13 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

[lutherblsstt]

13 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels


"Get Rid of the Flopping Belly

Or you'll grow a pair of fetching breasts to complement it. Carrying excess body fat elevates your estrogen levels, and that may cause your testosterone levels to sink, says Joseph Zmuda, an epidemiologist at the University of Pittsburgh. Louie Anderson is proof enough of this. Two or three extra pounds won't cause this hormonal shift; it really occurs once you're 30 percent over your ideal body weight. "Unfortunately, that's pretty common now," says Dr. Dobs.

But Lose Only One Pound a Week

When you want to trim down quickly, you probably starve yourself while exercising like a madman. One of the many reasons this stops working in your 30s, when your natural testosterone levels start dropping, is pretty simple: Cutting your calorie intake by more than 15 percent makes your brain think you're starving, so it shuts down testosterone production to wait out the famine. "There's no need to reproduce if you're starving," explains Thomas Incledon of Human Performance Specialists in Plantation, Fla. Ironically, this dive in circulating testosterone stops you from burning body fat efficiently, so you're actually thwarting your hard efforts to melt that tire off your gut.

Skip the Atkins Fad

Research suggests that eating a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet can cramp your testosterone levels. High amounts of dietary protein in your blood can eventually lower the amount of testosterone produced in your testes, says Incledon, who observed this relationship in a Penn State study of 12 healthy, athletic men.

Your protein intake should be about 16 percent of your daily calories, Incledon says. So, if you're the average 170-pound man who eats 2,900 calories a day, you should eat about 140 grams of protein daily, which is about the amount in two chicken breasts and a 6-ounce can of tuna.

Have Morning Sex

German scientists found that simply having an erection causes your circulating testosterone to rise significantly -- and having one in the morning can goose your natural post-dawn testosterone surge. It's a sure bet you'll burn a little fat, too.

Stick With Tough Exercises

To beef up your testosterone levels, the bulk of your workout should involve "compound" weight-lifting exercises that train several large muscle groups, and not just one or two smaller muscles. For example, studies have shown that doing squats, bench presses or back rows increases testosterone more than doing biceps curls or triceps pushdowns, even though the effort may seem the same. This is why doing squats could help you build bigger biceps.

Make Nuts Your Midnight Snack

Nuts are good for your nuts. Research has found that men who ate diets rich in monounsaturated fat -- the kind found in peanuts -- had the highest testosterone levels. "It's not known why this occurs, but some scientists believe that monounsaturated fats have a direct effect on the testes," says Incledon. Nuts, olive oil, canola oil and peanut butter are good sources of monounsaturated fat.

Squeeze Out Five Repetitions per Set

Throwing around 5-pound dumbbells won't help you effect a rise in testosterone. Start off by using a heavy weight that you can lift only five times. That weight is about 85 percent of your one-repetition maximum. A Finnish study found that this workload produced the greatest boosts in testosterone.

Do Three Sets of Each Weight-Lifting Movement

Researchers at Penn State determined that this fosters greater increases in testosterone than just one or two sets. Rest a full minute between sets, so you can regain enough strength to continue lifting at least 70 percent of your one-rep maximum during the second and third sets.

Rest Harder Than You Work Out

If you overtrain -- meaning you don't allow your body to recuperate adequately between training sessions -- your circulating testosterone levels can plunge by as much as 40 percent, according to a study at the University of North Carolina. The symptoms of overtraining are hard to miss: irritability, insomnia, muscle shrinkage, joining the Reform Party. To avoid overtraining, make sure you sleep a full eight hours at night, and never stress the same muscles with weight-lifting movements two days in a row.

Drive Home Sober

To maintain a healthy testosterone count -- and titanium erections -- cut yourself off after three drinks. "Binge drinking will kill your testosterone levels," warns Incledon. Alcohol affects the endocrine system, causing your testes to stop producing the male hormone. That's one reason drinking often causes you to go limp at the moment of truth.

Have a Sandwich at 3 p.m.

As any sensible woman knows, the way to put hair on a man's chest is to fill his stomach. Your body needs a ready supply of calories to make testosterone, so regularly skipping meals or going for long stretches without eating can cause your levels of the hormone to plummet. Then again, that's probably the warden's plan.

