Testosterone is an important hormone that is responsible for promoting physical growth and sexual development.
In fact, many people aren’t aware that while Testosterone is known as the ‘male sex hormone,’ women also produce testosterone (1).
The only difference is that, compared to males, females produce very little of the hormone.
There is plenty of information on the hormone itself on the internet. However, if you are reading this article, you must be interested in finding ways to boost your testosterone levels naturally.
So, without further ado, let’s look at the nine ways you can promote your body’s natural production of testosterone.
In the end, I’ve also included my recommendation on the most effective method of going about improving your T-levels.
1 – Follow A Healthier (And More Balanced) Diet Plan:
When it comes to improving your health, the first step you should take is to sort out your eating habits.
Often, most of your health problems (including low T-levels) can be solved/improved by improving your diet.
Studies have even proven that obesity caused by a poor diet can lower T-levels and impair neural function (2). Its also known that overeating can disrupt testosterone levels, even with sufficient exercise (3).
The best way to maximize testosterone levels is to follow a balanced diet. Also avoid processed foods as these often have testosterone-suppressing components like trans-fat (4, 5).
Testosterone boosting foods include Oysters, Egg yolks, Beef, Fish, Pomegranates, Extra-virgin olive oil, Ginger, Onions, Low-fat milk (with Vitamin D), Leafy green veggies.
2 – Supercharge Your Workouts With More Resistance Training:
Along with a healthy diet plan, you should also consider following a regular workout routine as well.
It is well-researched and clinically proven that exercising can improve testosterone production (6, 7).
Exercising, coupled with a healthy diet, can also promote fat loss, which can further support better T-levels. Studies have even found that working out is more effective than most online weight-loss diets (8).
In addition, while all forms of exercise can support testosterone production, resistance training using weights is found to be most effective (9, 10).
These days, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a popular way to boost physical fitness, athletic performance, and testosterone levels by both professionals, and amateurs (11, 12).
The best part about weight training is that it can be a solution to many other health problems, not just low testosterone levels. I like the mental boost of feeling pumped up and driven after my daily workouts.
3 – Get Better Sleep:
Quality sleep is one of the most frequently overlooked ways of supporting healthy testosterone production.
Best of all is that you don’t have to do anything special to elevate your T-levels. The only thing you have to do is give your body sufficient rest.
The reason for this is that without sufficient sleep, testosterone levels decline naturally (13).
It was found that not getting enough sleep for just one week can lower T-levels by 15%. This is far greater than the 1-2% per year drop in T-levels due to natural aging.
This significant decline in hormone levels occurs because your body uses the rest period to regulate your hormone levels. It’s also the time when your body produces the most testosterone.
So, it goes without saying that getting sufficient rest every night is paramount to boosting (and maintaining) healthy Testosterone levels.
Getting enough rest also promotes mental function, physical performance, cardiovascular health, and the body’s metabolic rate (14, 15, 16, 17). In fact, sleep deficiency is also linked to increased risk of obesity (18).
Doctors recommend 7-8 hours of sleep every night for the average adult. However, you should be able to tell how much sleep you need by waking up without an alarm. This is because your body will automatically wake up after it’s gotten enough sleep.
4 – Lower Cortisol Levels To Reduce Stress:
One of the most common health problems people face today is excessive mental stress.
It seems that most of us are stressed out about something or another. Poor health, relationship issues, debt, and a bleak-looking future are some of the most common reasons for stress.
Mental stress causes a lot of problems, including suppressing testosterone levels. This is because stress has found to boost cortisol (stress hormone) levels (19, 20).
Apparently, studies show that cortisol and testosterone have an inversely proportional relationship (21). For those who forgot their grade-school math, this means that when one hormone goes up, the other comes down.
Stress also indirectly affects testosterone levels by promoting overeating and weight gain, which suppress T-levels (22).
So, reducing your mental stress (like by getting more sleep) will help aid your testosterone levels (23). It will also improve your overall health and feeling of well-being.
I’ve personally found meditation to be a great way to deal with stress and get some perspective towards my problems.
You can also try meditation or even consider talking to a therapist if you feel the stress is too much for you to handle.
Exercising and creative activities have proven to help men and women deal with stress and reduce cortisol levels (24). Picking up a new sport or starting a leisure activity can also be great for your stress and testosterone levels.
5 – Enjoy Your Time In The Sun:
Spending time in the sun can really help improve your overall health.
In fact, getting enough Vitamin D from being in the sun can promote your body’s testosterone levels (25, 26).
Unfortunately, most of us spend way too much time indoors and away from getting enough natural Vitamin D, leading to Vitamin D deficiency (27, 28).
Sufficient amount of regular Vitamin D intake can improve your body’s calcium absorption for stronger bones. It can also enhance muscle movement and cognitive function. Additionally, Vitamin D can strengthen the immune system and hormone levels.
Along with being exposed to natural sunlight for around 15 minutes a day, Vitamin D supplements are also often recommended.
These Vitamin D pills can elevate your Vitamin D levels for its associated benefits. However, natural sunlight is still the best option if you want the benefit of higher testosterone levels.
