Testosterone is a naturally occurring hormone that plays a vital role in both men and women –although it does present itself in higher concentrations in men. Testosterone plays an important role in increasing the body’s ability to burn fat, as well as add muscle mass. Contrary to popular belief, testosterone at the right levels can produce better mental health and a more balanced mood. A decrease in men’s testosterone level is a natural function of aging. For each year over age 30, the level of testosterone in men starts to slowly dip at a rate of around 1 percent annually. This means that the amount of testosterone in the body declines; however there are a number of things that you can do to increase the amount of testosterone in your body.
There a number of different steps that you can take in order to raise the levels of testosterone in your system. This article will present 5 tips that will help you consistently increase the amount of testosterone in your system. You can choose to use one or a combination of all of these tips to help you manage the amount of testosterone in your body..
Take Natural Supplements that are Proven To Boost Testosterone
There are in fact different supplements that can help your body to have access to more testosterone without going to the doctor or taking steroids. Natural supplements such as Tribulus, GABA, Tonkat Ali, and others can be taken to increase the amount of free testosterone in the body. There are a few products but the one I urge my clients to buy is the natural testosterone booster from VH Nutriiton. It provides all of the previous ingredients and has been around for a long time.
Shed the Fat
The first step to increase testosterone level is lose some extra weight from your body. If you’re overweight, shedding the excess pounds may increase your testosterone levels, according to research presented at the Endocrine Society’s 2012 meeting. Overweight men are more likely to have low testosterone levels to begin with, so this is an important trick to increase your body’s testosterone production when you need it most.
Keep a healthy sleep routine
Getting adequate sleep has a strong correlation to optimal testosterone levels, and should be high on your priority list if you’re serious about correcting them.Get 7-8 hour sleep each and every night.
There are studies that reveal that men who get 6 hours or less sleep per night experience a 10-15 percent drop in testosterone levels.
Manage Alcohol
Alcohol consumption and testosterone production doesn’t seem to be a good combination. Studies reveal that alcohol consumption considerably impacts the body’s ability to generate testosterone. It is not so much the short term effect of alcohol that is the concern. You having a drink will not immediately create a long term effect on your ability to produce testosterone, but prolonged, consistent alcohol use will definitely create an issue.
Avoid Environmental Estrogen
You need to avoid xenoestrogen, which is a chemical that mimics the hormone, estrogen. When you are exposed to this chemical on a consistent basis it causes your testosterone levels to drop drastically.
The reason that this is such a concern is that these xenoestrogens are literally everywhere. This makes them extremely hard to avoid. They are in the plastics that contain the water you drink. They are in toothpaste, and in all types of foods. There are resources out there that will help you avoid environmental estrogens.
Control Carbohydrate Intake
Studies reveal that immediately after eating a high carbohydrate meal, the testosterone levels drop. This drop is temporary; however, if you are consistently eating crab-dominant meals, you are consistently driving your testosterone levels down. The insulin spike that is experienced after a high carbohydrate meal wreaks havoc on your testosterone output.
There are numerous ways to increase the amount of testosterone in your body. These are only a few, but is definitely a start.
About the author:
Bryan Stone is a personal fitness trainer for GymX in Portland, OR. He loves Stumptown coffee and is a regular there.