8. Money, Success, and Competition Fuel T-Production

I’m a big believer in the fact that making lots of honest money equals – at least in some form – happiness.

Not necessarily the fact that you can see the numbers in your bank account, but the fact that money (at least if you make it in your own terms) often equals total freedom.

Money also equals success in many fields, and can be a form of competition, or at least if not competitive, it generates the feeling that you’re “winning in life”.

Simply put, money is testosterone.

9. Check your ‘Nads

Roughly 95% of the testosterone in your body is produced inside the Leydig cells of the testicles…

…Because of this, it’s quite obvious that optimal testicular health and circulation would need to be one of the top priorities for all men.

For optimal testicular function, your balls actually need to be a tad bit cooler than the rest of the body, hence why they hang in a pouch outside of it. Because of this, sleeping naked, wearing loose boxers, and taking frequent cold showers can have a positive impact on your testosterone production.

I guess some sort of testicular massage might also help in T production, though there isn’t (understandably) any research on that.

10. Note on Smoking

Two of the most common things that people smoke are; tobacco and marijuana.

The question is, how do they affect testosterone levels? Or do they even?

…Then there’s also the metals and minerals in tobacco which can have androgenic effects, the bottom line being that smokers tend to have bit higher T levels than non-smokers, even though smoking itself is not a too healthy thing to do.

11. Alcohol and Testosterone

Let’s just start off by saying that no, you don’t have to completely cut off the alcohol from your life in order to naturally raise testosterone levels.

Is it beneficial for T? Not in the slightest, in fact, it has multiple mechanisms for lowering androgens, but in all honesty, its effects on T-levels have been wildly exaggerated.

Sure if you’re an alcoholic who slams booze to the point of passing out on nearly all days of the Week, you can be damn sure that it crushes your test production, but few drinks here and there do not have that significant of an effect…

…Though, the mechanisms of action are bit scary;

How much do you have to drink to actually suppress test levels though?

…Luckily enough, few studies have shown that low-moderate alcohol consumption isn’t that bad for male hormone production. Here an equivalent of

In the case of alcohol, the dose really does make the poison. Enjoying a few old fashioned’s or beers once in a while isn’t enough to chemically castrate you.

12. Caloric Intake and Testosterone Levels

In order to make your body produce adequate amounts of testosterone, you need to give it enough calories to fuel the processes necessary in hormone production.

For optimal T production, consider eating a slight calorie surplus or maintenance calories.

The answer is the latter option obviously.

13. How Protein Intake Affects T-Levels

Protein is vitally important for muscle growth as well as testosterone production.

The problem is that the bodybuilding sites and magazines preach everyone to eat super-high amounts of protein (remember that they also sell you the protein), and protein IN EXCESS is not only useless for your muscle building goals, but it can also significantly reduce testosterone levels.

A study by Anderson et al. shows that when the male subjects undergo 10-days on a high-protein low-carb diet, their free-testosterone levels will be 36% lower than what they would be on a high-carbohydrate low-protein diet. High-protein diets also caused significantly higher cortisol (stress hormone) levels and – as to be expected from lowered bioavailable T – increased SHBG levels. Caloric intake and the amount of dietary fat was kept the same during both diets.

The bottom line is that yes, you do need protein for both testosterone and muscle gains, but no, you don’t need as much as the fitness industry claims. For the optimal amount in terms of T-production, a good starting point would be

14. Carbohydrates, a Friend or Foe?

There’s some unfair demonization going on against carbohydrates now. Or actually, it has been going on for quite some time…

…The low-carb people say things like;

“Carbs raise insulin, insulin makes you fat, which is simply why carbs make you fat”, or the classic “Humans don’t need carbohydrates brah”.

Guess why? Because that’s how the human body works.

In the past few years as the “paleo diet” has become a thing, their so-called “experts” have been telling people that since the cavemen didn’t eat a lot of carbs, we shouldn’t either. The thing is that they had absolutely no evidence to back up their claims about paleolithic humans not eating carbs. Recent evidence actually suggests that cavemen ate plenty of them.

The biggest reason why no man should go on a low-carb diet is the fact that they’re notorious for lowering testosterone levels, increasing the stress hormone cortisol, and messing up with your sleep.

As a general rule of thumb, I’ve always recommended

40-60% of daily calories from carbohydrates. Mainly from low-fiber low-gluten sources, since gluten may increase prolactin levels 77,78 and there’s some – although not very conclusive – evidence against high-fiber diets. To make it simple, eat the bulk of your carbs from potatoes, rice, fruit, and sugar (yes, that “white death”).

15. The Type of Fat Matters

I’d say that fat and carbs are the boss macronutrients for testosterone production.

A crucial part that is often left out in many articles is the part of different types fats having different effects on your hormones.

Bottom line: Ideally you’d want to keep your dietary fat intake at somewhere close to

16. Sugar and Testosterone

Much has been said about simple forms of sugar (table sugar, honey, etc) reducing testosterone levels, and previously I used to believe that consuming sugar would be really bad for testosterone levels…

There’s no research that I know of which would of have linked sugar intake to long-term reductions in testosterone. In fact, the studies on carbs being pro-testosterone and GnRH increasing its pulsation rate in high-glucose environments speak towards the fact that sugar, which is basically what all carbohydrates eventually convert into, is not that bad for testosterone levels. It might actually be relatively good to consume some sugar (at least in form of fruit and fruit juice) on a daily basis.

In my opinion, sugar has been unfairly demonized. It doesn’t make you fat as everyone and their dog claims, overeating anything does. Sure it’s not that filling, and it might be more addictive than many other foods, but it’s not some toxic poison that destroys you from the inside out as is often boldly stated in click-bait headlines. Dr. Ray Peat’s info on sugar is something I highly recommend to everyone who still lives in sugar phobia.

