Testosterone is the daddy of all hormones - responsible for building muscle, strength, libido and all-round performance
Due to its obvious importance, many people feel they need to take exogenous testosterone (man-made stuff that isn't produced naturally by your body).
This isn't necessary, and you can boost your own production naturally. Even if you're at a low level to begin with, these steps may help you reverse your fortunes.
The signs of low testosterone
As you age, T-levels are depleted - but some signs may start to appear through lifestyle. If you exhibit some or all of the below symptoms, it could be a sign of low testosterone:
- Low libido
- Fatigue
- Lethargy
- Mood issues / irritability
- Reduced muscle mass / strength
- Increased body fat
Body transformation coach
Ed Djafer has advice for anyone looking to up their T-levels the right way.
1) Lift weights
"Lifting weights is proven to naturally raise testosterone levels. And I don't mean just sitting on the chest press machine.
"Get yourself under the bar and do the big compound lifts like the squat, deadlift, and bench press. These movements engage way more muscle, and in turn release more growth hormones such as testosterone."
2) Banish the belly fat
"The greater your body fat, the higher your levels of oestrogen (female sex hormone) and the lower your levels of testosterone are likely to be.
"In fact, you might not even consider yourself to be fat. But if you can grab a fist full or more of belly fat, this is likely going to be having a negative impact on your testosterone levels - even if you're skinny everywhere else. Of course, the best way to reduce belly fat is to be in a calorie deficit. Eat less, move more."
3) Reduce stress
"This of course is easier said than done because stress is often caused by our life circumstances.
"Unless you can change those circumstances, its unlikely you'll completely eradicate stress all together. But what you can do is learn to manage stress levels.
"Some great ways of doing this would be to hit the gym, go for a walk, read a book, or something else you enjoy that will allow you to switch off. Stress increases your cortisol levels, which inhibits your natural testosterone production - so the less stressed you can be the better."
If you feel your testosterone levels are too low despite these natural methods, it's worth paying a visit to the GP who can advise on other treatment.
