How to Boost Testosterone
Livefit4ever,
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Rahul Reddy,
October 7, 2020
How to boost testosterone naturally: All adults require testosterone for general health and well-being, for building muscles, bones and strong body; maintaining body composition and for sexual and reproductive functions, and also for numerous other functions in the body. In a nutshell, testosterone is the elixir of youthfulness, masculinity, strength and endurance. You can even consider it as Fountain of Youth.
All of us are well aware of the role of testosterone in building muscles, gaining mass and in sexual act (libido and erection), but many of us may not be aware of other roles that testosterone performs in the body. A few of those important roles include the following:
- Production of red blood cells
- Maintenance of mineral bone density
- Enhancement of Sexual desire (libido)
- Testosterone burns fat
- Improves heart health (keeps heart-healthy)
- Affects sleep, mood and energy levels
- Testosterone increases levels of growth hormone
How to Boost Testosterone Naturally?
Do Weight Lifting exercise
Physical activity is a must for increasing testosterone levels in the body – even in elderly people. Those who want to have the levels up in both short and long-term, resistance training (weight lifting) is the best.
How to boost testosterone by exercise?
If you go to the gym for 6 days a week or every day which you are motivated to do for adding muscle mass, then you are doing this at the expense of boosting up cortisol, delaying recovery, muscle growth and lowering Testosterone levels.
To gain maximum muscle mass and to improve recovery, gain endurance and strength then limit your hard strength training sessions to 4 per week. For 2 days you can work on calf muscles if you think that they are weak. But even these sessions should be kept under 30 to 40 minutes, max.
If you lift more weight you can do more repetitions if you rest longer between sets.
But if you rest longer then cortisol levels increase. It is a stress hormone a catabolic hormone that breaks down your muscles and decreases testosterone as well.
What happens when you constantly take longer rest sessions – your long-term muscle growth hampers as your body constantly overproduces cortisol.
Therefore, if you are training with greater weights then complete your sessions in less time. Keep your rest sessions short not more than 60 to 75 seconds. If you don’t know how to boost testosterone very fast – follow this technique.
How to boost testosterone food – Take Diet Rich in Proteins
Protein feeds your muscles and helps in muscle growth and recovery. It also supports testosterone production. Thus, naturally boost testosterone levels. Optimum protein levels are associated with fat loss and thus help in maintaining healthy levels of testosterone.
Rich animal sources of protein: chicken, eggs, fish, beef
Rich Plant sources of proteins: beans, lentils, peanuts, almonds, broccoli, kale
Consume both unsaturated and saturated fats
Healthy fats should come from fatty fish (salmon, sardines) and healthy oils (peanut oil, olive oil) and avocadoes (fruit). Fat supports muscle growth, overall health and more importantly testosterone production. Get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids from both animal and plant sources. Consume saturated fat in the required proportions – don’t ignore it altogether as these fats are also important for muscles and, testosterone and brain. They are building blocks for testosterone production. You can get saturated fats from egg yolks, cheese and meats.
There is a common myth that saturated fats are bad for health and for bodybuilding, but on the contrary, you need these fats if you are working with high intensity and have spirit to build muscles and boost testosterone levels.
Cut Down Refined Sugars and Processed foods
Avoid bleached flour, refined sugars, processed foods and fast-digesting carbs. All these boost insulin and lead to fats build-up and reduce testosterone production.
Maintain Optimum Vitamin D Levels
Vitamin D is a natural testosterone booster. In addition, it also has numerous other health benefits. If you can’t get proper sunlight exposure daily, then take a premium quality vitamin D3 supplement. Those who have low blood levels of vitamin D3, taking supplements daily can boost their testosterone levels.
Get enough zinc-rich sources of zinc include meat, fish, eggs, whole grains, legumes, pumpkin and sesame seeds, peanuts, cashew nuts, and almonds.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Only exercise, diet and nutrients are not enough to build muscles and have a healthy body, you need at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep daily. Sleep induces testosterone production, reduces stress hormone (cortisol) and also spurts growth hormone. Therefore adequate, quality and sound (REM Sleep) sleep is as important as diet and exercise. Sleep helps in the restoration, repair and recovery process of the body. It should become a fundamental priority of your life along with nutrition and fitness.
Shut Down computers and iPhone
Light hampers melatonin production and thus disrupts your sleep by making you alert at night. Therefore, prior to going to bed shut down your screens – iPhone and laptops as they emit blue light which is drastically harmful to your health and well-being. Light disturbs your body’s biological clock or circadian rhythm in such a way that you remain awake and alert. This in turn increases your cortisol levels – overexposure to cortisol (stress hormone) disturbs sleep, lessens testosterone production and contributes to muscle loss, gain in fat and heart disease.
When you happen to work during nights owing to tight deadlines, then use blue lights blocking glasses. If you are a habituated nocturnal person, then gradually change this habit – even if you are working till late midnight then buy a pair of blue-light blocking glasses.
Bottom Line
The ultimate testosterone boosting strategies are these – weight lifting exercises, adequate rest, nutritious diet, sound sleep, optimum vitamin D3 levels, scheduling work only during day time, reducing stress and maintaining a balanced lifestyle.
Read further – How to boost testosterone naturally