Too much testosterone? Not enough? Get the facts. And if you need to increase it, Kristin Diversi outlines 5 ways to boost it naturally, without a prescription.
A quick search for low testosterone displays drug ads that are full of busty women, ripped men, or carefree couples engaged in varying states of intimacy, all begging degrees of the same question: are you enough of a man?
Get libido and strength like you’ve never had. Be an ultra-man. Don’t settle for weakness. You shouldn’t have to “prove” that “it” works.
Apply a gel, take a pill, mix a powder, slap on a patch, and you can enhance your libido, increase your strength, boost your energy, and help get rid of excess body fat.
It sounds like a miracle.
Or a scam.
A $2 billion dollar scam, projected to hit $5 billion by 2017.
Testosterone is a hormone derived from cholesterol that causes the development and maintenance of masculine traits. It’s present in both males and females – secreted mainly in the testes of males, and the adrenal cortex and ovaries of females (although at approximately one tenth the amount of males). Testosterone production increases during puberty, peaks in the late teens to early twenties, and then declines slowly, but steadily, as men age. Testosterone production deepens the voice, increases muscle growth, and helps facial and body hair to grow. It initiates the sex drive. It’s also associated with personality traits related to aggression and dominance.
After the early to mid-thirties, there is an expected decrease in testosterone levels of an average of one percent every year. Since testosterone is largely responsible for sex drive and erectile function, muscle and bone strength, and fertility, it is also normal that men will experience losses in muscle mass and strength and decreased sex drive. There is disagreement, however, on whether a decrease in testosterone causes problems such as lower bone density and less energy.
On March 3, 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released an important update regarding testosterone products. All (approved prescription) manufacturers are now required to label their products with the uses approved by the FDA, including their possible side effects. This update follows an extensive review of existing studies from which the FDA conclusively draws its research. There is evidence that patients taking testosterone are at an elevated risk for heart attacks and strokes. Testosterone products are approved only for men that have tested for low testosterone caused by injury or disease – not by aging (further studies are necessary). Previously, there have been suggestions of correlations between testosterone therapy and increased longevity, but that has not, as of yet, been proven.
One study involving over 10 million men aged 40 years and older, found that testosterone therapy had increased threefold from 2001 to 2011— from 0.81 percent to 2.91 percent. While it’s clear that sales are increasing as these drugs become more widely marketed, their risk factors are only now becoming known as more research becomes available.
How can you tell if you should get tested for low testosterone? If you’re newly experiencing low libido, sexual function that is abnormal for you, have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, or if you are experiencing sensitivity in your breasts, these may be signs of low testosterone. Your doctor should measure your testosterone levels two or three times, since the levels fluctuate not only day to day, but also hour to hour. Your physician should also test the levels of other hormones that can affect testosterone production. They should also check your triglycerides, blood glucose (sugar), liver enzymes, and cholesterol, counts that can be found in basic metabolic and lipid panels.
What happens if you’re not found to be low in testosterone, but are experiencing unwelcome lifestyle changes like low libido, lost muscle mass and weight gain, and low energy?
It may be time to make a lifestyle change.
Usually, when low testosterone is not the culprit, it’s time to look at things like diet, exercise, and stress management. And shouldn’t most of us be addressing those anyway?
Here are 5 Ways to Increase Testosterone Naturally
1. Get Enough Sleep.
We know this, but for some reason many of us still don’t prize quality sleep. Sleep affects many parts of our lives – mental, physical, and emotional health – but it also affects hormone and chemical production in your body, which can have a negative impact on your testosterone levels. Make quality sleep a priority, men: at least seven, if not eight hours per night. Put down your phone. Turn off the TV. Prize your sleep the way you prize your testosterone – because your testosterone cannot thrive without it.
2. Check Your Weight.
Underweight? This can have a negative impact on testosterone production. Overweight? Also a negative impact. BMI calculators are bogus – lean muscle mass can throw off their calculations, so check in with a doctor or a dietician to find a weight that is healthy for you.
