How to Increase Testosterone

Author - Frank Roberts
Author: Frank Roberts
How to Increase Testosterone

How to Increase Testosterone: The Best Ways

Maintaining a healthy amount of testosterone in the body is critical for men and women. Testosterone does more than promote muscle mass and sex drive. It is essential for keeping brain functions and bones strong. Without enough testosterone in your bloodstream, you could find yourself gaining weight and becoming depressed and moody. These are only some of the reasons why asking how to increase testosterone is a good idea if you suffer from symptoms of Low T. We have the answers on how to use exercise, nutrition, sleep, and more to boost testosterone levels.

Testosterone deficiency goes by many names, including Low T, hypogonadism, and low testosterone. Whatever you want to call it – the result is the same. You may find yourself at risk of developing many unwanted symptoms as well as have an increased risk for the following health issues:

  • Atherosclerosis
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Osteoporosis
  • Dementia
  • Obesity

These are only some of the issues that can occur if your testosterone levels get too low. Yes, you can increase testosterone medically through the use of testosterone replacement therapy. Doctors specializing in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) test serum testosterone levels to determine if treatment is necessary. While the first line of defense against hormonal decline is making some lifestyle changes, that does not always work. Of course, some people would rather not exercise, eat right, or get more sleep. They are content in how they live their lives and would prefer to use medical testosterone therapy to restore hormonal balance. Because testosterone therapy is safe, there is nothing wrong with seeking out that assistance from an experienced HRT doctor.

However, if you want to know natural ways for how to increase testosterone in women and men, then check out our list below:

  • Sleep
  • Exercise
  • Food
  • Supplements
  • Intermittent Fasting and Weight Loss
  • Stress Reduction

As we delve into these methods you can use right now to increase testosterone in men and women; you will find that they are easy to do – and, in many cases, they complement each other. After all, when you get more sleep, eat right, exercise, and engage in intermittent fasting, you will likely lose weight.

Lifestyle changes are the easiest way to increase testosterone levels in adults.

How to Increase Testosterone with Sleep

From the time you were young, your parents probably told you that getting enough sleep was important to help you grow. Little did you know back then that what they said was the truth, not only as a child but also as an adult. Sleep is the number one way for how to increase testosterone growth in both total and free testosterone levels.

The majority of the testosterone your body produces occurs while you are in a state of deep, slow-wave sleep. In one test of healthy young men with an average age of 24.3 years, researchers examined the impact of sleep deprivation on testosterone levels.

In this sleep study for how to increase testosterone, the 10 participants underwent one week of 8-hour bedtimes at home (11 pm to 7 am). Following that week, they spent 11 days in the laboratory as follows:

  • 3 nights of 10-hour bedtimes, going to bed for a rested condition period of 10 pm to 8 am
  • 8 nights of 5-hour bedtimes, going to bed from 12:30 am until 5:30 am as their sleep restriction

Researchers recorded their sleep each night by visually scoring sleep stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM sleep (rapid eye movement). Blood samples to measure testosterone and cortisol levels were also performed.

Results showed testosterone levels were lower following sleep restriction by as much as 10 to 15 percent. When you consider that the average male only experiences a 1 to 2 percent decline in testosterone production each year, these findings are significant to note.

Since middle-aged men secrete less testosterone at night than younger, healthy men, it should come as no surprise that they also get fewer hours of deep sleep. 20 percent of adults in the US get less than 6 ½ hours of sleep each night.

While sleep apnea itself is not considered a cause of low testosterone, obese men with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have a higher risk of having hypogonadism. Men who exhibit erectile dysfunction were at a twice greater risk of having OSA. Since OSA tends to fragment sleep, it can reduce the time spent in REM and slow-wave sleep.

Women who experience obstructive sleep apnea, sexual dysfunction, and low testosterone are also at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular problems. Testosterone provides protective benefits for heart health for women and men.

What can you do to increase testosterone levels?

Try to go to bed by 10 pm to maximize your body’s natural internal clock – circadian rhythm. Get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night – 8 is ideal.

Getting between 7 and 9 hours of quality sleep per night is the best way to increase testosterone levels.

How Exercise Increases Testosterone

There is more to exercising than building muscles. Exercise is crucial for strengthening the bones, stimulating hormone secretion, burning calories for weight loss, and improving emotional well-being. When you know the right way to increase testosterone by exercise, you can boost your daytime secretion of this vital hormone quite a bit.

As important as learning how to increase testosterone in a male or female through exercise is, you must also understand how the wrong type of exercise can lower testosterone levels. You would be surprised how many people at the gym are harming their testosterone levels every day.

The way to increase testosterone levels in female vs. male at the gym also differs. While much of what testosterone does and how to boost its levels is the same between the genders, exercise can make a bit of a difference.

Overtraining is one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make. Men who engage in long-distance running or extended cardio sessions might be decreasing rather than increasing their testosterone levels. Overtraining also lowers female testosterone levels, and can adversely impact bone health, energy, and a woman’s menstrual cycle.

One study of men with erectile dysfunction and testosterone deficiency found that patients who engage in aerobic exercise benefitted them more than strengthening exercises. High-intensity interval training has been shown to be one of the best ways to increase testosterone fast, as well as also boosting growth hormone levels. All you need is 30 minutes a day a few times a week to get excellent results.