17. Note on Plant-Based Diets

Sure, you can learn about increasing testosterone levels on vegan/vegetarian diets, and it’s entirely possible if you know what you’re doing, but is it the optimal type of diet for T-production? No.

When you ditch all animal protein and animal fat, you’re in a situation where it’s really hard to get a balanced intake of amino-acids, enough cholesterol, and enough saturated fat to fuel your body’s testosterone producing needs. On plant-based diets, men tend to also eat too much PUFAs in comparison to SFAs and MUFAs, which can further mess up testosterone production…

…Not to mention that it’s increasingly harder to consume your daily caloric needs from plant-based foods alone (not to say that this isn’t possible, it’s just much harder).

Which brings me to the point. You don’t necessarily have to crush your testosterone levels with vegan/vegetarian diets. If you can get in a good amount of calories, accompanied with some SFAs and MUFAs (coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, Macadamia nuts…), it’s likely that you can maintain high testosterone levels despite not eating any animal products.

18. Organic Foods May Offer Slight Benefit

In the case of eating organic foods for better testosterone production, it’s not about what you’re getting from the organically grown produce, but rather what you’re NOT getting from the conventional kind.

Specifically, I’m talking about pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, and growth/fat-promoting hormone traces.

Sure, organic foods are more expensive, and surely you don’t HAVE to switch everything organic in order to maintain high-T, and yes not all pesticides are harmful…

NOTE: I’m not a fan of fear-mongering (think FoodBabe, Mercola, David Wolfe, NaturalNews), which is why I refrain from making any wacky tin-foil hat accusations about pesticide use. Indeed GMOs have saved thousands of lives in Africa, and in many cases, there’s a legit reason to use crop-sprays, preservatives, and so forth. It’s always your personal decision whether you eat organic or conventional produce, or maybe you mix them up. The most important thing is that you read the evidence about them yourself instead of blindly following one expert with one specific stance because, in this subject, you’ll hear a bunch of opinions from all-camps.

19. Dairy and Testosterone

In terms of its macronutrient composition (high-quality micellar casein, fats from mainly SFAs and MUFAs, and some carbs) and micronutrient composition (A, B1, B2, B12, D, choline, calcium, magnesium, and potassium) one could easily assume that milk is a pro-testosterone drink.

However, if we look a bit deeper, there’s a problem with milk, especially the full-fat kind.

It’s the number of hormones, in particular, the naturally occurring mammalian estrogens, and especially in countries like the US where the cows are kept pregnant (this increasing estrone content by up to 33-times 99 ) for over 300-days of the year.

Since the conjugated hormones are mostly in the fat portion of the milk, it seems that skimmed and low-fat milk would be a hormonally better option…

…And indeed there are two studies which support this theory;

20. Cholesterol is a Building Block

An average sized male naturally synthesizes about 1-1,5g/day of cholesterol, while his body holds an additional amount of

35 grams within cell membranes…

21. Coffee or Tea for Natural Testosterone Boost?

Tea, especially the green kind, has been hailed as the supreme health drink for years…

Looking at tea from the hormonal point of view, it’s not so “supreme” after all;

I recommend choosing coffee instead, since not only does coffee taste better, it’s also pro-testosterone;

22. Intermittent Fasting and Androgens

Did you know that you don’t have to stuff your face with food for every few hours in order to boost T and maintain optimal rates of muscle growth?

I personally don’t recommend long fasts, although they can be useful in dropping weight. Instead I fast intermittently until every evening and eat all my calories post-workout, therefore theoretically taking advantage of that post-fasting anabolism and increased androgen sensitivity right after tearing the muscles in the gym.

23. List of Testosterone Boosting Foods

Let’s face it, some foods are just better than others when it comes to boosting testosterone levels.

Much of this comes down to things like; high micronutrient density, high amount of protective antioxidants, high SFA or MUFA with low PUFA/trans-fats, quality animal-based muscle-meat and collagen protein, low-gluten starchy carb sources etc. In fact, I do have an article with 30 testosterone boosting foods over here…

…But in case you’re looking for a condensed version with no additional ramblings, you can see one below:

24. List of Foods that Lower Testosterone

There are of course also some testosterone lowering foods, and as much as I hate avoiding something or creating diets that are too restrictive, aka. prone to failure, certain foodstuffs in high amounts just don’t fit the manly nutrition plant at all.

There’s definitely more than these, but this list is just for the ones with a good amount of research to prove that. You can find a more detailed article with studies here.

Here’s the list in no particular order;

25. Soy and Testosterone

There is a lot of conflicting evidence when it comes to learning how to eliminate low-T. For instance, whether the consumption of soy products lowers testosterone levels or leaves the number of androgens unchanged is a matter of massive debate online.

Soy contains these compounds called isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, and glycitein) which act as phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) in the human body. They’re structurally similar to the principal female hormone, estrogen, and are believed to have similar effects in the body. Since high estrogen level in men is almost always a direct route to lowered testosterone levels, eating soy – which contains estrogenic compounds – is often blamed for lowering testosterone.

I personally do limit my soy consumption, not necessarily because of the research on its effects for testosterone, but because soy is also chock-full of “goitrogens”, which are compounds present in foods, medication, or chemicals, that disrupt the production of thyroid hormones by interfering with iodine uptake in the thyroid gland.

Since thyroid activity is crucial for your energy levels and overall health, I’m not going to stuff my face with soy when I know there’s plenty of research suggesting that it can negatively impact thyroid activity…

…Also, soy tastes awful and I’m not a vegan/vegetarian, so what real reason would there be to even consume it?

