How can you increase testosterone naturally?

Testosterone is an androgen, a male sex hormone, although it is also necessary for females. Decreased testosterone has been linked to low libido and negative health consequences in men, including the development of metabolic syndrome. Low testosterone has been linked to depression in both men and women.

Male testosterone levels decline by 0.4 percent to 1.6 percent each year in middle-aged and older men, with many experiencing lower-than-average levels even in their 30s. Quality sleep, physical activity, weight control, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin D can all help keep testosterone levels in check.

Lifestyle

You need more than just the right vitamins and minerals to boost your testosterone levels; you also need to sleep well, exercise regularly, and maintain a healthy weight.

1. Sleep

Sleep deprivation is linked to a slew of health problems. Notably, it reduces testosterone production and promotes fat accumulation (which, as we’ll see, can impede testosterone production). We will be posting an essay on the importance of getting adequate good sleep in the near future.

2. Physical activity

After resistance training, testosterone levels might rise for 15–30 minutes. More significantly, it can improve body composition and reduce insulin resistance, which can help testosterone production in the long run.

Overtraining, on the other hand, is ineffective. Long-term endurance activity, in particular, can lower testosterone levels. Allowing enough time for recuperation can help you reap the full advantages of physical activity. decreasing insulin resistance and improving body composition

3. Weight management

Increases in testosterone are closely connected to weight increase and the chronic illnesses that come with it, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, especially in middle-aged and older men.

Your testosterone production decreases when you acquire weight (as fat). Fortunately, if you lose weight, your testosterone levels can return to normal.

You don’t have to lose a lot of weight to notice a rise in testosterone levels: a 5% weight loss can boost total testosterone by 2 nmol/L (58 ng/dL).

Supplements

Only a few substances have been proven to boost testosterone levels. The data primarily favors vitamin D and zinc, with magnesium coming in second. However, there are two cautions to be aware of:

Supplementing with a vitamin or mineral can only assist if you have a deficit or insufficiency in that vitamin or mineral.
If your testosterone levels are low, correcting a deficit or insufficiency is more likely to boost them.

1. Vitamin D

Vitamin D aids in the regulation of testosterone levels. In an ideal world, you would get all of your vitamin D from sunshine, but if you live far from the equator, have dark skin, or just spend most of your time inside, you may need to boost your own production with foods or pills.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D in Canada and the United States is between 400 and 800 IU (International Units). These levels, which have been criticized as being too low by some, are only available from a few dietary sources, which is why vitamin D supplements have become popular.

**Reference:** Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Adequacy: Calcium and Vitamin D (chapter 5 in *Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D*. The National Academies Press. 2011. DOI:10.17226/13050)

2. Zinc

A lack of zinc can stifle testosterone production. Zinc is lost via perspiration, just like magnesium, therefore athletes and those who sweat a lot are more prone to be deficient. Although animal items contain the majority of dietary zinc, zinc-rich foods include grains and nuts.

**Reference:** Institute of Medicine. Zinc (chapter 12 in *Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc*. The National Academies Press. 2001. DOI:10.17226/10026)

3. Magnesium

Increased magnesium consumption can result in increased testosterone production in males with low magnesium levels and low testosterone levels, both directly and indirectly (because one of magnesium’s roles in the body is to help convert vitamin D into its active form).

Magnesium shortage is more prevalent in elderly individuals, although it can also affect younger people (notably athletes, since, link zinc, magnesium is lost through sweat). However, meeting your RDA should be simple: magnesium-rich foods are plentiful and can be included into a variety of diets.

**Reference:** Institute of Medicine. Magnesium (chapter 6 in *Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride*. The National Academies Press. 1997. )

If you still need to supplement, remember that supplemental magnesium is more likely to produce side effects than dietary magnesium, which is why the FDA set the Tolerable Upper Intake Level for magnesium supplementation in adults at 350 mg. You should also avoid magnesium oxide since it has a low bioavailability (rats absorbed just 15% and humans only 4% in one research) and might induce intestinal discomfort and diarrhea.