3. Get Moving.
Testosterone will adapt to your body’s energy needs. Are you (truly) as active as you were ten years ago? If you spend most of your time sitting at your desk or on the couch, your body is getting the message that it doesn’t need to produce as much testosterone (as well as other things). When you’re active, you will produce more testosterone. Start slow. Go for a 20 minute walk at lunch. Incorporate two or three days of light weight training, but consider working with a trainer at first to learn proper technique. Check out a spin class. But don’t overdo it.
4. Control the Stress Monster.
When was the last time you weren’t stressed? That’s gotta stop. When you’re stressed, your body produces the hormone cortisol, and you are inhibited from producing as much testosterone. What are your hobbies? Spend some time each day cultivating them. Learn mindfulness techniques. Check out a yoga class. And the other things – sleep, diet, exercise – will help with stress management as well.
5. Vitamin D.
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. It’s vital for bone health, the immune system, and other body functions, but it’s also linked to longevity and testosterone production. You can find it in supplements, by getting 15-20 minutes of sunshine every day, tuna fish, egg yolks, and other food sources.
Once changes in lifestyle are implemented, many men will find that they experience the desired effects they were hoping for from testosterone therapy: returned libido, fat loss, and increased energy.
Stop looking at those ads, men. Stop reading the propaganda. Low testosterone, changes in the life cycle – whatever is happening in your body – nothing makes you less of a man, or in need of being an ultra-man. Visit your doctor, and make a decision that is right for your body, your life, your health. Those ads are targeted, crafted to sell a product, meant to play on your feelings. Instead, I invite you to come as you are: a good man.
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About the author:
Kristin Diversi is a star child, born and bred in rural New Jersey and currently enjoying the good coffee and fried chicken in Durham, North Carolina. Kristin has a bunch of education, but it took her eleven years of school and work experience to do absolutely nothing related to any of her degrees. Find the things that make you come alive- and go do them. Find her at her blog, on Twitter, or on Facebook!
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Photo credit: Flickr/EdSchipul
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Resources and articles for further learning:
Can You Boost Low Testosterone Naturally?
John-Manuel Andriote, Should the Modern Man Be Taking Testosterone?
More Men Taking Testosterone, But Risks Unclear
There is a lot wrong with this article. There are no “links to research,” there are only links to announcements. That’s 2, not “several.” The natural ways to raise T are, maybe, valid, if one has the ability to naturally do so without any other issues (cortisol, pituitary, etc.). But it takes work, and there are some natural supplements, also. Try the natural paths first, as you included here, and see how that goes. If you need to bump it up, go for it. DO THE RESEARCH! If a guy’s worried, don’t just cram a bunch of protein and fat… Read more »
Testosterone is NOT as simple as these ads or this article suggest. Hormones are not simple substances where you increase them for one thing and then decrease them for the opposite. For one thing, the effects of a hormone like testosterone depends on how it interacts with other hormones in your body. It is not a magic pill that operates all by itself. For another thing, the testosterone level in your body can be an EFFECT of your life, not just a cause of your behavior. If a man gets into a physical altercation, his testosterone doesn’t reach its peak… Read more »
wellokaythen— Valid points. Unfortunately, we are limited to less than 1200 words and need to get a complete message across well within that space. Hormones aren’t simple, men aren’t simple. There are several links to research, articles, studies in this piece that provide more comprehensive information. Books are written on testosterone, and more research is done every day—we do what we can in this little space.
“It’s also associated with personality traits related to aggression and dominance.” There is a relation, but not the one most believe. Its a common myth that aggression is caused by high T levels. This is junk science. T levels rise as a result of being confronted with a situation that has caused aggression (whether you are the instigator or not). Other tips to help your Testosterone levels. Reduce your sugar levels. Lift heavy weights 3-5 times a week. I mean 3 rep to 1 rep max. And despite the authors own little bit of propaganda there is nothing wrong with… Read more »