Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone responsible for regulating puberty, sperm production, libido, muscle mass, bone health, and even the production of blood cells.
From 35 to 40 years old, male testosterone production declines at 1–3% per year, eventually leading to andropause. This age-related decline increases your risk of several health problems, such as obesity, erectile dysfunction, and even heart disease.
You can learn to recognize the signs of low testosterone levels and take action to prevent this from happening.
Below, we’ve mentioned some practical hacks to increase your testosterone production. So give them a try to help give yourself a natural boost.
Exercise and resistance training
All kinds of exercises are beneficial for health. However, you may not know that you’re simultaneously boosting your body’s testosterone production by being physically active.
An extensive review discovered that more physically active individuals have higher testosterone levels and healthier semen production. So by simply moving around, you’re helping your body produce testosterone.
Resistance training is key to maximizing the effect of exercising. Studies showed that strength exercise, such as weight lifting, is the best training to stimulate your body’s testosterone production in the short-term and long-term. Perhaps you can try incorporating exercises with deadlifts and kettlebells or simple squats in your workout routine.
If you want to save time, simply do high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Research also showed that HIIT is helpful when it comes to boosting testosterone production, although all exercises also work to some extent.
Eat a healthy and balanced diet
Your diet has so much to do with your body’s hormonal production and health. Try to adopt a healthy eating habit by eating sufficient portions of lean meat, healthy fat, unrefined carbs, and lots of vegetables.
Scientists found that sufficient protein and healthy fats are beneficial for testosterone. Carbohydrates also play a role in regulating your body’s testosterone production.
Also, focus on the food quality and minimize your consumption of pro-inflammatory food such as sugary beverages, refined carbs, processed food, trans fat, alcohol, and gluten.
Get your daily dose of vitamin D
Vitamin D plays a role in the male reproductive system and fertility. An iin vivo study found that vitamin D can stimulate testosterone production in Leydig cells, a type of male sex cells. A randomized controlled trial also suggested that vitamin D supplementation may help with testosterone production.
You can increase your vitamin D level simply by getting regular exposure to sunlight or vitamin D supplements. If you prefer to boost your vitamin D level through sunlight, aim for 10–30 minutes of midday sunlight several times per week.
If you choose the latter option, 400 to 800 IU (10 to 20 mcg) of vitamin D3 supplement should meet the need of most people. Still, current research suggests that a higher dose of 1000 to 3000 IU may provide more significant health benefits.
Find tools to manage stress
Stress is closely associated with hormonal fluctuation and also physical health. Researchers discovered that chronic stress is linked with higher cortisol levels, which could lead to diseases in the long term. An abnormal cortisol rise may also instantly suppress your body’s testosterone production.
Yet, it’s near impossible to avoid stress in life. A way to tackle stress is to learn how to handle it when it comes your way. The best way to prevent accumulating toxic stress is to address the problem at its root – work, relationships, or situations. Equally important is developing relaxation methods. For instance, some may find going for a walk, journaling, practicing mindfulness, or exercising extremely therapeutic, while some may go for music, books, and the art to unwind.
Whichever works for you, set aside some time for it.
Manage your weight
Obese men are associated with lower testosterone levels, which is a well-recognized fact for over 40 years. Similarly, recent studies also proved links between obesity, testosterone, and erectile dysfunction. So, if you’re overweight, you may consider losing some weight to raise your testosterone levels and prevent other potential health problems such as erectile dysfunction.
The principle of weight loss is that our body starts to use our stored energy sources when our energy intake is smaller than our energy needs. If you have been overeating, try reducing your calorie intake to create a calorie deficit. You should also focus on eating healthy food and cut your consumption of sugary or processed food.
Get high-quality sleep
Sleep is crucial for our bodily functions, including hormonal production. Each individual may require a different amount of sleep to feel energized and active. Yet, it is found that less than 5 hours of sleep per night was linked to a 15% reduction in testosterone levels. Other long-term studies also proved that sleep duration is associated with testosterone production in men.
So, try to get restful and high-quality sleep every night. You can do so by avoiding exercising or having coffee at night. Try not to nap in the daytime and stick to a sleep schedule. Being physically active during the day may also help you sleep better.
Conclusion
We just mentioned six scientifically proven ways to naturally optimize your body’s testosterone production. To see the best result, incorporate the above steps into your daily routine and be consistent. Give them a try and let us know your experience.
