Top 12 Tips to Boost Testosterone Naturally

For a muscle building enthusiast, biceps matter! However, there are times when they find themselves stuck in a growth plateau. In such situations testosterone, the primary male hormone that defines male sexuality and reproduction can come to their rescue and help them accelerate their gains. Other than influencing libido, this hormone is also responsible for determining muscle mass and bone density in men. However, as you age the hormone begins to flag which can happen to men as young as 30.  Beginning with resistance training, there is a lot you can do to boost testosterone naturally. 

SLEEP WELL

Do you watch late night shows? Then it’s high time you switch off that idiot box. How many hours you sleep impacts the production of testosterone hormone?  How many hours you sleep will impact the production of T hormone? Partial sleep restriction lasting one-week (5h/night) in a laboratory setting has been shown to decrease overall 24-hour testosterone levels in healthy young men by ~15%.

OPTIMISE YOUR LEVEL OF VITAMIN D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that has qualities of both a vitamin and a hormone.  It prevents muscle weakness and is involved in the regulation of heartbeat. Vitamin D in optimal quantity is required for maintaining reproductive health. Though India gets ample sunshine but such is the dichotomy that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in 70 to 100 percent of the population.

MAKE FRIENDS WITH HEALTHY FATS

Fats are often regarded as dietary villains, which is not right. Other than monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in nuts and vegetable oils, healthy fats include saturated fats from animal sources. The foods including healthy fats are organic eggs, milk, butter, nuts, olive oil and coconuts. A study published in the “Journal of Applied Physiology” found that diets with higher amounts of monounsaturated and saturated fats have been shown to increase testosterone levels.

 DRINK WATER

Dehydration even of a mild kind is not good for your testosterone level because it interferes with the exercise-induced rise in testosterone.  Dehydration increases the level of cortisol,   a stress hormone.  One study by Volek et al. actually tested the effects of hydrated state, dehydration by 2,5%, and dehydration by 5% on their hormonal effects during exercise and found that the less water the subjects drank, the higher their cortisol and lower their testosterone levels were.

 BOOST YOUR INTAKE OF BRANCHED CHAIN AMINO ACIDS

Most of you would know that Branched Chain Amino Acids found liberally in whey help support muscle synthesis. If you wish to maximise your BCAAs advantage, you need to boost your testosterone level and include it with resistance training. Your favourite whey protein shake, post-workout is a good source of BCAAs. 

Nutrients	Whey ProteinI scoop 33g	Chicken100g	1 Egg50g	Pulses100g	Benefits
BCAAs	5.6g	3g	1.3g	1g	Higher BCAA values ensure quicker recovery post workout.

AVOID SUGAR

Simple sugar is devoid of nutrients and is plain calories. Moreover, each time you eat foods rich in sugar your insulin levels go up which is not good for your testosterone. 

 GET ZINC

Research proves that zinc has a crucial role in modulating testosterone level in men. Your diet is the best source of zinc; along with protein-rich foods like meats and fish. If you decide to supplement zinc, stick to a dosage less than 40mg, because a higher dosage may affect your body’s ability to absorb other minerals, especially copper.

 STRESS LESS

Chronic stress is an outcome of modern lifestyle. It elevates your cortisol levels that have a negative effect on testosterone hormone. Stress less to boost testosterone. Learn to go with the flow and meditate, if you can to keep a tab on your stress level.

INCLUDE CHOLESTEROL

Sounds strange? Not really, if you wish to boost your testosterone because this hormone is derived from cholesterol. Research studies have demonstrated a strong relationship between HDL (the good cholesterol) levels and free testosterone levels. Since a majority of testosterone in your body is attached to proteins, only the freely available masculine hormone is readily available to be absorbed by the tissues in hours of need, like muscle building. 

GO SLOW ON STRENGTH TRAINING

Strength training has a positive impact on your testosterone levels. To get the real benefits, you need to

• Engage a large number of muscles through deadlifts, squats and bench presses
• Lift heavy enough. Persist till you reach muscle failure
• Choose weights that will enable you to reach muscle failure by 10 reps to stimulate testosterone
• Do all this in a short period of time

SHORTER WORKOUTS WITH SHORTER REST DURATIONS

The proverb more is merrier is not applicable when you’re seeking to amp your testosterone levels. Research studies prove that workouts lasting longer than an hour result in increasing levels of muscle wasting cortisol hormone that affects the production of testosterone. Moreover, rest periods of one minute or less is required to elicit a positive response from the muscles for the release of the testosterone. 

 LOSE WEIGHT

A research presented at the Endocrine Society 2012 found that obese men are low on testosterone. Naturally, to increase testosterone you need to lose weight.  

Recruit these 12 tips to pump up your testosterone levels for rock hard muscles.