Buy the Fried Tortilla Chips

If you want to raise your testosterone score, eat a diet that includes about 30 percent fat, and not much less. Your body needs dietary fat to produce testosterone, so eating like a vegetarian aerobics instructor will cause your testosterone levels to sink drastically. This is bad, unless you actually are a vegetarian aerobics instructor.

Stop Surfing for Porn at 2 a.m.

Sleeping less than seven to eight hours a night can screw up your circadian rhythm. That's why it's no wonder your testosterone levels are higher in the morning after a good night's sleep. So if your work or social schedule keeps you stooped in perpetual jet lag, don't be surprised if you stop craving sex. At least that'll make it easier to stay out of bed."


Feedback,the breakfast of champions.Looking forward to yours!

 

[lutherblsstt]

This list has some interesting ones as well:

http://www.criticalbench.com/natural-testosterone-booster.htm

5) Reduce your intake of soy. Soy protein raises the body’s levels of estrogen (the main female hormone) and this has a direct negative effect on testosterone levels.

7) Increase your dietary intake of cruciferous vegetables. Broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, turnips, cabbage and brussel sprouts have all been shown to dramatically reduce estrogen levels, thereby raising testosterone.

8) Lower your daily stress levels. Being overly stressed stimulates the release of “cortisol”, a highly catabolic hormone that will cause your testosterone levels to plummet

9) Increase your sexual activity. Sexual stimulation causes the body to increase the production of oxytocin which increases endorphin production (the "feel-good" chemical), and this also raises testosterone

 

[MrBigPR]

Those are real good, thanks!

 

[BignBad]

This list has some interesting ones as well:



5) Reduce your intake of soy. Soy protein raises the body’s levels of estrogen (the main female hormone) and this has a direct negative effect on testosterone levels.

7) Increase your dietary intake of cruciferous vegetables. Broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, turnips, cabbage and brussel sprouts have all been shown to dramatically reduce estrogen levels, thereby raising testosterone.

8) Lower your daily stress levels. Being overly stressed stimulates the release of “cortisol”, a highly catabolic hormone that will cause your testosterone levels to plummet

9) Increase your sexual activity. Sexual stimulation causes the body to increase the production of oxytocin which increases endorphin production (the "feel-good" chemical), and this also raises testosterone

I'm not a big fan of soy, because of the brain studies, but the studies are mixed as to whether soy effects T significantly. Also, soy will boost NO, which is nothing but good for us males. Just giving information...

 

[lutherblsstt]

I'm not a big fan of soy, because of the brain studies, but the studies are mixed as to whether soy effects T significantly. Also, soy will boost NO, which is nothing but good for us males. Just giving information...

Here is a list of sources on Soy Dangers that I have been influenced by when doing layman research on this topic a few years ago:

Soy Formulas and the Effects of Isoflavones on the Thyroid
New Zealand Medical Journal (Volume 113, Feb 11, 2000)

Journal Urology April 2003;169(4):1582-1586

Wallace, G.M., "Studies on the Processing and Properties of Soymilk", Journal of Science and Food Agriculture 22:526-535, October 1971.

Rackis, Joseph, J., "Biological and Physiological Factors in Soybeans", Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society 51:161A-170A, January 1974.

IEH Assessment on Phytoestrogens in the Human Diet, Final Report to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, UK, November 1997, p. 11

Enig, Mary G. and Sally Fallon, "The Oiling of America", NEXUS Magazine, December 1998-January 1999 and February-March 1999; also available at

Messina, Mark J. et al., "Soy Intake and Cancer Risk: A Review of the In Vitro and In Vivo Data", Nutrition and Cancer (1994) 21(2):113-131.

Dees, C. et al., "Dietary estrogens stimulate human breast cells to enter the cell cycle", Environmental Health Perspectives (1997) 105(Suppl. 3):633-636.