26. Monitor your Water Intake

We all know how important water is for our cognitive function, exercise capacity, and overall bodily functions.

But many still take water as granted, and don’t drink nearly enough to really be in a good state of hydration. Even though it’s stupidly easy to just grab a steel bottle – this is my favorite (affiliate link) – and fill it to the brim with the ever anabolic h2o.

During exercise, the importance of drinking plenty of water is increased, since even mild dehydration will suppress the exercise-induced rise in testosterone and growth hormone, while dehydration also increases cortisol secretion.

27. Resistance Training is Great for Testosterone Production

To upregulate androgen receptors in muscle tissue while also increasing testosterone levels both acutely and moving the baseline higher and higher can be best done with some form of resistance training.

There’s a mounting pile of evidence to suggest that resistance/strength training (basically lifting medium-heavy weights) can stimulate testosterone production in the short-term 125–128 …

Resistance training is also generally very healthy, and it’s easily the best way for men to make your body look great, which amps up your confidence and can furthermore boost your T-levels due to those ‘feelings of success’ as explained in the subheading #9 of this article.

The idea is not just to “lift weights” in any manner that you can think of, but instead what you want to do for optimal hormonal response is to;

All of the above pointers will be addressed more in detail in the below subheadings.

As mentioned previously, the THOR Testosterone Training program takes all of these factors into account, as the entire program was designed to increase testosterone and optimize your hormones through optimal training protocols.

28. Do Some High-Intensity Intervals

When it comes to “cardio” high-intensity interval training (HIIT) fits a testosterone boosting routine like a nose to the head.

Consider adding 1-2 quick HIIT-sessions on top of your resistance training routine to maximize exercise-induced hormonal adaptations.

Some examples of this type of training are;

Here’s a great example of hill sprints that would be pretty great for the hormonal response:

Bottom line: Basically any type of exercise where you can do quick 15-30 second all-out bouts of exercise in 2-8 intervals will work wonders for anabolic hormones and neuroendocrine adaptations. Instead of boring hours of steady-state cardio, consider crushing it with few all-out sprints for maximal hormonal gains.

29. Regular Physical Activity Helps

Aside from lifting weights and sprinting your ass off, you should maintain some regular physical activity on a daily basis.

This includes things like walking, plowing the snow/mowing the lawn, chopping trees, and other sorts of recreational stuff.

Maybe a low-intensity hockey game with the lads? Some ball-games with the family? Anything that can be considered “active rest”.

There are even studies to show how effective regular physical activity is for T:

30. Cardio Before Weights? Train in AM or PM?

The age-old questions spanning around the fitness industry in relation to hormones and workout timing are;
— Should you train in the morning or evening for better testosterone levels?
— Should you hit the weights before cardio or the other way around?
The cardio question first. Sure, there are many opinions, but the actual evidence is suggesting that yes, cardio before weights is more ‘anabolic’.

In fact, a study by Rosa et al. showed that the guys who hit cardio before weights had 7x higher post-workout testosterone levels than the guys who did cardio after weight training (due to ‘stimulus interference’ the researchers claim).

NOTE: Although the immediate post-exercise hormone alterations are not going to massively impact your physique or resting T-levels, its still good to have that 7x higher testosterone response once in a while huh?

31. Excessive Endurance Training May Suppress Testosterone

I get that for some, dropping endurance training isn’t an option, maybe you compete in running or triathlon for example?

Though that doesn’t change the fact that endurance-type long steady state exercise is very good at lowering testosterone levels and causing chronically elevated cortisol response.

It also goes without saying that your body will look quite weak and frail if you train mainly for endurance.

A much better option for those of us who don’t “need” to train for endurance, would be something like low-pace walking or hiking. Obviously, resistance training and high-intensity intervals are the optimal way to train for T, but if you’re looking for a bit more lighter way to balance hormones, slowly walking with a small incline is actually much more beneficial for T and especially normal cortisol secretion than chronic endurance training.

32. Reverse Pyramid Training

Reverse pyramid training (RPT) is a set/rep pattern used in resistance exercise movements where you (after warming up) hit the heaviest weight on your first set and then reduce some of that weight and add more reps to the 2nd and possibly 3rd set. This pattern is used by such guys as Greg O’Gallagher and Martin Berkhan.

It’s a very demanding type of training, but it allows you to lift heavy loads of weight in a relatively short amount of time and you don’t have to tax your central nervous system with multi-set workouts that eventually just turn into grinding and spinning your wheels. It’s a very good fit for testosterone boosting workouts (which is why it is one of the main themes in the THOR Testosterone Training program).

Basically, reverse pyramid training comes down to first warming up, then hitting your first set with the all-out effort of say for example 5-8 reps, then you rest for roughly 3-5 minutes and reduce the weight by 10% and do the same with 1-2 more reps than in the first set. If you want to do more sets, keep reducing the weight by

10% and adding 1-2 reps. IMHO 2-3 sets are optimal (more than that is unnecessary strain for the central nervous system).

Here’s an example of an RPT low-volume high-intensity back workout that I do personally;

4 minutes and do 8 reps.

Aaand that’s it for the back, a total of 8 sets – which might seem like a ridiculously low amount of work – but when done correctly (1st set is really ALL OUT set) you’re actually going to be pretty done. Go ahead and give it a shot if you don’t believe my word 😉

33. Neuromuscular Movements for Androgens

Neuromuscular training (NM training) is something that Chris Walker introduced in the TestShock program and expanded on even further in the THOR Testosterone Training program.

In short its a type of weight/bodyweight training that maximizes the stimulus of the nervous system, leading to the maximal stimulus of the neuroendocrine system, leading to increased testosterone production and androgen receptor up-regulation.

