7 Tips to Boost Testosterone Levels Naturally for Men

Top 7 Proven Tips on How to Increase Testosterone Naturally

Weight loss with both high-protein and high-carbohydrate diets for those who are overweight or obese has been shown to boost testosterone. And weight loss can also help those with sleep apnea boost their testosterone levels (we summarize what the science says about taking testosterone if you have sleep apnea here). Blood sugar spikes, like the ones you get from eating sugary snacks or simple carbs, can tank your testosterone levels. Quality sleep is vital for testosterone production because testosterone levels significantly rise during sleep, especially in the initial three hours. Prioritizing uninterrupted rest can help maintain optimal hormone levels.

The RISE app predicts your circadian rhythm each day, so you can see when your body naturally wants to wind down for bed and go to sleep. You can then sync up your meals, light, and sleep-wake times to match. But beyond total sleep deprivation, sleep restricted to the first half of the night, not the second half, lowered testosterone levels, too. And while testosterone supplements and replacement therapy do exist, they’re not always successful, more research needs to be done into the risks, and they can come with side effects — including messing up your sleep. HRT is generally recommended for people with clinical signs of hypogonadism—like infertility, osteoporosis, erectile dysfunction in males, or irregular periods in females—along with consistently low hormone levels. One of the main causes is being overweight (defined as a body mass index, or BMI, of over 25). As adipose tissues (also known as body fat) increase, aromatase levels can also rise, sometimes precipitously.

Research has shown that endurance cyclists and runners, but not swimmers, have significantly lower testosterone levels than sedentary controls139. Furthermore, male distance runners are known for having significantly lower than average testosterone levels140,141. Though that doesn’t change the fact that endurance-type long steady state exercise is very good at lowering testosterone levels and causing chronically elevated cortisol response. …But also in the long-term by forcing the body to adapt into a new “normal” where your testosterone production is significantly higher even at rest mainly due to “forced” neuromuscular adaptations. There are of course also some testosterone lowering foods, and as much as I hate avoiding something or creating diets that are too restrictive, aka.

Natural testosterone boosters like LJ100, a patented form of Tongkat Ali, aid testosterone production. LJ100 is known for its consistent quality thanks to its standardized formulation. Glycosaponins and eurypeptides in LJ100 are linked to improved energy levels and overall vitality. Aiming for 7 to 9 hours of sleep helps maintain optimal testosterone levels. Lack of sufficient sleep can significantly lower testosterone levels, affecting overall health.

…Not to mention that it’s increasingly harder to consume your daily caloric needs from plant-based foods alone (not to say that this isn’t possible, it’s just much harder). For optimal T production, consider eating a slight calorie surplus or maintenance calories. It’s not fully understood why this happens, but many studies have theorized that its an interplay with dominance, feeling of power, feeling of success, pheromones, dopamine, and interpersonal touch. For this reason, it’s also likely that sex with an actual human instead of the palm of one’s hand, would be a much better way to boost T.

Studies show that getting less than six hours of sleep each night can decrease testosterone levels by as much as 15% the next day. The goal of the study was to determine which one had the biggest impact on testosterone levels; increased physical activity or reduced caloric intake and the resultant weight-loss? After the 12-weeks had passed, the researchers found out that it was the high physical activity – not so much the magnitude of the calorie deficit – which was the driving factor in the subjects rising T levels132.

The decline can also increase your risk of long-term health conditions like diabetes, heart disease (2), and even an early death (3). These habits can lead to more energy, a better mood, and a strongerbody. And if you ever need extra support, medical options are there tohelp. Just 30 minutes of walking, liftingweights, or doing push-ups can help. There is also some research on the herb Tongkat Ali and its potential to test boost and nitric oxide testosterone, although experts say the amount it might raise it won’t change how you feel or how you perform.

Another human study followed, where 75 healthy and 75 infertile men, were given 5 grams of ground up Mucuna Pruriens for 90 consecutive days. The results showed that testosterone levels increased significantly (38% in infertile men and 27% in healthy men). Luteinizing hormone (LH) also increased (41% in infertile males and by 23% in healthy males). And prolactin decreased (-32% in the infertile group and -19% in healthy group)224. Similar results were seen in a human study where Mucuna increased testosterone levels by 38% in infertile men 225. One of the most comprehensive, natural ways to increase testosterone is consuming coconuts or coconut oil. Coconut is a saturated fat that generates healthy cholesterol while reducing body fat, boosting metabolic rate, and improving cognitive abilities—all of which can help ease symptoms of low testosterone.

I didn’t follow a strictly low-carb or Paleo diet because recent research has suggested that a diet high in protein and low in carbs actually causes T levels to decrease. I tried to get most of my carbs from veggies and fruit, but I didn’t freak out if my wife made us spaghetti for dinner. During the weekdays, I ate what I called the “Ron Swanson Special” — three slices of bacon and three whole eggs. Aside from being delicious, it also provided the fats and cholesterol my body needed to make testosterone. Keep sleep debt low, lower stress levels, exercise, and cut down on alcohol.

Many people revert to taking prescription medication for any problems they have, but living an active and healthy lifestyle does wonders for your health. Improving your testosterone levels and making healthy lifestyle changes may help you avoid taking the prescription drugs that could negatively affect your testosterone and health as a whole. It’s no surprise that having too much body fat is damaging to your overall health and testosterone production (49). This is common in bodybuilders when they’re prepping for a show who achieve drastically low levels of body fat (hovering around 5%).