Ishizuki, Y. et al., "The effects on the thyroid gland of soybeans administered experimentally in healthy subjects", Nippon Naibunpi Gakkai Zasshi (1991) 767:622-629

Divi, R.L. et al., "Anti-thyroid isoflavones from the soybean", Biochemical Pharmacology (1997) 54:1087-1096

Setchell, K.D.R. et al., "Dietary oestrogens - a probable cause of infertility and liver disease in captive cheetahs", Gastroenterology (1987) 93:225-233

"Development of malignant goiter by defatted soybean with iodine-free diet in rats", Gann. (1976) 67:763-765

Setchell, K.D. et al., "Isoflavone content of infant formulas and the metabolic fate of these early phytoestrogens in early life", American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 1998 Supplement, 1453S-1461S

Irvine, C. et al., "The Potential Adverse Effects of Soybean Phytoestrogens in Infant Feeding", New Zealand Medical Journal May 24, 1995, p. 318

For anyone sick of the citations without any explanation:

A study from Cornell University, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 1986, which found that children who develop diabetes mellitus were twice as likely to have been fed soy.



A 1998 study published in Toxicology and Industrial Health indicating the phytoestrogens are potential endocrine disrupters in males.

A March 12, 1999 Daily Express article with the headline "Soy Allergy/Adverse Effect Rates Skyrocket - Monsanto's Roundup-Ready Soy Blamed"

May 1999 and June 2000 studies published in Brain Research indicating that phytoestrogens have adverse affects on brain chemistry.

An April 2000 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science which found that flavonoids, especially genistein, can cross the placenta and induce cell changes that lead to infant leukemia.

An article published in Nutrition and Cancer 2000 which found lower testosterone levels and higher estrogen levels in Japanese men who consumed higher levels of soy foods.

Publication in the British Journal of Urology, January 2000, of a study showing a five-time greater risk of delivering a boy with hypospadias, a birth defect of the penis, in mothers who ate a vegetarian diet during pregnancy. The researchers attributed high rates of the birth defect to phytoestrogens in soy products.

An April 2000 study published in Carcinogenesis found that soy feeding stimulated the growth of rat thyroid with iodine deficiency, partly through a pituitary-dependent pathway.

 

[blind12]

13 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels

Research suggests that eating a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet can cramp your testosterone levels. High amounts of dietary protein in your blood can eventually lower the amount of testosterone produced in your testes, says Incledon, who observed this relationship in a Penn State study of 12 healthy, athletic men.

Your protein intake should be about 16 percent of your daily calories, Incledon says. So, if you're the average 170-pound man who eats 2,900 calories a day, you should eat about 140 grams of protein daily, which is about the amount in two chicken breasts and a 6-ounce can of tuna.

Is this for real ? I have been wondering how lo-carb high-protein affects the hormonal balance. I'm sure most people here consume lots of protein.

This study says there are no harmful effects from high-protein lo-carb diet:

 

[silverSurfer]

Good info lutherblsstt, thanks.

 

[AE14]

good info, thanks Luther

 

[jp17815]

13 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels


"Get Rid of the Flopping Belly

Or you'll grow a pair of fetching breasts to complement it. Carrying excess body fat elevates your estrogen levels, and that may cause your testosterone levels to sink, says Joseph Zmuda, an epidemiologist at the University of Pittsburgh. Louie Anderson is proof enough of this. Two or three extra pounds won't cause this hormonal shift; it really occurs once you're 30 percent over your ideal body weight. "Unfortunately, that's pretty common now," says Dr. Dobs.

But Lose Only One Pound a Week

When you want to trim down quickly, you probably starve yourself while exercising like a madman. One of the many reasons this stops working in your 30s, when your natural testosterone levels start dropping, is pretty simple: Cutting your calorie intake by more than 15 percent makes your brain think you're starving, so it shuts down testosterone production to wait out the famine. "There's no need to reproduce if you're starving," explains Thomas Incledon of Human Performance Specialists in Plantation, Fla. Ironically, this dive in circulating testosterone stops you from burning body fat efficiently, so you're actually thwarting your hard efforts to melt that tire off your gut.

Skip the Atkins Fad

Research suggests that eating a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet can cramp your testosterone levels. High amounts of dietary protein in your blood can eventually lower the amount of testosterone produced in your testes, says Incledon, who observed this relationship in a Penn State study of 12 healthy, athletic men.