The way to do this is by activating large amounts of muscle volume (how much muscle mass you activate), with high intensity (how explosive you are), under a performance threshold (avoiding the negative adaptations that come with increased glucocorticoid receptor up-regulation and chronic cortisol elevations).

Since increased muscle activation is known to increase the testosterone and growth hormone response, you’ll often see people saying that in order to boost testosterone you have to squat, squat, deadlift, squat and then do some deadlifts. And sure enough deadlifts and squats are very good movements for size and increased muscle activation, but they fall short on intensity (explosiveness) not allowing you to maximize the activation of fast glycolytic muscle fibers, and they also bring you more easily to the training threshold.

Some movements which actually can be used for NM training to maximize all the above factors are;

Honestly, I’m not that good at explaining the principles of NM training, so let’s hear it from the creator himself:

34. Overtraining May Suppress Testosterone Production

It seems to be in fashion now in the fitness circles to claim that overtraining would not exist. Sure, those guys claiming that are usually on steroids or don’t really know how to really work hard enough to really need recovery. Also, their goal is rarely to maximize hormonal output.

If you workout with a reverse pyramid style doing neuromuscular movements and some HIIT cardio once in a while, you really can’t be lifting every day. You can try but eventually, this will lead to sluggish progress and messed up hormonal response, which is exactly what were trying to avoid here.

In short, you want to workout 3-5 times a week with ALL OUT INTENSITY and then REST properly so that your muscles, endocrine system, and CNS are always primed for your next workout which will be slightly more intense/heavier.

Going to the gym with no energy and when you’re still recovering from the previous workouts does very little to your progress and only negatively affects the hormonal response.

Remember, constant progress is the key to gains and hormonal adaptations. In order to push for that increased testosterone response and to move your resting baseline higher and higher (creating the new “normal”) you have to get out of your comfort zone and constantly progress to heavier weights and higher intensities…

Another study saw that after sedentary subjects started a resistance training routine, their baseline testosterone levels shot up by over 40% in just 4-weeks. Why? Likely because they had to get out of the comfort zone and create a “new normal” to which their hormones had to adapt into.

That’s the idea behind constantly pushing yourself and getting to higher weights and better intensities as you get stronger and stronger, you’re slowly pushing the hormonal baseline up by forcing your body into using bigger workloads and heavier weights…

…If you overtrain, your lifts will start degrading and your CNS will be too taxed to actually make that constant progress, and that’s just one of the many reasons to avoid the pitfalls of training too much.

35. Great Training Routine for a Testosterone Boost

Something that this whole natural testosterone optimization field has really been missing for years now is a specific training program with the goal of building the ultimate “masculine” body, while also focusing on maximizing the testosterone response of training.

The TestShock program has its own training section, which is good and definitely delivers more than great results, but it takes a high-level view of training and often spans a variety of training related questions.

The THOR Testosterone Training program should be a definitive answer to most of them. It’s a complete training focused encyclopedia of how to EXACTLY train in a way that maximizes the amount of exercise-induced long-term testosterone adaptations.

I’ve had a minor involvement in few of the topics of the book, and for now, I can say that it contains multiple new ideas which haven’t really been discussed and/or applied to “hormonal response training” yet. Sure it has all the evidence-based teachings that are already well-known in this field, but also a TON of new and somewhat revolutionary info.

All I can say is that the THOR-program is not your average “more squats and deadlifts bro!” kind of book.

36. Fix Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to significantly increase your natural testosterone production is by correcting all of your underlying micronutrient deficiencies. This is best to do with nutrition, and also by using a high-quality multivitamin (affiliate link).

In fact, I would go as far as saying that the best “natural T-booster supplement” is in fact just a basic high-quality wide-spectrum multivitamin. Allow me to explain why…

…Even though many guys think they’re all topped up on all the necessary vitamins and minerals, they usually aren’t.

One study conducted by The Washington Council of Responsible Nutrition 143 says:

“Large portions of the population had total usual intakes below the estimated average requirement for vitamins A (35%), C (31%), D (74%), and E (67%) as well as calcium (39%) and magnesium (46%). Only 0%, 8%, and 33% of the population had total usual intakes of potassium, choline, and vitamin K…”

When you start looking at how vitamin and mineral deficiencies affect your testosterone production, you’ll realize why it’s important to keep your body topped up on essential micronutrients;

37. Phosphatidylserine

Not much has been talked about phosphatidylserine (PS) as a testosterone booster, even though there’s some evidence that at least in exercising individuals, PS can reliably increase testosterone levels and suppress the exercise-induced cortisol secretion.

Phosphatidylserine is actually a naturally occurring phospholipid complex present in all of the bodily cells. Its mainly a signaling molecule between cells and hormones, but may also have other functions, such as reducing the oxidative damage at the interior of cells.

Due to over 50% of the bodily PS being in neural tissue of the brain, many claims of phosphatidylserines “nootropic” or brain-boosting benefits have been made. Surprisingly enough, there’s a good amount of evidence which suggests that PS supplementation can improve cognitive functions. In fact, PS has an FDA granted ‘qualified health claim’ for prevention of cognitive decline in humans.

38. Bromelain Fights Low T?

Bromelain is a pineapple extracted blend of ‘proteolytic enzymes’. More specifically, it’s a supplement containing a bunch of enzymes that can break down the peptide chains between amino-acids (proteins), improving digestion and absorption.

You can get some by eating pineapples since the stem part is loaded with proteolytic enzymes, but if you’re not a big fan of eating pineapple stems…

Why bromelain for testosterone you ask?