The best types of exercise to increase testosterone levels are:

  • High-intensity interval training
  • High-intensity resistance training using exercises that work the large muscle groups (legs, back, shoulders, chest)
    • Squats
    • Deadlifts
    • Leg Press
    • Leg Extension
    • Olympic Lifts

Exercising in the afternoon is the best time to boost testosterone levels. If you are looking to lose weight, then morning workouts can help jumpstart your metabolism. When engaging in resistance or weight training, aim for low-volume, high-intensity sets. Limit resistance training to no more than three times per week, and never work the same muscle group 2 days in a row.

Exercise is crucial for increasing testosterone secretion during the day – but, too much aerobic or cardio exercise can lower testosterone levels.

How to Use Food to Increase Testosterone

What you eat can have a significant impact on your testosterone levels. Yes, you can increase testosterone by food choices that you make. The right selections at meal and snack time can boost your testosterone levels – the wrong decisions can lower them.

Unlike using supplements, starting a new exercise program, or asking for hormone replacement therapy (all things that require doctor consult), making dietary changes with what you eat is something you can do on your own right now.

If you are looking for an easy way for how to increase testosterone, take stock of what you put in your mouth and body. Before we tell you what you can eat to help boost testosterone, we want to look at the foods you might be consuming that are lowering your testosterone levels:

  • Sugar – by far, the worst food you can put in your body is sugar. It has no viable nutrients and will do nothing more than increase your blood glucose and insulin levels, and your waist circumference.
  • Processed foods – these items also include prepackaged and frozen meals. They contain long lists of chemicals and are often high in sugar, salt, calories, and fat. Some people turn to gluten-free foods, not because of an allergy, but because they think they are healthier – the same thing with low or no-fat items. However, many of these so-called “healthier” foods often contain high amounts of sugar. Learn to check labels.
  • Plastic and canned foods – these items often contain many dangerous chemicals, including bisphenol A. You may know this as BPA, a chemical in the lining of food cans that can leech into your foods. Many food manufacturers now offer BPA-free cans. Whenever possible, avoid foods packaged in plastics and cans.
  • Alcohol – although one glass of red wine is beneficial for the heart, more than that, and you could find your hormone levels dropping.

So, what should you eat to help boost testosterone levels?

Add as many of the items on the list below to your daily diet for a significant benefit to your testosterone production:

  • Honey
  • Oysters and other forms of shellfish
  • Fatty fish like salmon and tuna
  • Healthy fats such as extra virgin olive and coconut oils, avocados, nuts
  • Organic, grassfed butter and beef – limit red meat to twice a week
  • Beans
  • Organic, pasture-raised eggs and poultry
  • Pomegranates
  • Leafy greens
  • Onions
  • Garlic and ginger
  • Grapes

The right choices for meals and snacks can increase or decrease testosterone levels.

Supplements That Help Increase Testosterone

Before you run out to the neighborhood vitamin store to get the latest “testosterone-boosting” supplements, check out our list of what works below. Anyone interested in learning how to increase testosterone hormone levels should be wary of products that promise big results – they typically fall flat.

Here are the supplements that can help you boost testosterone production – however, do not take them without first consulting with a hormone specialist:

  • Zinc
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin B
  • Ashwagandha
  • Ginger extract
  • DHEA

When it comes to how to increase testosterone production, supplements may work. However, they can interfere with some medications and health conditions. Always speak with a doctor before starting any new supplements.

While some supplements can help increase testosterone, seek medical advice before using them.

Intermittent Fasting and Weight Loss for Increasing Testosterone

Being overweight is one of the leading reasons why many people have low testosterone. Weight loss is an excellent way to increase testosterone levels safely. However, beware of extreme diets and calorie-restriction protocols that can further lower your hormone levels.

The best way to boost testosterone and lose weight is through intermittent fasting. While there are many methods of intermittent fasting, the one that tends to work the best for most people is restricting all dietary food intake to between the hours of noon and 6 pm. Consuming all your calories during this six-hour window can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, lower total, and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and even inhibit the development of atherosclerotic plaque.

Another option is using an eight-hour window with all food consumed between noon and 8 pm. In one study of resistance-trained individuals, this option decreased fat mass and improved health-related biomarkers.

When looking at how to increase testosterone and facilitate weight loss, intermittent fasting is one of the best possible options.

Reduce Stress and Increase Testosterone

Stress is an enemy of testosterone. For anyone looking to learn how to increase testosterone levels, start by taking stock of the amount of stress you experience each day. When the body is stressed, it increases the secretion of the hormone cortisol. As cortisol enters the bloodstream, it reduces the body’s ability to produce testosterone and growth hormone. Cortisol will keep you awake at night, reducing the time spent in slow-wave sleep. That further depletes your hormone levels.

Natural stress reducers include:

  • Meditation
  • Deep breathing exercises
  • Yoga
  • Massages
  • Walks
  • Listening to music
  • Reading
  • Swimming
  • Exercise
  • Laughter

As you can see, there are many natural ways to increase testosterone. If you need to learn more or are interested in finding out if you can benefit from testosterone therapy, please contact RX Hormone medical clinic for a free phone consultation.