How to Boost Testosterone Production
Written by Ben Bunting: BA, PGCert. (Sport & Exercise Nutrition) // British Army Physical Training Instructor // S&C Coach.
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Many men experience a decline in testosterone levels as they age, leading to a variety of symptoms that can impact their overall quality of life.
But fear not, because there are natural ways to increase your testosterone levels and regain your energy.
In this ultimate guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know about boosting testosterone naturally.
From lifestyle changes and diet modifications to exercise routines and supplements, we've got you covered.
You'll learn about the importance of sleep, stress management, and the role of specific nutrients in supporting healthy testosterone levels.
So, get ready to take charge of your health and vitality. It's time to reclaim your energy and feel your best once again.
Signs and Symptoms of Low Testosterone Levels
Male testicles (sex glands) produce testosterone and other sex hormones to aid with body and mind development, including producing sperm from these hormones which combine with fluid from prostate gland and penis to form semen - the female counterpart to this process called semeninization.
Sperm travel through the reproductive tract and are released during sexual intercourse via the ejaculate sac.
Female ovaries produce sex hormones to aid with breast development and menstruation; hypogonadism affects both genders of all ages.
Signs and symptoms vary depending on when low testosterone first manifests itself in life.
When beginning during fetal development, low testosterone can result in undefined genitalia and lack of masculine characteristics that would normally develop with adulthood.
At prepubertal boys, low testosterone can result in eunuchoidism - an condition characterized by small testicles, slow muscle growth and long arms and legs relative to the torso, high-pitched voice production and decreased libido or infertility.
Hypogonadism in adult men, however, leads to loss of muscle mass and bone density while decreasing testosterone production as well.
Hypogonadism has two forms, primary and central. With primary hypogonadism, gonads don't produce enough sex hormones because their brain has not sent signals for this to happen.
Hypothalamus and pituitary gland send messages through gonadotropin-releasing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone to the ovaries and testes to stimulate their production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone or testosterone production respectively.
Hypogonadism can be diagnosed using a blood test which measures total and "free" testosterone. For best results, these should be performed first thing in the morning when testosterone levels tend to reach their maximum.
Furthermore, doctors can measure an LH (luteinizing hormone) protein which will indicate how much follicle-stimulating hormone and follicle-inhibiting hormone are being produced by your body.
Factors That Contribute to Low Testosterone
Testosterone is a key hormone for male physical traits and sexual function development in boys, while adults require it for strong bones and healthy muscle mass development.
Testosterone levels tend to decline naturally with age or certain health conditions or medicines, potentially resulting in hypogonadism (low testosterone), which may cause sexual drive changes, changes in body fat distribution and mass, energy deficits, mood shifts and an overall change in mood.
Low testosterone levels are generally caused by aging.
However, other factors may contribute to it as well. Medicines intended for cancer treatment or infections can reduce how much testosterone your body produces and some diseases and illnesses may also wreak havoc with organs that produce and regulate it, such as prostate gland or ovaries.
Obesity and certain diets can also impede how much testosterone your body produces.
Foods made with white flour such as hamburger buns or breakfast cereal may increase insulin levels in your bloodstream, suppressing testosterone production.
Chronic medical conditions, like diabetes or obstructive sleep apnea, can significantly decrease testosterone.
Treating low T with medications, diet and lifestyle modifications or testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), may alleviate symptoms while improving overall health.
The Benefits of Increasing Testosterone Naturally
Maintaining healthy levels of testosterone is vitally important to both men and women for maintaining an ideal body composition, protecting against disease, increasing muscle mass retention, supporting reproductive health (sperm/oocyte production/healthy sperm count/healthy egg production), supporting sleep patterns/mental wellbeing/energy production/fat reduction.
While low testosterone (hypogonadism) can cause fatigue, erectile dysfunction depression/libido issues/fat accumulation - but there are natural solutions that can increase testosterone production.
Diet and Nutrition for Boosting Testosterone Levels
Testosterone is the hormone responsible for many male characteristics, such as sperm production, bone and muscle strength, fat burning, metabolic stimulation, energy levels boosts, prostate stimulation and sleep regulation.
Testosterone levels naturally decline with age but healthy diet and exercise can help keep testosterone at normal levels for maximum performance.
Diets that provide essential vitamins and minerals help the normal production of hormones such as testosterone.
Nutrient deficiencies have been linked with low testosterone production, making it important to eat a range of food sources that provide essential nutrition.
Fatty fish like salmon and tuna is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to boost testosterone.
Aim for at least two servings a week; eggs also provide protein for muscle growth as well as zinc necessary for producing testosterone; try eating one to two eggs every day.