This is actually more for the guys who want to do endurance training, since bromelain can preserve T-levels during ‘strenuous’ endurance training, but allow me to quote one of my older articles;

39. KSM-66 Ashwagandha for Testosterone

Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) is an Indian Herb, heavily used in their herbal medicine; Ayurveda.

When searching the internet, you can stumble upon some ridiculous claims about herbs, and ashwagandha is not an exception. Did you know that the name actually translates to “the smell of a horse”, and its claimed by some sort of shaman weirdos to actually give its user the power and virility of a horse?

(It’s not gonna do that, FYI).

Even though there are those “herbal healers” who slowly smear the name of every single herbal compound, we can’t forget the fact that ashwagandha actually has A LOT of interesting Western medicine studies on its belt…

…Take a look at these for instance (copied from my older Ashwagandha article):

b) When it comes to general health benefits, there are many. For instance, ashwagandha can greatly improve cardiovascular health by reducing inflammation, reducing the number of serum triglycerides, increasing the “good” HDL-cholesterol (

17%), and reducing the “bad” LDL-cholesterol (

c) So ashwagandha is, in fact, a pretty solid adaptogen, with a wide variety of benefits that have been proven in human studies, what could be better? Maybe the fact that there’s also solid evidence of the herb also increasing testosterone levels (actually that’s not a surprise, considering the fact that ashwagandha improves sleep quality, reduces cortisol, increases HDL-cholesterol, and reduces inflammation, all of which promote healthy testosterone production). Two human studies with infertile subjects both using 5g/day of the basic root powder for 90 days, noted significant increases in testosterone (

17% boost in T, with a

40. Forskolin, a Forgotten Herb

Forskolin is a general term for a standardized extract of an Indian plant Coleus Forskohlii. You’ve probably heard about it, since its a very popular fat burner and often hyped up in the ridiculous Dr. Oz show.

Aside from the facts that Oz is a clown who only smears forskolin’s name and that it’s not really anything super awesome as a fat burner, forskolin can actually enhance testosterone secretion and upregulate androgen receptors.

Forskolin is well-known for increasing cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate) levels in human tissue, and cAMP works as a secondary messenger in the body, transporting biological signals between cells and hormones. cAMP stimulation is believed to be the main reason why forskolin is able to increase T-levels.

When buying forskolin or coleus supplements, make sure its standardized to at least 20% active ingredient. Also, don’t be bummed by the reviewers who say it doesn’t help with weight-loss, no supplement really does and the claims of forskolin doing that originate from the Dr. Oz show. We all know what kind of people buy supplements recommended by that fool (the nutcrackers).

41. Creatine

Creatine is – right after protein supplements – the most popular supplement used by bodybuilders and various athletes.

Creatine works by increasing cellular ATP (adenosine triphosphate) levels. ATP is what cells use as energy, so basically you’re increasing the supply of energy for your cells when you ingest creatine. Logically this helps you perform better.

But did you know that creatine can also help raise your testosterone? Not only the exercise-induced T-levels but also your resting baseline.

When buying creatine, don’t get fooled by the marketers, the cheapest monohydrate forms work just as well as their expensive formulations. My personal favorite is Jarrow’s creatine (affiliate link).

42. Probiotics and Natural Androgen Production

The definition of probiotics is as follows: “live micro-organisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host”. In other words, probiotics are friendly bacteria most commonly used to improve gut health.

The idea of using probiotic bacteria for health was first coined in 1907 by a Russian researcher and Nobel laureate Élie Metchnikoff who had a novel idea of replacing the harmful gut microbes, with beneficial (probiotic) microbes, this essentially improving gut flora and overall health.

These bacteria naturally occur naturally in many fermented foods, such as yogurt, kefir, kimichi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and sourdough, and can also be supplemented with, currently it isn’t known which one is the better delivery method – supplements or food – but common sense would suggest its the naturally occurring kind from fermented foods.

What does all of this have to do with testosterone though?

Well for one, our gut health is strongly correlated with testosterone production. People with poor gut flora are much more likely to suffer from micronutrient deficits and lower T-levels…

43. Anti-Aromatase Supplements

In fact, numerous things in our daily lives can increase estrogen levels and the conversion from testosterone to estrogen (which happens via the aromatase enzyme).

These include (but are not limited to); being fat, using personal care products with xenoestrogens, drinking lots of alcohol, drinking lots of full-fat milk from pregnant-cows, microwaving plastics, and yes, some men just naturally convert more of their testosterone to estrogen, as they’re “high aromatizers”.

How can you combat this and balance your levels?

Obviously, being lean, using natural personal care items, drinking less alcohol, not using too much plastic products, and switching to skimmed-milk can work wonders, but there are also some supplements that can be used in estrogen removal (you do need some estrogen for joint health etc, use the stack below if you have too much of it).

These supplements include;

44. Tongkat Ali for Testosterone

Tongkat Ali (Pasak Bumi, Eurycoma Longifolia) is a Malaysian herb with a massive reputation as a pro-erectile testosterone booster.

Some research suggests that it can lower SHBG levels, increase testosterone, block estrogen, and act as a powerful libido booster. Most of the studies are legit, but there’s also a bunch of studies and weird patents by a guy named Dr. Tambi, which are often cited but are really hard to find online.

Tongkat Ali has some good research behind its back, would have even more so if that Dr. Tambi guy would publish his studies online. Also if you’re going to get a Tongkat Ali supplement, consider purchasing the original Malaysian 200:1 water extract (affiliate link).

45. Carnitine May Help

L-Carnitine is a naturally occurring amino acid (protein) found in meat. It’s usually used in supplemental form to either improve cognitive abilities or as a fat-burner.

Carnitine works by shuttling fat into the mitochondria for it to use as energy, this theoretically should improve your body’s ability to burn fat (although research on this isn’t too legit) and give you some extra energy.

