Many men want to know how to boost testosterone naturally. They have good reason to care about it. Testosterone, the male sex hormone, impacts nearly every aspect of men’s health, so it’s not surprising that some men are looking for natural, research-backed ways to increase their levels of this vital hormone.
You probably associate it with sexual function, which most men take pretty seriously, but it also has many other health benefits. It can influence disease risk, body composition, and overall health. Women have small amounts of testosterone that they produce in their ovaries, and just like men, they need to maintain healthy levels of it for their health and sexual well-being. The research clearly demonstrates its importance to human health.
Unfortunately, testosterone or “T” declines as you age, but there are evidence-based ways to attain a healthy testosterone level. Read on to learn more about how to boost testosterone naturally from the health and fitness experts at Powerful Nutrition.
Exercise and Lift Weights
You probably know that physical activity is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle and can prevent certain diseases. It can also boost your levels of testosterone. In an extensive review study, researchers determined that regular exercise promotes higher levels. Research demonstrates that exercise has more of an impact on testosterone levels than restricting calories for obese men. Resistance training, including weight lifting, is the type of exercise that will boost your levels of this hormone the most. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is also very effective, but any kind of exercise is beneficial. Combining your training program with supplements that contain creatine monohydrate can increase testosterone levels. That’s good news for gym bros everywhere.
Eat a Balanced Diet
Diet plays a significant role in your hormone levels, including testosterone. Eating a healthy diet of whole foods is the best way to keep your hormones at optimal levels. Be sure to get enough protein because it helps you maintain T levels and can help you lose weight. That’s significant because maintaining a healthy weight is beneficial for hormone levels. Carbohydrates can help boost testosterone levels during resistance training, and healthy fats benefit your levels of this hormone, too. That’s yet another reason to fork over a few extra bucks for avocado.
Disordered eating can negatively impact testosterone. Frequent dieting and overeating will disrupt your T levels. This research suggests that activities like yo-yo dieting, defined as periods of calorie restriction followed by periods of unrestricted overeating, could cause your testosterone to plummet.
Minimize Stress Levels
Long-term stress can raise the levels of the hormone cortisol in your body, which impacts testosterone. Testosterone and cortisol are negatively correlated, meaning that increases in cortisol cause your testosterone levels to drop.
Elevated cortisol causes other changes in your body that also negatively impact testosterone. When you are stressed and have high cortisol, it can lead to weight gain and fat storage around your organs. These changes can lower your levels of the male sex hormone. It’s essential to manage stress effectively if you want higher testosterone and improved overall health.
Get Plenty of High-Quality Sleep
You probably know that rest is important to your health. What counts as a good night of sleep can vary from person to person. Regardless of how much sleep you need for your health, rest impacts testosterone. In one study, researchers found that subjects who got only five hours of sleep saw their testosterone levels dip by 15%. Getting as little as four hours of sleep per night can cause levels to sink low enough that you are at risk of deficiency. You may get as much as a 15% boost to your testosterone levels for every additional hour of sleep. It is recommended that you get between seven to 10 hours of sleep for optimal T levels, though some people may do fine with less sleep.
Vitamins and Supplements
So far, we’ve talked about diet and lifestyle factors that can raise testosterone. If you already live a healthy lifestyle and are worried about your testosterone levels, you may be wondering what you can do. Thankfully, a few vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements can boost this health-promoting hormone.
Researchers have demonstrated that zinc boosts testosterone for both athletes and people with zinc deficiencies. Vitamin D supplementation positively influences testosterone levels in men. Vitamins A, C, and E may also impact your sex hormone levels, but more research is needed. The research is strongest for zinc and vitamin D supplementation compared to other vitamin and mineral supplements.
In addition to vitamins and minerals, there is evidence that some natural supplements can boost T. Ashwagandha, an annual evergreen shrub in the nightshade family, has the most research to support its impact on the hormone. Ashwagandha increased testosterone by 17% in infertile men and 15% in healthy men. One way that ashwagandha impacts testosterone is by lowering cortisol levels. As we have discussed, elevated cortisol levels negatively impact the amount of testosterone in your body.
More research is needed to determine if popular herbs, such as horny goat weed, impact testosterone levels or sexual function. However, these supplements are popular in alternative medicine and have been used for centuries for their health-promoting properties.
Purchasing each supplement individually can be expensive. Get a natural testosterone booster supplement to minimize your costs, and you can pair it with a multivitamin if you are concerned about your intake of vitamins and minerals. To maximize your T levels, look for supplements with testosterone-boosting ashwagandha, horny goat weed, and zinc, and use only natural ingredients with no harmful chemicals.
At Powerful Nutrition, we want you to feel your best in everything you do, from the bedroom to the gym. That’s why we engineer only the highest-quality, natural supplements designed to power you through your day. Whether you need to improve your sexual performance, turbocharge your next workout, or improve your hydration, we are your most trusted source for buying sports nutrition supplements.