4 great ways to naturally boost your testosterone levels

There is no point stating the importance testosterone has when it comes to building muscle it’s a common fact nowadays. Everybody knows the more testosterone you have the more muscle you’ll likely add throughout your course of a training program. The real question is what its biological factors on the body are and what ways they can be enhanced naturally?

So before we go any further I should point out I am not a doctor or medical expert. I just have gathered a done a lot of research in this area as a personnel trainer it is of interest to me. The information I give you should not be taken as medical advice, if you think your testosterone levels are lacking I strongly advise a trip to your local doctor.

What is testosterone?

Testosterone is a naturally occurring hormone, it is found in higher concentrations in men than women. This doesn’t mean it is no less important to women than men. It belongs to a group of horones known as androgens, these hormones collectively are responsible for starting the development of male sexual traits during puberty. In adults however androgen levels are more related towards the development of muscle mass, sex drive and aggressiveness. In particular testosterone plays a vital role in the building of muscle mass. For this reason it is a highly sought after hormone for anyone who is a regular gym goer for traits and qualities, including

• Higher muscle mass
• Higher energy levels
• Improved cognition
• Decreased risk of osteoporosis
• Increased libido
• Better insulin management

Pretty important things alright!

How it effects our body’s.

Before we go into ways of improving our testosterone levels let’s look at how it effects are the body.

When you engage in regular physical activity in particular resistance training, it cause’s trauma and tears in the muscle fibers. In response to this the body adapts by repairing the damaged muscle tissue and by increasing its size and strength by adding new protein strands to the muscle fibers in a process called protein synthesis. This is where the body utilises its amino acid stores. This process of protein synthesis is regulated by a group of hormones known as growth factors of which testosterone is the most important.

Testosterone works on muscle by binding to the actual receptors on the muscle cells, it then sends out a biochemical signal, this signal is calling for the process of protein synthesis to start triggering the growth and repair of that muscle cell. Testosterone also increase’s the level of another hormone known as growth hormone, no prizes for guessing what it does. This hormone is general released in response to exercise and in larger amounts at puberty.

4 quick ways to elevate your body’s testosterone production naturally.

By natural means, I mean without the use of artificial boosters or chemicals.

Sleeping

Sleeping is something most people won’t ever consider of real benefit to them. They’ll just want to eat and train. Sleep is actually vital when you sleep your body does the majority of its muscle repair and growth. It’s not enough to just sleep it’s the quality of the sleep like for example 6 hours quality deep sleep is better than 9 hours tossing and turning. Testosterone production is ramped up at night. Your body’s test levels are at their daily peak at about 8 a.m. and slowly lower till there at their lowest around 8 p.m.

The body releases testosterone in relation to the type sleep you are having. The more uninterrupted sleep you are having the more testosterone you are getting. Everybody knows after a good night’s sleep you wake up feeling good, refreshed and ready to go.

Eating more red meat

When you think red meat you immediately think of steak right. With good reason it’s one the best cuts of meat there is. Red meat actually has a very important role in helping the body in the production and increase of testosterone levels. Red meats are full of health benefits from vitamins and minerals such as B12, B6, Iron and Zinc. There is also an array of lesser known nutrients in red meat from the all-important creatine, to some powerful anti-oxidants. However the one where interested in is EFA (essential fatty acids) and saturated fat. These two sources of fat are essential components in the process of hormone production. Without these fats testosterone production basically stops. Red meat also contains cholesterol which is not all bad when kept in control and moderation, it is a precursor to testosterone production. So in all you should try eat red meat 2 or 3 times a week to start ramping up your test production.

Shift that belly fat

Belly fat can suppress testosterone production, this even makes the process of shifting it harder. Excess fat can increase the production of the female sex hormone estrogen in your body. More estrogen basically means less testosterone, there is an inverse relationship between these two in the body, it’s a case of one is up the other must be down. Sheading belly fat can greatly increase testosterone production.

Lift heavy weights

Last but not least be a man. Lifting heavier with large compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, bench press and clean and press all require a large number of muscle fibers to pull off. This has a double benefit it burns serious calories could help with point number 3, and greatly increase’s size and strength. Lifting heavy weights forces the body to produce and release more testosterone due to the excess stress you’re placing on the muscles. If you are lifting with no fatigue then the body simple doesn’t need to produce any testosterone. Therefore when you ask your body to keep lifting a weight it’s struggling with it will have to release test to adapt to this situation.

conclusion

So testosterone can directly increase the rate at which are muscles can adapt and repair to exercise. It can also amplify the release of growth factor hormones such as growth hormone and it is a key hormone in the process of protein synthesis. The result of all this is an overall increase in muscle size, strength and recovery.