The reason why carnitine is perfect for everyone interested in natural testosterone optimization is that when carnitine shuttles the fat to the mitochondria, it also upregulates androgen receptor activity at the same time. This in turn leading to better androgen utilization by the body.

If you want to maximize your tissue uptake of testosterone, consider adding carnitine to your supplement cabin (affiliate link). According to the studies you’ll get even more out of it if you exercise and take it immediately after training.

46. Royal Jelly

Royal Jelly (RJ) is an anabolic porridge-like liquid extracted from the hypopharynx glands of the worker bees.

Its the RJ fed to a small larva which eventually makes it grow 60x bigger and live for 40x longer than the other bees in the hive. Basically Royal jelly is the food that makes the queen bee become queen bee.

Royal jelly is a nutrient bomb containing a pretty balanced ratio of carbs (15%), protein (12%), and fat (5%), while also supplying vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, biotin, and folic acid. RJ also contains the minerals: calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus, potassium, silica, and sulfur.

Rest of the ‘anabolic goo’ contains naturally occurring hormones, nucleic acid, sugars, gamma globulin, and

3% compounds still unidentified by modern day science.

What does it do to testosterone levels? Here’s a quote from my older RJ article:

47. Shilajit

Shilajit is a tar-like resin collected from the deep rocks of Himalayan mountains.

In the study, 60 infertile male subjects consumed 200mg/day of shilajit for a total of 90 days…

…After the three months had passed the shilajit treated group were found to have;

NOTE: over 90% of the shilajit in the market is not authentic, and highly ineffective. True shilajit is always in its pure resin form and black (affiliate link).

48. Ginger Root Increases Testosterone by 17%

I think I mentioned ginger earlier in the nutrition part, but its worth to mention again as some might use it as a supplement too.

Ginger is generally hailed for its anti-inflammatory benefits, but it’s rare to hear anything about the fact that it can possibly be used in boosting testosterone levels.

Whether ginger is able to do this on non-infertile men is a question we’re unable to answer yet, but due to its multiple health benefits and very low price, it’s not a big deal to try it out.

49. Horny Goat Weed

Horny goat weed (Epimedium) is a flowering plant, native to the Mediterranean region of Asia.

For centuries, it has been used as a powerful aphrodisiac in Chinese medicine and due to its high levels of the compound called icariin, which is known for its erection boosting qualities, but it might actually work to increase testosterone levels too.

Currently, no human data exists, but many in-vitro and animal studies have shown interesting effects with standardized icariin.

Here’s a quote from one of my older articles:

Icariin is also very potent nitric oxide (NO) booster. Increased NO production will relax blood vessels and increase blood flow, and this might be one of the reasons why HGW is primarily considered to be an aphrodisiac (libido booster).

50. Mucuna Pruriens

Mucuna pruriens (velvet bean) is an Indian herb commonly consumed in their herbal medicine; Ayurveda, as an aphrodisiac. M. pruriens has been widely studied in Western medicine and it is currently used in many medications to relieve the effects of Parkinson’s disease.

One of the claims that you will almost instantly stumble upon on the internet is that mucuna supplementation would be able to increase testicular size, and due to its possible effect in boosting testosterone production, this claim might actually hold some water.

The reason why mucuna would work to boost the big T is that its chock-full of a compound called L-Dopa (levodopa), which is a precursor to the hormone/neurotransmitter; dopamine. Since increased dopamine secretion is linked to increased testosterone production, one could easily imagine that M. pruriens could stimulate T-production.

According to a bunch of studies, this seems to happen in subjects who consume the herb:

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While it’s important to check in with a doctor to determine if you need testosterone replacement therapy, there are also many proven ways to boost testosterone levels naturally.

Increasing testosterone can improve your mood and energy, boost your libido, and help with muscle mass and bone density, says Kevin Codorniz, MD, chief of endocrinology for Loma Linda University Health.

Here are 6 ways that you can naturally increase testosterone production.

1. Exercise regularly

Exercising is beneficial for naturally boosting testosterone levels, says Mary Samplaski, MD, urologist with Keck Medicine of USC. She says that the most recent research surrounding exercise and testosterone is based on one hour of cardio, or aerobic exercise, such as running or brisk walking, three times a week.

A small 2016 study showed that in overweight men, increased physical activity by way of aerobic exercise training was effective in raising testosterone levels. It also showed that increased physical activity was more effective than dietary changes at increasing testosterone. Additionally, a 2012 study showed that men who were physically active had higher levels of testosterone than men who were sedentary.

There has also been research tied to testosterone and resistance or strength training. Codorniz says there may be an acute, or short-term, increase in testosterone concentrations immediately after resistance exercise, like weight lifting or using resistance bands. However, moderation is key. Codorniz warns that excessive exercise may actually lower testosterone levels.

2. Make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D

When vitamin D levels are low, testosterone levels are often low, too, says Samplaski. In these cases, when you supplement with vitamin D, testosterone levels will likely rise.

Samplaski says vitamin D may act as a building block for testosterone, although the relationship between vitamin D and testosterone is not totally understood by researchers.

A 2011 study involved giving 200 men either a placebo or 83 μg (3,332 IU) of vitamin D daily for a year. At the beginning of the study, vitamin D levels were in the deficiency range, and testosterone levels were relatively low. After the year of vitamin D supplementation, there was a significant increase in testosterone levels, compared to no significant increase in the placebo group.

3. Eat healthy fats

Samplaski says some people try to cut fat out completely from their diet in order to become healthier, however, this can backfire if you’re looking to raise testosterone levels, since fat is a precursor to testosterone.

