In discussing fitness and health for men, you cannot go very long these days without hearing something about testosterone and how many men suffer from not having enough of it. And this is definitely true, as testosterone levels start to decrease at the age of 30 in most men.
About one in every four men has low testosterone after the age of 30. In fact, in the last 20 years, the average level of testosterone has dropped anywhere from 20 to 30 percent in most men. Is this just a part of life and aging?
Hormonally speaking, testosterone is the big player that helps level out all other male hormones. In other words, if this one starts to dwindle, it can throw off the levels of all other hormones, such as HGH, leptin, ghrelin, estrogen (yes men have small amounts of estrogen), and cortisol. Testosterone production is very important. Testosterone is essentially what makes a man a man. Its what allows you to build muscle and burn fat, what powers your sex drive, and what helps you recover from workouts. Its a driving force in your health, energy, and life span.
The biggest problem with most approaches to health, however, is the lack of focus on testosterone. You can do all the sets and reps in the world in the weight room, but if youre not producing enough testosterone, you wont add muscle to your body or burn off fat (Sidenote: This is also why womens bodies dont naturally bulk up, as they dont produce testosterone like men do). Men, your ability to maintain and build muscle is essential to helping your body function better, and testosterone helps maintain and build muscle.
Testosterone is not about becoming big and bulky like a bodybuilder or weight lifter (unless thats your goal). Testosterone is more about making you feel your absolute best in day-to-day living. Did you know that low testosterone levels can kill your sperm? Or that decreases in testosterone have been linked to decreases in brain activity and memory function? The fact is that men with higher testosterone have lower incidence of heart disease, spend less money on health care, and live significantly longer potentially more than a decade longer!
Listen, after you hit your thirties (I recently turned 31, gulp!), your testosterone levels instantly begin dropping. I feel that most doctors are overly quick to prescribe hormone replacement therapy and fill your body with exogenous hormones. But the good news is that small changes to your lifestyle can be all it takes to increase testosterone by as much as 50 percent. For example, sleeping more will help increase testosterone levels.
The number one goal to help increase your testosterone levels should be eliminating your beer belly. The more fat you carry, the more aromatase you produce, which is an enzyme that converts your testosterone into the female hormone estrogen. This is not good at all, as high estrogen in men will give you a softer body, softer erections, and even make you softer emotionally. Cutting down on your body fat will have the greatest impact on keeping testosterone levels high as you age. In fact, Australian researchers found that testosterone levels dont have to drop as you age, and they can actually stay high up into your sixties if you exercise the right way, eat the right foods, avoid smoking, and limit how much fat is on your body.
Keeping testosterone levels high in men is a lifestyle decision, and is largely affected by food selection, exercise selection, and emotional stability (ie. limiting stress, staying happy and positive). Here is a short list of ways to naturally boost testosterone:
Lift heavy weights Perform high-intensity interval cardio Practice sprints and work your lower body hard Supplement with Vitamin D (at least 300 IU/day) Dont smoke Supplement with zinc Sleep more than six hours per night Eat more protein Do squats and deadlifts Use shorter rest periods in the gym Take fish oil Dont overtrain Include fat from animals and dairy in your diet Eat eggs
Matt Gallagher is the Fitness Director at MFC Sports Performance in Darien. He can be reached at Matt@MFCSportsPerformance.com.
Visit link:
Weekly Wellness: Why men should care about hormones
Contact Us Today For A Free Consultation
- MOTS-c Therapy To Improve Body Composition - December 11th, 2022
- Punicalagin: A powerful Testosterone Booster - November 24th, 2022
- Blocking Testosterone to Defeat Melanoma - August 11th, 2022
- Stomach Inflammation: Another Ailment That Testosterone Can Stop in its Tracks - August 3rd, 2022
- Study Finds that Testosterone Boosts Memory for Uncontrolled Diabetics - June 24th, 2022
- Causes of Low Libido - Could It Be Low-T? - May 30th, 2022
- The Evolutionary Effects of Testosterone on Human Society - September 20th, 2021
- More Sex: A Better Way to Boost Your Testosterone Levels - September 7th, 2021
- Men Want to Know – Free Testosterone versus Total Testosterone - August 24th, 2021
- What is testosterone? - May 23rd, 2021
- Tribulus Terrestris Review Does It Raise Testosterone or ... - May 22nd, 2021
- Boosting testosterone levels (First of two parts) - May 8th, 2021
- How long does it take for Testosterone replacement treatments and therapy to work? - May 1st, 2021
- What Is Testosterone AndroGel - April 28th, 2021
- Low T - My life was falling apart because I had low testosterone - April 25th, 2021
- Deer Antler, HGH and Testosterone: Tim on Scott and BR Radio Show - Video - April 17th, 2021