Your protein intake should be about 16 percent of your daily calories, Incledon says. So, if you're the average 170-pound man who eats 2,900 calories a day, you should eat about 140 grams of protein daily, which is about the amount in two chicken breasts and a 6-ounce can of tuna.

Have Morning Sex

German scientists found that simply having an erection causes your circulating testosterone to rise significantly -- and having one in the morning can goose your natural post-dawn testosterone surge. It's a sure bet you'll burn a little fat, too.

Stick With Tough Exercises

To beef up your testosterone levels, the bulk of your workout should involve "compound" weight-lifting exercises that train several large muscle groups, and not just one or two smaller muscles. For example, studies have shown that doing squats, bench presses or back rows increases testosterone more than doing biceps curls or triceps pushdowns, even though the effort may seem the same. This is why doing squats could help you build bigger biceps.

Make Nuts Your Midnight Snack

Nuts are good for your nuts. Research has found that men who ate diets rich in monounsaturated fat -- the kind found in peanuts -- had the highest testosterone levels. "It's not known why this occurs, but some scientists believe that monounsaturated fats have a direct effect on the testes," says Incledon. Nuts, olive oil, canola oil and peanut butter are good sources of monounsaturated fat.

Squeeze Out Five Repetitions per Set

Throwing around 5-pound dumbbells won't help you effect a rise in testosterone. Start off by using a heavy weight that you can lift only five times. That weight is about 85 percent of your one-repetition maximum. A Finnish study found that this workload produced the greatest boosts in testosterone.

Do Three Sets of Each Weight-Lifting Movement

Researchers at Penn State determined that this fosters greater increases in testosterone than just one or two sets. Rest a full minute between sets, so you can regain enough strength to continue lifting at least 70 percent of your one-rep maximum during the second and third sets.

Rest Harder Than You Work Out

If you overtrain -- meaning you don't allow your body to recuperate adequately between training sessions -- your circulating testosterone levels can plunge by as much as 40 percent, according to a study at the University of North Carolina. The symptoms of overtraining are hard to miss: irritability, insomnia, muscle shrinkage, joining the Reform Party. To avoid overtraining, make sure you sleep a full eight hours at night, and never stress the same muscles with weight-lifting movements two days in a row.

Drive Home Sober

To maintain a healthy testosterone count -- and titanium erections -- cut yourself off after three drinks. "Binge drinking will kill your testosterone levels," warns Incledon. Alcohol affects the endocrine system, causing your testes to stop producing the male hormone. That's one reason drinking often causes you to go limp at the moment of truth.

Have a Sandwich at 3 p.m.

As any sensible woman knows, the way to put hair on a man's chest is to fill his stomach. Your body needs a ready supply of calories to make testosterone, so regularly skipping meals or going for long stretches without eating can cause your levels of the hormone to plummet. Then again, that's probably the warden's plan.

Buy the Fried Tortilla Chips

If you want to raise your testosterone score, eat a diet that includes about 30 percent fat, and not much less. Your body needs dietary fat to produce testosterone, so eating like a vegetarian aerobics instructor will cause your testosterone levels to sink drastically. This is bad, unless you actually are a vegetarian aerobics instructor.

Stop Surfing for Porn at 2 a.m.

Sleeping less than seven to eight hours a night can screw up your circadian rhythm. That's why it's no wonder your testosterone levels are higher in the morning after a good night's sleep. So if your work or social schedule keeps you stooped in perpetual jet lag, don't be surprised if you stop craving sex. At least that'll make it easier to stay out of bed."


Feedback,the breakfast of champions.Looking forward to yours!

Wow.
No porn, no booze. Man. Well no one said this would be easy. JK
Thanks for the info.
Sounds like good research.

JP.

 

[DreamWeaver]

I guess I score about 90% on that test lol

Yah it's all good info...

 

[lutherblsstt]

Wow.
No porn, no booze. Man. Well no one said this would be easy. JK
Thanks for the info.
Sounds like good research.

JP.

