at any time during business hours - Tools to help you build long-term habits & track health improvements - Access to Continuous Glucose Monitors to optimise your blood sugar levels - Book in follow up blood tests whenever you need
We test over 50 biomarkers across your blood, hormones, metabolism, liver, kidneys, cholesterol, and more. Each one tells us something important about your health. By looking at them together, we can understand the relationship between your weight and your health — and create a plan that’s personalised to you.
Each one was carefully chosen because it helps us answer one or more of these questions: Is your body handling food and energy in a healthy way? Are there hidden factors you wouldn’t know about otherwise? What plan is right for you, and how can we track progress?
At Vively we take our data security very seriously. All of your data is 256 bit SSL/TLS encrypted. Access to your medical records are encrypted with the industry standard AES-256 encryption algorithm to protect your data at all times. You can read more about this in our privacy policy.Only our health professionals and authorised staff will have access to view your medical records. Data can be stored on third party servers, but it’s always encrypted.
Vively is a general wellness platform and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information, insights or guidance offered through our app, website, programs, or coaches is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice or care. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making any health-related decisions.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live and work, the Gadigal of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
.png)