Vegetables like spinach and beans provide an excellent source of magnesium, which has been found to boost testosterone. Aim to consume approximately 300mg daily.
Fruit such as bananas is an excellent source of vitamin C, an antioxidant known to reduce oxidative stress which may have an adverse impact on hormones. Eating more fruit will increase testosterone levels by helping raise testosterone levels naturally.
Processed foods, like prepackaged or frozen meals, fast food and sweets, contain excessive salt, sugar and fat that can reduce testosterone levels. Drinking too much alcohol may also have this effect; therefore it's wise to limit how much you drink each week.
Exercise and Physical Activity for Increasing Testosterone
Testosterone is an essential sex hormone, essential to building muscle mass, managing bodyweight and protecting heart health.
Men produce male testosterone from their testicles while women's ovaries produce female testosterone - both can be naturally increased through various workout strategies, diet choices and rest.
Resistance training can be an effective way to raise your testosterone levels, as this type of strength-building activity stimulates production both during and after your session.
Conducting several sets of high rep exercises focusing on large muscle groups such as bench presses or deadlifts has proven particularly successful for this goal.
HIIT training can also help increase testosterone, as it involves short bursts of intense aerobic activity followed by periods of lower-intensity activities.
One 12-week study presented at the Integrative Biology of Exercise 7 meeting revealed that obese and overweight individuals who participated in moderate intensity cardio exercises such as long jogs and hard sprints showed significantly greater increases in their testosterone than those participating in traditional aerobic exercises alone.
Longer rest intervals during your weight-lifting routine also appear to help boost testosterone, as it allows you to lift heavier weights before fatigue forces you to stop.
One technique which may be especially beneficial to increasing testosterone is "forced reps". For a forced-rep set, perform an exercise until it exhausts you; then ask a friend or gym-mates to spot you as you complete another set with additional repetitions (anywhere from 1-5 more).
Lifestyle Changes for Optimizing Testosterone Production
Testosterone is the sex hormone most associated with muscle growth and strength, libido, sperm production and healthy sexual function.
However, it also plays an essential role in bone health and red blood cell production - thus contributing to numerous issues for both men and women alike.
A deficiency can result in all sorts of issues both physical and psychological in both individuals.
Although testosterone levels tend to decline with age, diet and lifestyle choices can help boost them back to optimal levels.
Here are some effective techniques for stimulating production of this important steroid hormone within your own body.
1. Get More Sleep
Adults typically require seven to eight hours of restful slumber each night; otherwise, their testosterone production could drop up to 15 percent.
Aim to establish a consistent bedtime and wake-up time each day so your body knows when you should rest up or wake up for work.
2. Exercise regularly
Regular physical activity can not only benefit your heart and joints, but it may also boost testosterone levels.
Some studies suggest weight training exercises that target large muscle groups such as quadriceps, hamstrings, back, shoulders and chest may have the most significant effect on increasing testosterone.
But don't limit yourself to weight lifting alone -- research shows most forms of resistance training are equally as effective at raising testosterone.
3. Avoid Sugar and High Fat Foods
A balanced diet including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, moderate amounts of healthy fats (such as coconut oil ) and lean proteins like chicken or fish is vital in order to keep testosterone at an ideal level.
Limiting high-sugar/high-fat food items like processed snacks will also help achieve weight loss while possibly increasing testosterone levels.
Natural Supplements and Herbs for Boosting Testosterone
There are plenty of natural herbs and ingredients that can help boost testosterone.
Some can even be combined together for greater effectiveness; these herbal extracts range from fenugreek to ashwagandha as an effective means of increasing testosterone levels in your body.
Fenugreek
Fenugreek has long been used as a medicinal herb. An annual plant, its seeds and leaves are used in cooking (usually Indian dishes). You might also see it used in herbal teas or supplements.
Fenugreek is well known for regulating blood sugar levels, improving digestion, reducing inflammation and supporting lactation during breastfeeding women - while new research is showing it may also boost testosterone and support muscle growth for men.
Testosterone is an essential hormone, impacting our sexual drive, energy levels, bone health and mental functioning.
When testosterone levels decrease due to age or illness it may lead to decreased sex drive or fatigue - yet many with mildly decreased testosterone are seeking ways to naturally increase production in order to bolster sex drive and drive.
While more research needs to be conducted into how exactly fenugreek increases testosterone, several clinical trials have already provided promising evidence of its efficacy.
One such trial found that supplementing with fenugreek significantly raised serum testosterone in healthy men.
A second trial demonstrated how it could restore sexual hormone levels among those suffering from low testosterone by decreasing insulin levels, which acts as a barrier against production of sex hormones.