- What is Testosterone? What does Testosterone do? Find on - April 14th, 2021
- How Testosterone Affects the Skin of Men - April 11th, 2021
- Testosterone, the Power Hormone - April 8th, 2021
- Testosterone Levels and Wall Street - March 27th, 2021
- Women can resist testosterone-fuelled political debate - March 12th, 2021
- BUSTED: Myths About Testosterone And Its Link To Sexual Desire In Men And Women - March 11th, 2021
- Attention Baby Boomers -- Could Testosterone be the Modern Day "Fountain of Youth?" - March 4th, 2021
- Declining Testosterone Levels in Men Not Part of Normal Aging - February 28th, 2021
- Quick Weight Loss Tips and Diet Recommendations for HRT - February 28th, 2021
- Testosterone and Alcohol: Your Health and the Holiday Season - February 27th, 2021
- Testosterone builds muscle but has risks - February 25th, 2021
- New Study Finds That Testosterone Does Not Increase Cardiovascular Risk - February 22nd, 2021
- Evidence Suggests Testosterone Plays Powerful Role in Motivating Revolutionary Change - February 15th, 2021
- The Effects of Parenthood Upon Testosterone Levels - January 9th, 2021
- Testicular Cancer Survivors are at Risk for Low Testosterone - January 6th, 2021
- Amygdala and it's Relationship to Testosterone and Fear - December 25th, 2020
- Testosterone Does Not Cause Atherosclerosis (Hardening of the Arteries) in Older Men - December 24th, 2020
- Increased Testosterone DOES NOT Cause Prostate Cancer to Spread - December 23rd, 2020
- Testosterone Cypionate and Testosterone Enanthate: The Real Facts - December 20th, 2020
- A Surprising Side Effect of Methadone Treatment: Suppressed Testosterone - December 18th, 2020
- The Testosterone Industry Globally is Booming - December 12th, 2020
- Five Benefits of Testosterone That You Need to Know - December 11th, 2020
- Testosterone Nasal Gel: A New Form of Testosterone Replacement Therapy - December 5th, 2020
- New Research Proves Testosterone Replacement Therapy is Safe for the Heart - December 3rd, 2020
- Skinny Bartender with Low Testosterone Becomes a Ripped Bodybuilder - December 3rd, 2020
- Low-T and Your Health - November 30th, 2020
- Low Testosterone Levels may Affect Man's Sex Drive and Affect his Intimate Relationships - November 19th, 2020
- Is Testosterone the New Drug of Choice on Wall Street? How Traders are Using Male Hormone Booster Shots to Maintain a ... - November 12th, 2020
- Shorter course of ADT for high-risk prostate cancer patients yields improved quality of life - November 11th, 2020
- Testosterone Litigation: What You Need To Know - MTMP - Video - November 9th, 2020
- Methadone Lowers Testosterone in Men Only - November 8th, 2020
- Should middle-aged men consider 'low T' treatment? - November 5th, 2020
- Testosterone and Crime: What Can Genes Tell Us About Behavior? - Video - October 25th, 2020
- Testosterone shown to help sexually frustrated women - October 22nd, 2020
- Testosterone levels seen prior to birth in fetus' fingers, jawline - October 20th, 2020
- Tri-Blend Testosterone. Understanding the Benefits of Testosterone Oils - October 19th, 2020
- Testosterone levels in older men - October 17th, 2020
- Tlando Testosterone Clinical Trial for Low-T and Fatty Liver Disease - October 4th, 2020
- Testosterone Focus in Diabetes Study – Video - September 30th, 2020
- Testshock Review All Natural Testosterone Enhancement – Video - September 30th, 2020
- Testosterone, Anxiety, and Depression - September 30th, 2020
- Average Testosterone Levels Decreasing Over Time Among Younger American Men - August 21st, 2020
- Testosterone Creams for Low Testosterone Treatment and Andropause - August 10th, 2020
- Testosterone Therapy and Androgen Deficiency Guide - August 6th, 2020
- Testosterone's Surprising Link to Men's 'Love Hormone' Oxytocin - August 5th, 2020
- Fortesta Brand Testosterone Therapy - August 3rd, 2020
- Andropause: Age-Associated Testosterone Decline - August 1st, 2020
- How to Build Muscle Quickly by Boosting Testosterone Levels - July 29th, 2020
- Testosterone Deficiency Strongly Linked to Heart Attack Risk in New Study - July 26th, 2020
- Seven Types of Drugs That Can Inhibit Sex Drive and Libido - July 22nd, 2020
- Testosterone and Geriatric Frailty - July 21st, 2020
- Testosterone and Aggression: How T-Levels Impact Human Response to External, Social Threats - July 12th, 2020
- High-Dose Testosterone Injections May Be a Viable Palliative Late-Stage Prostate Cancer Treatment - July 12th, 2020
- Could Civilization Have Been Formed as a Result of Declining Testosterone Levels in Males? - July 6th, 2020
- Testosterone Therapy Allows Man to Have the Body That He Was Meant to Have - July 5th, 2020
- Testosterone Injections for Low-T and Andropause - July 4th, 2020
- Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) Reduces the Risk of Serious Adverse Health Consequences! - June 30th, 2020
- Testosterone not always to blame - Sat, 04 Aug 2012 PST - June 28th, 2020
- Five Facts About Testosterone (That Maybe You Didn't Know) - June 27th, 2020
- Manhood Washed Away: You Could Unknowingly be Annihilating Your Testosterone - June 23rd, 2020
- Testosterone: Should You Take it to Regain Your Libido and Youthful Energy? - June 22nd, 2020
- Testosterone Replacement Therapy Boosts Aerobic Capacity - June 15th, 2020
- Physiology of Testosterone - June 9th, 2020
- The Truth Behind Common Male Sex Myths - May 26th, 2020
Word Count: 698