6 – Have More Sex:
Testosterone is the male sex hormone and is essential for enjoying harder erections and better sex.
However, it’s been found that having sex (for both men and women) can also elevate testosterone production (29, 30).
In fact, just getting sexually aroused can elevate T-levels.
In the case of women, sex provides a more significant boost to estrogen, which provides its own set of health benefits.
Sex also helps boost the libido for men and women, stimulating the body to promote testosterone production.
7 – Don’t Do Drugs Or Overindulge In Alcohol:
No doctor is ever going to tell you that getting drunk every night or doing recreational drugs is alright.
There is a lot of evidence that supports the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol on testosterone levels (31, 32, 33, 34, 35).
Of course, a glass of wine with dinner or a few beers on the weekend is still okay. However, it’s the men who abuse drugs and alcohol that end up with depleted testosterone levels.
This happens because alcohol can affect the adrenal gland’s testosterone secretion process (36). In fact, this is also why sexual performance goes down after having too much alcohol.
So, while I won’t tell you to stop drinking, doing so in moderation will help support your body’s natural testosterone production.
8 – Find Out If Your Medication Is Suppressing Your Testosterone Levels:
Doctors prescribe strong medications to help your body combat and overcome illnesses, diseases, or disorders.
However, the same meds that help you deal with a few problems can have some unintentional side effects (37, 38). One of these side effects may be the suppression of natural testosterone production.
For most men, this drop in T-levels isn’t noticeable and doesn’t significantly affect sexual/physical performance. However, for some men, it can cause a loss in muscle mass, low sex drive, and sexual health problems like erectile dysfunction.
My suggestion is to talk to your doctor about your prescription to find out if any of the pills are the cause of your low T-levels. That said, you should not stop taking any prescription drug without consulting your doctor.
9 – Consider Using OTC Vitamin And Mineral Supplements:
Before Viagra and , traditional medicines for promoting T-levels can be found.
These include some commonly found minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. Some plant extracts and herbs were also used as traditional remedies for low Testosterone levels (39).
One of the most popular and well-researched OTC supplements that can elevate T-levels is Zinc. According to studies, Zinc can promote physical and sexual performance in men by boosting testosterone production (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45).
Supplements with Vitamins A, B, C, and E are also known to elevate testosterone levels. Additionally, Vitamin D supplements are shown to cause a significant boost in T-levels as well (46, 47).
The only downside of taking OTC vitamin pills is that you can only absorb a limited amount of a single ingredient. This means that you will need to take several different Vitamin And Mineral pills to see the results you want.
BONUS – Use Natural Testosterone Booster Supplements To Elevate Testosterone Levels:
Natural testosterone boosters are supplements but shouldn’t be grouped with the previously mentioned vitamin and mineral pills.
Unlike Vitamin supplements, natural testosterone boosters are made with a combination of several testosterone boosting ingredients.
They are also formulated using proprietary blends that are created to give you the most effective boost in T-levels possible.
In addition, these testosterone boosters use natural herbs and plants to promote a side-effect-free boost in testosterone.
Some of the most popular natural T-boosters include TestoGen, Anadroxin, and Testo Max. All three of these supplements have helped promote testosterone levels for hundreds of thousands of men around the world.
I’ve reviewed hundreds of supplements to come up with the top testosterone booster list along with individual product reviews.
My Recommendation On Improving The Production Of Testosterone Naturally:
The 9 (+1 Bonus) ways to boost testosterone levels naturally shouldn’t be difficult for most people.
After all, we can all take 15 minutes of our day to walk in the sun. It’s also easy to get more sleep and try meditation as well.
Following a healthier diet and regularly exercising are straightforward, but admittedly, not completely easy.
However, they are still doable if you have a strong desire to elevate your T-levels naturally for all the physical, sexual, and mental benefits higher Testosterone levels provide.
So, my suggestion is that you try to embrace all 10 tips provided in this article. This is especially true for testosterone boosters as they can really speed up the testosterone recovery process.
FAQs:
Q: Is it typical for men in their 20s to experience a decline in Testosterone?
A: For most men, the gradual decline in testosterone occurs in their 30s. However, a sharp decrease in T-levels that starts in their 20s is unusual. This may indicate that there is a problem with the testosterone level that may require a doctor’s visit.
Q: Why Is it essential to maintain healthy T-levels?
A: Healthy testosterone levels can provide several health benefits. These benefits include a boost in lean muscle mass, libido, sexual health, fat loss, mental health, mood, and overall health.
Q: Who will benefit most from following the methods of boosting T-levels mentioned in this article?
A: This article is written to help adult men promote their testosterone levels naturally. However, women can also use some of the tips to achieve healthy T-levels. That said, teenagers and children should avoid altering their testosterone levels unless approved by their doctor.
Q: Are the natural testosterone boosters necessary to maximize results?
A: Natural T-boosters aren’t necessary to elevate testosterone levels. However, they do help your body produce testosterone faster and with greater efficiency, without worrying about side effects.