How to Naturally Increase Your Testosterone Levels

Healthy testosterone levels are essential for a healthy life. Proper testosterone levels maintain sex drive, physique, bone density, cognition, mood and the immune system. Low testosterone can lead to fatigue, irritability, poor memory, depression and of course, reduced libido. Testosterone levels are determined by heredity and lifestyle. While there’s not much one can do about his genes, there’s a lot one can do about his lifestyle.

Unfortunately, testosterone levels decline with age – by about as much as 10% per decade. The ill-effects of low testosterone typically aren’t felt until one reaches their 40s or 50s however some men feel the effects even sooner. Ideally, a young man should try to maximize his testosterone levels to lessen the decline as he ages.

While administering testosterone directly via injection, patch, gel or so forth is an alternative option, it isn’t without unwarranted side effects such as acne, early-onset baldness, gynecomastia (growth of breast tissue in men), and shrunken testicles. Chronic abuse of directly administered testosterone can lead to testicular injury, impeding one’s ability to produce testosterone on his own.

Some background on testosterone…

For a male, testosterone is mainly produced in the testes with some being produced in the adrenal glands. The body has something called luteinizing hormone (LH) that signals the testes to produce testosterone. The typical concentration of testosterone in the bloodstream for men is between 350 and 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl). Hormones like estrogen and cortisol lower testosterone levels.

Ways to boost testosterone levels naturally…

Lower body fat – obesity is correlated with high estrogen levels and thus, low testosterone levels. Fat cells contain aromatase which produce estrogen. More fat means more estrogen. This typically doesn’t typically become an issue until one has over 30% body fat.

Lower high blood pressure and “bad” cholesterol – high blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol levels can lead to hardening of the arteries which reduces systemic blood flow. Poor blood flow throughout the body means poor blood flow to the testes meaning the reduced production of testosterone. High blood pressure and high “bad” cholesterol levels can be remedied through diet alteration and exercise. Note that obesity can cause all the above symptoms.

Salmon – salmon is an excellent source of vitamin A, zinc, and protein, all of which are optimal for testosterone production. As well, salmon lowers the amount of SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin). SHBG attaches itself to testosterone in the bloodstream, rendering it unusable by the human body.

Oysters – long touted as an aphrodisiac, likely because of its high levels of zinc.

Poultry and red meat – again, high zinc content.

Beans and nuts – high in zinc and a vegetarian alternative.

Fruits and vegetables – rich sources of vitamin A.

Eat enough fat – one’s diet should consist of 30% fat. Too little fat has been shown to reduce testosterone levels.

Eat the appropriate amount of protein – Roughly 16% of one’s diet should consist of protein. Eating too little protein has been shown to reduce testosterone levels and conversely, eating too much has been shown to lower testosterone levels. Overloading on protein after a workout has been shown to offset the testosterone spike brought on by working out.

Compound exercises - while at the gym, shoot for exercises that target the large muscle groups (bench press, squats, and deadlifts) and do high intensity, low volume sets (5 reps). Sprinting would also fit into this category. Workouts should generally be between 45 and 60 minutes long. Studies have shown that workouts exceeding this length have actually been shown to lower testosterone levels and raise cortisol levels. Cortisol is a testosterone antagonist. Heightened cortisol levels lower testosterone levels.

Limit volume of distance running – while distance running has been shown to lower testosterone levels, provided one isn’t overtraining, they will stay within the normal range. As it is unlikely one will suffer any of the ill-effects of low testosterone through distance running, as it can remedy high blood pressure and impotence, it is diametrically opposed to muscle building both because of its catabolic effects and because it lowers testosterone. If one wants to maximize his testosterone output, one should limit his distance running to 20 miles per week.

Limit your stress – stress stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol thereby inhibiting testosterone. Try some mediation or yoga to keep stress levels under control.

Reduce alcohol intake – alcohol has been shown to inhibit testosterone levels. It negatively affects fat metabolism (high body fat means more estrogen) and it directly decreases testosterone output from the testes. Testosterone levels of moderate drinkers are on average 8% lower than those who do not drink. Alcohol also increases cortisol levels.

Get enough sleep – sleep deprivation increases cortisol levels. To maintain optimal testosterone levels one should get AT LEAST 6 hours of sleep (preferably 8).

Winning – a study conducted on chess players found a spike in testosterone levels after winning a match. Participate in competitive activities, preferably something one is good at.

To summarize, testosterone levels are largely dependent on diet, exercise and psychological factors. It seems reasonable to assume the notion that maintaining a healthy lifestyle will promote good testosterone levels.