Valentin Bosioc
Testosterone is the male hormone responsible for just about every behavior we consider traditionally manly. It’s also helpful for people who are trying to get increased muscle mass and be leaner overall.
This has resulted in a craze of people who want to find just about any way possible to keep their testosterone levels high so they can lift heavier in the gym and get fit quickly. These methods have ranged from weird pseudoscientific pills to even having testosterone injections administered by a doctor.
Many people want to optimize their lifestyles for testosterone production as opposed to going absolutely fanatical about the hormone, so they seek out more natural ways to keep their testosterone levels high.
Here are a few of the more popular methods used:
Optimize your diet
What you eat and how much of it plays a major role in the testosterone production of your body. Constantly causing stress to your body with your diet will disrupt your testosterone levels, whether it be by overeating or by dieting excessively. Truly, this is one of the most pivotal ways to naturally increase testosterone. You need to ensure that you have optimal ratios of protein, carbs, and fats in your diet. Also, a comprehensive diet strategy that has your long term calorie intake mapped out and a focus on whole foods.
Minimize stress
When the body is under stress, mental or physical, a hormone called cortisol is released. The issue with massive amounts of cortisol being pumped into the body is that testosterone will sharply decline in kind. They kind of have a seesaw like relationship where if testosterone is high, cortisol will most likely be low and vice versa. So make sure to get enough sleep at night, enough food during the day, and enough relaxation time to keep your body and mind limber.
Get your vitamin D
While this vitamin synthesized by the body in response to exposure from the sun is responsible for a laundry list of positive health outcomes, it’s also shown to have a positive correlation with testosterone levels. Supplementing 3,000 IU a day has shown to increase testosterone levels by 25% over a 12 month period. So, get out in the sun or take some supplements, Vitamin D is just what you need.
Don’t forget your beauty sleep
Sleep is another major factor when it comes to properly managing your testosterone levels. In fact, people who get only 5 hours of sleep per night tend to have a 15% reduction in their overall testosterone levels. Sleep is free and hopefully not excessively difficult to fit into your schedule, making sure you’re adequately rested is essential to a proper testosterone balance.
If this list is any indication, most of the best ways to increase your testosterone levels are all entirely natural and have to do with regulating your body’s natural functions. With all of the demands of our modern life we’ve skimped on the essentials like sleep and getting proper sunlight, with disastrous effects on our hormonal profiles.
So remember, keep your stress levels low, get enough sleep, make sure to get some sun and eat properly.
