At the age of 30, testosterone levels in men begin to decline and this decline continues into old age. There are many health benefits for maintaining higher testosterone levels, and there are ways to do this naturally, without the need for steroids or other artificial processes that have side effects.
Changes in diet, the types of exercise we do and certain supplements are all effective ways to boost testosterone levels naturally. Here are 8 effective methods you can employ to keep your testosterone levels at their best.
1. Weight loss
If you are carrying too much weight, then losing the excess may increase testosterone levels naturally. Research has shown that guys who are overweight are more prone to decreased levels of testosterone. So weight loss is an important start in the quest for greater testosterone levels.
2. High Intensity Exercise
In contrast to aerobics or moderate prolonged exercise, both of which are shown to have no effect or negative effects on testosterone levels, short intense exercise sessions are shown to boost levels.
High intensity exercise follows this pattern: a 3 minute warm up, exercise as fast and as hard as possible for 30 seconds, recover at a slower rate for 90 seconds, alternate between high intensity and recovery rate 8 times total.
3. Load up on the Zinc
Zinc is an essential nutrient for manufacturing testosterone, and adding zinc supplements to ones diet has been shown to increase testosterone levels in just 6 weeks. Conversely research shows that reducing the amount of zinc in the diet reduces testosterone levels in the body. So load up on the zinc! Foods rich in protein such as fish, meat, raw milk and raw milk based dairy products are great sources of protein.
4. Strength Training
In addition to high-intensity exercise, strength training is also an awesome way to boost testosterone levels naturally. The key here is to focus on lifting greater weights with fewer reps. Power lifting exercises like squats, deadlifts and benching are the best options.
5. Vitamin D Level Optimization
A steroid hormone, vitamin D is crucial for developing sperm cells, particularly the nucleus. Vitamin D increases testosterone levels too. One study found that overweight men given vitamin D supplements displayed significant increases in testosterone after just 1 year.
6. Stress Reduction
Stress is a major enemy to testosterone. Cortisol, the hormone released by the body during stress, blocks testosterone production. Although it is not totally clear why this is the case, a leading theory is that the quality of testosterone (aggression, competing, aggression) may reduce our chances of surviving an emergency situation.
7. Reduce Sugar Intake
When we consume sugar our testosterone levels drop. This makes sense since high insulin levels is a key factor for low testosterone levels in the body. Besides, excess sugar intake messes us up hormonally in numerous ways. This can lead to weight gain and poor energy levels, which leads to less interest in exercising!
8. Increase BCAA Intake
BCAAs (branch chain amino acids) are shown in studies to be an effective way to boost testosterone levels naturally. You can by BCAAs in supplement form, but there are high levels of BCAA in dairy products like whey protein and high quality cheeses.
Credit to Courtney Williams