Fenugreek can help to increase testosterone, but for optimal results it should be combined with diet and exercise. Be sure to get sufficient amounts of protein, fats, vitamins and minerals so as to meet your body's requirements.
Ashwagandha
Testosterone is the primary male sexual hormone responsible for increasing muscle strength, maintaining healthy body fat levels, facilitating erections and providing consistent energy levels.
Furthermore, this essential hormone plays an integral part in cognitive health by relieving stress and improving overall mental wellbeing - not surprising it has gained so much traction within fitness and diet supplement industries due to its testosterone-boosting properties.
These supplements can be easily purchased at pharmacies, natural supplement vendors or health stores.
Current scientific evidence connecting Ashwagandha and testosterone levels is limited, with only a handful of studies available.
But in one such recent research project involving 57 men without prior weight training experience who took either Ashwagandha root extract or placebo for 16 weeks found that those taking Ashwagandha had significantly higher testosterone than their counterparts without taking this herbal remedy, along with greater strength gains and larger increases in muscle size gains.
Furthermore, this plant is considered an adaptogen, meaning that it helps balance cortisol levels by controlling inflammation responses.
As such, it makes an excellent solution for people suffering from chronic stress as it can boost mood while alleviating fatigue.
Researchers conducted this research and identified that ashwagandha can increase salivary testosterone and DHEA, which is precursor for testosterone production.
Further study will need to take place to ascertain exactly how much ashwagandha must be taken to produce these effects; but these preliminary findings show promise, suggesting this herbal remedy could be used both to increase testosterone and counteract signs of aging.
Mucuna Pruriens
According to one published research paper that was reported in Fertility and Sterility infertile men were given 5g of dried mucuna powder daily for three months in a study, showing increased testosterone levels despite still remaining below normal.
Another similar research article published by Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis showed similar findings; both studies show how increasing LH and FSH levels increases testosterone.
Mucuna is an adaptogenic herb, meaning it helps regulate hormones and stress responses, making it beneficial to bodybuilders whose testosterone levels decrease over time.
Urtica Dioica
Common Nettle (Urtica dioica), commonly mistaken as an annoying weed, is actually an extremely potent herb with numerous health benefits that has been shown to significantly boost testosterone levels and has other additional advantages.
Nettle root has been widely studied and proven effective for treating various hormonal imbalances, such as polycystic ovary syndrome. When used alongside other supplements designed to support balanced hormone production, nettle root may help regulate estrogen and testosterone production in your body.
One factor contributing to our declining testosterone and other sexual hormones as we age is an excess of estrogen, which reduces natural production of these androgens.
Stinging nettle can also serve as an anti-inflammatory, and applied topically it has been found to help decrease inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
Nettle root can also help by blocking the binding of SHBG to testosterone, thus freeing more of this vital hormone for use by your body in stimulating muscle growth.
As such, it plays an integral part of Military Muscle formula; we combine it with other nourishing nutrients that support healthy hormone function for maximum benefit - creating a synergistic effect more powerful than taking any single supplement alone.
Stress Management for Hormonal Balance
Stressful circumstances are one of the main contributors to low testosterone levels among men, as its long-term effects can play a direct role.
High cortisol levels have an adverse impact on testosterone production and lead to feelings of fatigue, lack of motivation and poor sleeping patterns that mimic symptoms associated with low testosterone.
Over time these can become hard to distinguish without consulting one of our men's health specialists for diagnosis.
Diet, sleep hygiene and physical activity all help reduce stress on our bodies. Furthermore, maintaining a healthy weight is also crucial; extra belly fat contributes to stress and can significantly lower testosterone.
If you are experiencing low energy and fatigue, decreased libido, or erectile dysfunction it could be related to stress and anxiety.
Furthermore, these symptoms could also be the result of low testosterone or other factors.
A thorough medical exam and consultation is necessary in order to ascertain if these issues stem from low T levels or whether stress and anxiety is at play in your case.
Stress management is vital to overall health improvement and reaching optimal testosterone levels for increased energy, better sex, and stronger bodies.
Low levels of testosterone have been linked to mental and physical health problems including obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Stress can be effectively managed through eating healthily, exercising regularly, getting enough restful sleep, and improving sexual life quality.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you're experiencing symptoms of low testosterone, there are natural ways to increase your levels and regain your energy.
By making lifestyle changes, optimizing your diet and exercise routines, managing stress, and considering natural supplements or herbs, you can support healthy testosterone production.
Remember, increasing testosterone levels naturally is a journey that requires commitment and consistency.
By incorporating the strategies outlined in this guide into your daily routine, you can optimize your testosterone levels and enhance your overall well-being. Don't let low testosterone hold you back any longer - take action today and regain your energy and vitality.
