 Testosterone is one of the most important male hormone, as it regulates your sexual function, governs recovery, growth, bone density, along with many other physiological processes. Low testosterone levels are perhaps one of the worst problems a male can encounter, as it can lead to unpleasant side effects, such as:
Likely, you don’t want to experience these and neither and the thought of injecting testosterone in your body may make you cringe. If that’s the case, you are in the right place - In this article, we’ll give you the most important things you can start doing right away to boost your testosterone level naturally. Now without further ado, let’s jump right into it! Your testosterone levels naturally drop as you age, but before you jump into testosterone replacement therapy options, it is best to do a complete overhaul of your habits. Here are the things that have the highest impact on your natural testosterone levels: #1 Nutrition What you put in your body has a MAJOR effect on the way your bodily systems work. Including the hormonal (endocrine) system. It is a fact that food provides the body with essential nutrients, which the body needs but can’t produce on its own. Additionally, poor nutrition usually leads to the gain of excess weight which as it turns out, high body fat levels have been shown to lower your testosterone levels. (1) This is why, if you want normal testosterone levels, you should at least keep a normal body composition (fat to muscle ratio, healthy range is under 25%).. In terms of nutrients, fat and protein are the two most important components of your nutrition plan, which will nurture testosterone production. Low intake of dietary fats has been shown to decrease testosterone levels in males. However, carbs have their place as well. Although they’ve been demonized carbohydrates can also help optimize testosterone in combination with resistance training. (2) Whole foods are key with several notable foods such as beef, chicken, pork, eggs, dairy, grains, beans, legumes, fish, fruits and vegetables. #2 Weight training If you’re trying to give the body a reason to ramp up testosterone production, weight training is the perfect tool to do so. When you do workouts with heavier weights and shorter-lasting sets, muscle breakdown occurs, which is termed “muscle protein breakdown”. Paired with good nutrition, this powerful stimulus will unleash a flurry of anabolic (constructive) processes and testosterone production is a part of those anabolic processes! To begin perform 2-3 full body resistance training workouts per week with cardio activity on the other days. Focus on compound movements (exercises that engage more than 1 muscle group) for the large muscle groups. (3) #3 Sleep Though many people consider the body and brain to be at complete rest while sleeping, that is actually not true. During sleep, we organize all the sensory information we got throughout the day, but we also recover and grow stronger. Sleep is important for the regulation of many bodily systems, including the hormonal system. (4) In general, it is recommended that you have 6-8 hours of quality sleep per night, depending on age and daily activity. #4 Lifestyle It is a fact that nowadays, many people use their bodies as vessels for sensory pleasure… This leads to many toxic, testosterone-lowering habits, such as drinking and smoking. If you want your body to be at peak performance, there is no magic pill or supplement that will get you there. A lifestyle change is necessary and needs to include sufficient movement, quality food, and good recovery periods. #5 Stress management One of the WORST things about the modern-day lifestyle is that it puts you through a considerable amount of stress. When you’re stressed (regardless of the factor), the body releases cortisol, which is the main stress hormone. Elevated cortisol levels have been proven to lower secreted testosterone. (5) This is why managing stress is of prime importance for your natural testosterone production. When you feel stressed, consider practices such as meditation, mindfulness, reading a book, going for a walk, or simply self-talking yourself to an internally regulated, calm state. Conclusion Testosterone is a key hormone for males and deficits can lead to unpleasant side effects. Whether you are young or older, there are lifestyle changes you can implement to restore your natural testosterone production. Such things as becoming/remaining active, feeding your body well, allowing for sufficient recovery and sleep, and last but not least, managing daily stress. References
Edited by Jumping JACs
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