In a small 2013 study, participants were given either virgin argan oil or virgin olive oil. After three weeks of consuming these healthy fats, testosterone levels increased significantly in both groups. There was a 19.9% increase in those who consumed virgin argan oil and a 17.4% increase in those who consumed the virgin olive oil.

Overall, Samplaski says it’s important to consume healthy fats in moderation. To add more healthy fats to your diet, eat foods like:

4. Drink less alcohol

Codorniz and Samplaski both say that drinking alcohol excessively can decrease testosterone. In fact, a 2019 review on substance abuse and testosterone highlighted previous research in which testosterone levels dropped 30 minutes after consuming alcohol.

People who are very heavy drinkers are most at risk for low testosterone, Samplaski says, since other hormones such as luteinizing hormone (LH) that signal the release of testosterone are affected and thrown off with heavy drinking. If you are looking to increase your testosterone levels, Samplaski suggests limiting yourself to three drinks per week.

5. Get enough sleep

Codorniz says that a lack of sleep, especially sleep deprivation, or getting less than five hours of sleep, can decrease testosterone concentrations. A small 2015 study showed that men who slept for five hours had 10% to 15% lower testosterone levels compared to when they slept for eight or more hours.

It’s not just the amount of sleep that’s important, it’s also the consistency of the sleep schedule. Samplaski says erratic sleep schedules, such as those of shift workers, can throw off testosterone production. However, the relationship between sleep and testosterone is not totally understood, and research is ongoing.

6. Reduce stress

Chronic psychological stress leads to higher levels of the hormone cortisol, commonly referred to as the stress hormone, Codorniz says. Cortisol and testosterone have an inverse relationship. As cortisol goes up, testosterone goes down.

Therefore, it’s crucial to minimize stress if you want to raise your testosterone levels. A large 2005 study stated that high cortisol levels and low testosterone levels are key indicators of chronic stress, which can also increase your risk for long-term conditions like heart disease.

Insider’s takeaway

If you think you might have low testosterone, you should visit your doctor for an evaluation. Low testosterone symptoms may overlap with symptoms for other conditions that are easily treatable, so it’s best to get a professional medical diagnosis first, Samplaski says.

Regardless, all of the above-mentioned lifestyle changes – exercising, getting vitamin D, eating healthy fats, drinking less alcohol, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress – will help increase your testosterone levels and boost your overall health. If these natural methods do not increase testosterone levels, you may need to discuss options such as testosterone replacement therapy with your doctor.

How To Increase Testosterone Naturally

10 Ways to Increase Testosterone Naturally

Testosterone has often been associated as the hormone that “makes a man a man.”

Back in junior high, there was always at least one to two 12-year-olds who already had back and chest hair, an Adam’s Apple in their throat, could grow a beard overnight, and were strong as an ox. They were the kids (or ‘men’) you wanted on your dodgeball team at recess, the first string linebackers in JV football and the dudes who always seemed to have a girl on their arm—no matter what other ‘nice boys’ lined the walls at middle school dances.

They had ‘high testosterone’ is what all the moms and teachers said.

Testosterone levels in males have been perceptiously dropping almost universally since the 1980s. Also, there seems to be a massive uptick in men undergoing testosterone therapy which almost often involves a regular injection.

Unfortunately, this day in age, with the chronic stress epidemic, that so many of us are under (caused from a variety of things: poor sleep habits, overstimulation by light and electronics, overtraining and under-recovery, not training at all/sedentary lifestyles, poor quality diets, work stress), low testosterone levels have become a ‘norm’ amongst people.

In the United States alone, approximately 43 percent of women and 31 percent of men experience sexual dysfunction—much of this often related to low testosterone levels. (1)
In fact, according to ABC News, 1 in 4 men over age 30 have reportedly low testosterone, resulting not only in sexual dysfunction, but the host of other symptoms including difficulty gaining strength, recovering and/or losing body fat. It is not surprising then that synthetic testosterone is being prescribed more often than in the past; a 500 percent increase in sales has been documented from 1993 to 2001. (2).

What Is Testosterone?

Signs of Low Testosterone

Low testosterone is a harbinger of many problems in men including:

What is a Healthy Amount of Testosterone?

Maybe your testosterone levels have already been tested and you don’t know what a healthy amount would be.

“Healthy testosterone” levels are defined as:

For Men: A range of about 270 to 1070 ng/dL
For Women: A Range of 15-70 ng/dL

Optimally, for both men and women, levels are somewhere in the middle of that range—not too high or too low.
While blood testing is the most clinically sound way to see your numbers on paper your body’s signs and symptoms (ultimately how you feel)—can be the greatest indicators for whether or not this hormone is in optimal balance for YOU.

How to Increase Testosterone Naturally

While we are not medical doctors here at OPEX, we do specialize in health—improving the quality of life and performance of all individuals with whom we work. In addition, when something is out of our scope of practice, we do not hesitate to consult with outside experts who we consider, very much, to be part of our team.

Dr. Jeoffrey Drobot, a Naturopathic Medicine doctor out of the American Center for Biological Medicine here is Scottsdale, Arizona, is one of those individuals. Dr. Drobot helps shed light and develop treatment plans of care for clients who may be experiencing health issues, such as this topic of low testosterone and hormonal imbalance. One of the key factors he talks most about?

Your Lifestyle Effects Your Testosterone

“You need to take a good look at your lifestyle to first get to the roots of where your hormonal imbalance or this low testosterone is coming from.” – Dr. Drobot

In our experience working with athletes and clients with low testosterone over the years, we have witnessed the impact that some very basic dietary and lifestyle changes and choices can make in how a person feels, consequently bringing wonky hormones more into balance. Learn some basic lifestyle changes you can adopt immediatly to naturally improve your testosterone here.