But it did say:

"Have Morning Sex

German scientists found that simply having an erection causes your circulating testosterone to rise significantly -- and having one in the morning can goose your natural post-dawn testosterone surge. It's a sure bet you'll burn a little fat, too.
"

 

[power36]

Nice thread

 

[n87]

So, high protein diet can mess you up, huh?

 

[Rustang]

Nice thread

x2 nice post :clap2:

 

[Jessep76]

13 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels



Drive Home Sober

Driving over innocent pedestrians significantly raises estrogen.

 

[lutherblsstt]

Excerpt from another interview just to give you a taste:

"GKJ- Recently, you released some very interesting work on hormone optimization for health and well being. What brought this about? As an athlete and trainer that is getting older, does this type of issue become more and more important to you? In a nutshell, what advice do you give people who approach you with these kinds of questions? How much of this is really a “science” ?
Often we study things that are self serving and then we realize that other people can benefit from the information. This is why it is important to share our stories in life as many can benefit from our personal journeys.

This is the case with my devotion to learning about hormone optimization. I went through some stressful periods during the first few years of my training business. In addition to financial stress, I was dealing with personal stress on many levels, which eventually resulted in a severe case of pneumonia. I almost died from this and by the time I had medical treatment they had to pull 40 liters of fluid out of my lungs. I realized full well where an overload of stress will take you.

Stress literally kills and ironically many people are addicted to stress. Stress causes the hormone cortisol to rise and an increase in cortisol activates the fight-flight mechanism which makes us very alert. Many people are actually addicted to this state and that is why they crave stress. Stress makes them feel important and alive. Some level of stress is no doubt important as we do not grow and feel enthusiastic when everything is easy. However, too much stress kills healthy hormone production and places you in an accelerated aging state. If your cortisol goes up and stays up for too long you will eventually crash hard.

When I was going through high stress I was literally in an andropause state. This is what many men experience when they are in their 50s. However, I was only 29 at the time. My sex drive was non-existent, my sleep was off, my workout recovery was declining, and my overall zeal for life was low. I was getting depressed often even though I was doing the line of work that I always wanted to do.

I just did not want to live life this way and started studying endocrinology. The more I studied the more I realized the strong connection between optimal hormone levels and overall well being. When your hormones are healthy, you are healthy. When your hormones are optimal you have a feeling of being able to take charge of the world. Your sex drive is high, your mood is great, your strength is solid, and you sleep well every night. This is where I am now and have been for several years. My hormones levels are great and I feel strong, energetic, and excited about life.

When people come to me asking me advice on optimizing hormones, I tell them that they need to get detailed blood work to see where they are at. If someone does not have blood work then I am not willing to offer any advice. It is like someone saying they want to add 50lbs to their bench press when they have never bench pressed before. How I am supposed to help them if I do not know where they are?

Regardless, some basic information that helps with hormone optimization is:

1. You must get 8 hours of deep sleep every night. Deep sleep meaning no tossing and turning and sleep where you dream vividly. Without adequate sleep you will not produce growth hormone, testosterone, DHEA, and all of the other important hormones. Sleep lowers cortisol and increases Melatonin. It is the ultimate anti-aging practice.

1. Eat organic at least 90% of the time. 100% is even better. If you eat meat or any animal products (dairy-eggs) you must eat 100% organic. Meat, dairy, and eggs that are not 100% organic are loaded with hormone disrupting chemicals. They are loaded with chemical estrogens with disastrous effects. Look at the way animals are treated on factory farms and do not have the illusion that consuming factory farmed meat is even remotely healthy. Even if you could care less about the animal’s welfare at least show some respect for your own body and health and feed it only the best. Develop a relationship with a local farmer and get all of your meat, eggs, and dairy there. This is much cheaper than getting organic meat and dairy at the supermarket. However, it is worth paying the extra money for your health. What you spend now will save you money later on expensive medical bills. I tell people that if they are not willing to invest in high quality food then I am not willing to help them with hormone optimization as clearly they do not care. Don’t expect me to think about how to help them all day when they are not even willing to do the basics to help themselves.

1. Have a balance of protein, fat, carbs at every meal. Barry Sear’s The Zone (30% fat, 30% protein, 40% carbs) is a good place to start. This keeps Insulin stable and a good amount of healthy fat is required for adequate hormone production.