The unsexy reality is that our diet, sleep and exercise patterns play a HUGE role in testosterone production.

Hence, increasing testosterone naturally simply comes down to taking a good hard look at your current nutrition and lifestyle (preferably under the guidance of a knowledgeable coach or healthcare practitioner) and potentially making some long-term adjustments in these areas.
Common nutrition and lifestyle triggers to lowered testosterone include:

Once you identify potential culprits of lowered testosterone, here are a few natural methods many have experienced success with when it comes to turning those levels back up:

Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods.

Protein shakes and bars. Bulletproof coffee. Ice cream before bed in the name of weight gain. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Instant oatmeal. Gatorade. Bowls of pasta. 99-cent eggs by the dozen. Calling cucumbers or that little bit of lettuce and tomato on a sandwich your only vegetables. Seemingly harmless foods for the athlete who needs energy and calories, but when we lack nutrition (think nutrient-rich colorful vegetables, pasture-raised and grass-fed meats, some fresh fruits and whole-food sourced starches, healthy fats like coconut oil, grass fed butter, raw nuts and seeds, avocados), or consume ‘dead foods’ (powders, synthetic man-made foods, low-nutrient dense foods like pasta, bread or cereal), we illicit both malnutrition and an inflammatory response in our bodies—our guts. And when our guts are unhappy the rest of our bodies are unhappy (especially our hormones).

Here are some foods to incorporate in your diet:

Fuel Up with Fat.

Fat is NOT a 4-Letter Word. Hormones are comprised mostly of fats. And in order to ‘nourish’ those hormones, they in turn, need (and thrive upon) fat—healthy fats. Eat fat—and lots of it. At least one to two sources with every main meal. Eggs, unsweetened coconut flakes and coconut butter, grass fed butter, coconut oil, avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds, full fat raw organic dairy, nitrate free bacon, organic fattier cuts of meat (chicken thighs, beef, bison, etc.). wild caught salmon, flax and chia seeds, fish oil, the fuel of champions.

Actively Lower Cortisol.

High cortisol reduces free testosterone levels. Cortisol, known as the ‘fight or flight’ hormone, increases when we are stressed—inside and out. Common stressors include:

Just to name a few. Tone the cortisol down by targeting those key stressors head on and…doing the opposite. An easy way to actively lower cortisol is to follow to OPEX Basic Lifestyle Guidelines.

Soak Up the Sun.

Vitamin D, known for positively impacting bone and muscular strength, has also been cited as positively affecting testosterone levels in men. (3.)

Assess Nutritional Deficiencies.

Follow a Program.

Aim to implement smart training into your regime. Quit the blog hopping; the need to be ‘flat on your back’ after every workout; pushing it harder and harder day in and day out. You can actually get better, push past plateaus, and do your body great favor by following (and sticking to) a smart program, individualized to you and designed by a coach who is going to push you with the ‘just right challenge’—without sending your overly enthusiastic inner beast over the edge. “In fact, if you’ve been training too hard, and consequently causing an imbalance in your hormones, then you are completely defeating your own ability to get anabolic in the first place,” Dr. Drobot said. “Since testosterone is responsible for muscle gains and growth, if you are low in it due to constant pounding, then you are not getting anywhere,” he said. In times of serious overtraining, sometimes, less is more…and by backing off just a bit and/or changing some things up—even just a hair (one less met-con, and more mobility; shortening sessions but keeping your intensity the same; intermixing intensity with MAP 10 and strategically planned active recovery days; etc.) can dramatically impact your body’s hormones.

Get an introduction to the skills needed to write these mentioned programs here.

Timing, Frequency, Volume.

Perhaps you are already ‘on a program’ for training and not necessarily ‘overdoing it’. Instead, you are training for gains, and training hard, no doubt, but still ensuring recovery and rest, BUT for some reason, you are still experiencing hormonal imbalance(s). “For this person, hormone balancing or restoration may mean changing up some things around your training timing, frequency, and/or stimulus,” Dr. Drobot said. Your body may have adapted to an unhealthy norm, or not reaching its peak simply because one, or all of these factors, is out of balance as well. For instance: 4:30 a.m. wake up times in order to get an early morning session in could be disrupting your body’s cortisol levels, waking at a non-preferential time day in and day out, and setting your body into ‘stress mode’ from an early start; consequently, messing with your other hormone levels. Or stimulus: training your ‘engine’ in overdrive to improve your metcon? Perhaps your bod is not able to catch up—your mind is strong, but your hormones are weakened, simply because they are more stressed than when you were on your strength cycle. Balance, above all, is key for getting your hormones back to where they want to be. A shift around training time, or the ratio of conditioning and strength in your program could make all the difference.

Supplementation and Herbals.

“Herbals and vitamin supplements, for the most part, will not do anything more than help if you need them for things like low testosterone. For instance, an herb like Tribulus is one of the most popular and effective herbs for supporting testosterone. Hormones themselves on the other hand (like taking DHEA or testosterone), are probably not the best thing to do on your own without consulting a professional. Taking hormones can end up throwing your body out of balance even more so or screwing with your bio-chemistry—not a good thing,” Dr. Drobot said.

Consult the Professional.

“All things considered, it’s always best to never assume you have this or that; or to self-diagnose yourself with low testosterone or hormonal imbalance. See a healthcare practitioner who specializes in these things. Get some lab work done—preferably every 6-months if you are an athlete. If anything, a good look at your hormones will help you see if you are even getting the most out of your training,” Dr. Drobot said. Salivary, blood and urine tests are the most commonly conducted hormone panels, and Dr. Drobot suggests doing all three to get a clear picture of how your hormones are working.

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