1. Do high intensity training 3x per week such as sprinting, sledgehammer striking, circuit training. This kind of training ramps up growth hormone and helps keep body fat low. When you are fat you have more estrogen receptors which lowers testosterone.

1. Don’t drink beer. Beer is loaded with hops which is highly estrogenic. At least look for old Scottish Ale which is made with “gruit” instead of hops.

1. Work on stress management. Meditation, chi-kung, tai-chi, yoga are all great ways to handle stress.

1. Take magnesium lotion twice per day. Magnesium is a critical mineral for optimal hormone production. The lotion is a more efficient delivery system than tablets or powder. Rub on 2 teaspoons twice per day. Works very well to increase DHEA. The brand I use is Dr Shealy’s Magnesium lotion:

Also make sure to take 30mg of Zinc Citrate daily. Zinc is critical for testosterone production and also helps block the conversion of testosterone into estrogen

 

[MaDmaN]

Very good read !!!

 

[phL8Tme]

I loved the soy fact! Living in Uptown, home of the vegans I always wondered why so many men were so feminine!? And all the vegans I know complain of sexual problems.

I'll be 41 in 15 days. High cals. (3200-3500 daily) 300 gms protien, lift 3-5 days a week, do concrete work 10-12 hrs a day. I lift some mornings with a Vikings player and he commented this morning how ripped I was getting.

Libido is off the charts for my age, my doc (same one for 14 yrs) just checked my liver enzymes and test and asked if I was 19 years old.

Proof positive that working out, working hard, and a wonderful woman keep a dude young!! That and a lot of dicipline!

 

[Deafness]

awesome read mate much thanks

 

[b9cist]

I love how all these arties recommend having more sex. Too bad women don't need to raise their test levels...

This list has some interesting ones as well:

http://www.criticalbench.com/natural-testosterone-booster.htm

5) Reduce your intake of soy. Soy protein raises the body’s levels of estrogen (the main female hormone) and this has a direct negative effect on testosterone levels.

7) Increase your dietary intake of cruciferous vegetables. Broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, turnips, cabbage and brussel sprouts have all been shown to dramatically reduce estrogen levels, thereby raising testosterone.

8) Lower your daily stress levels. Being overly stressed stimulates the release of “cortisol”, a highly catabolic hormone that will cause your testosterone levels to plummet

9) Increase your sexual activity. Sexual stimulation causes the body to increase the production of oxytocin which increases endorphin production (the "feel-good" chemical), and this also raises testosterone

 

[AnthonyIOSOS]

Good info. I try to do most of this, with the exception of a few.

 

[phL8Tme]

Actually, higher test levels raise a womans libido. Lots of studies on that.



I have two boys and a girl-kids guys, my biological kids. And The ex-wife was SOOOOOOO much hornier when prego with the boys than the girl. Residual test from the mom/baby blood mix and hormone diff?

A hell, just do a google search for studies on women and libido/test.

 

[phL8Tme]

Sorry, that might have been off topic. My bad!

 

[Gulo Luscus]

Is eating meat from the grocery store "that" bad for you??

 

[bigrobbierob]

Is this for real ? I have been wondering how lo-carb high-protein affects the hormonal balance. I'm sure most people here consume lots of protein.

I'm interested in this as well as it states the opposite of the "Anabolic Diet" of Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale.

 

[Sunder]

I can attest that this is true. Since I have cut out the late night porn and stopped the booze, I have become substantially more agitated and angry - both of which are symptoms of higher testosterone

Kidding - great read. I try to remind myself of this everytime I pass broccoli or brussel sprouts in the grocery isle...

 

[MAxximal]

Thanks for the info!

 

[DGA3]

1. Don’t drink beer. Beer is loaded with hops which is highly estrogenic. At least look for old Scottish Ale which is made with “gruit” instead of hops.

Say it isn't so!

I can do everything else, but don't make me give up my beer!

mfg:

 

[blind12]

1. Don’t drink beer. Beer is loaded with hops which is highly estrogenic. At least look for old Scottish Ale which is made with “gruit” instead of hops.

Wow, is this thing really available ? I kinda read about the history of beer and the possibly politically motivated replacement of gruit with hops to make beer drinkers sleepy and passive and thus less of a problem. I figured I'd try to brew the old-style beer myself, had no idea it was still produced nowadays.

 

[nemo]

Good stuff,... reps to you!!

 

[bigrobbierob]

I'd still be interested in any research that shows low carbs are bad for testosterone production.

 

[tuberman]

I'd still be interested in any research that shows low carbs are bad for testosterone production.

BigRob,

If there is any "science" behind such claims, I'd be very suspicious of who funded it and how the tests were set up and conducted. My own experience suggests to me that low-carb has no negative effects on test production. In fact, this whole thread is based on a bunch of (yawn) conventional wisdoms that is loaded with boring partial truths that have no real vision or insight. ZZZZ

 

[bigrobbierob]

If there is any "science" behind such claims, I'd be very suspicious of who funded it and how the tests were set up and conducted. My own experience suggests to me that low-carb has no negative effects on test production. In fact, this whole thread is based on a bunch of (yawn) conventional wisdoms that is loaded with boring partial truths that have no real vision or insight. ZZZZ

That's why I want to see actual research...my personal experience with the anabolic diet seems otherwise (though I have no blood test to prove it). It seems whenever I see a "low carbs are bad" statement it's just that, a statement, and no supporting evidence.

 

[tuberman]

OK, besides the nonsense about only needing 140 gms of protein for a 170 pound guy, and the usual attack on low-carbs as lowering test, here is another issue I have with the half-truths of this lead post...

OK, besides the nonsense about only needing 140 gms of protein for a 170 pound guy, and the usual attack on low-carbs as lowering test, here is another issue I have with the half-truths of this lead post...


13 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels



Buy the Fried Tortilla Chips

If you want to raise your testosterone score, eat a diet that includes about 30 percent fat, and not much less. Your body needs dietary fat to produce testosterone, so eating like a vegetarian aerobics instructor will cause your testosterone levels to sink drastically. This is bad, unless you actually are a vegetarian aerobics instructor.

!

Yes, you do need a decent amount of HEALTHY fats to produce test at a high levels. Yet bad fats are not good for anyone's health in general. But Fried Tortilla Chips.....well, I'd worry about the fats in that and even if the fats are somewhat OK, what about the cooking process? And I do much better personally keeping my carbs away from my high-fat meals. Moreover, the carbs in these chips are fast carbs. I and many, many others can't handle a lot of fast carbs (almost like eating sugar) without a good dose of a strong nutrient partitioner, and not very often at that.

Fast carbs with high fat is trouble for anyone without great blood glucose health.

 

[MrMostly]

The low protein raises test level study was a 12 man study. Since this really would be a big deal if supported, I tried to find the original. Thomas Incledon of Human Performance Specialists in Plantation, Fl did the study. He also wrote several pieces for T-nation back about 10 years ago. There is a interview at Dailymotion "Dr.Tom Incledon Genius Network Interview". (sorry can't post links but should be easy enough to find). Academic background includes an AS in Management, BS in Exercise Science, BS in Nutrition and MS in Kinesiology. Website at humanhealthspecialists.
I'll need to hear it from elsewhere before changing my protein intake.
I generally follow a low carb diet.

 

[bigrobbierob]

There is a interview at Dailymotion "Dr.Tom Incledon Genius Network Interview". (sorry can't post links but should be easy enough to find). Academic background includes an AS in Management, BS in Exercise Science, BS in Nutrition and MS in Kinesiology. Website at humanhealthspecialists.

BAM!


I'll give a listen myself tomorrow.

Here's a list of his T-Mag articles...



Here's the study you mentioned, but I don't speak science geek so someone needs to translate to normal English.

"Volek, Jeff S., William J. Kraemer, Jill A. Bush, Thomas Incledon, and Mark Boetes. Testosterone and cortisol in relationship to dietary nutrients and resistance exercise. J. Appl. Physiol. 82(1): 49-54, 1997.Manipulation of resistance exercise variables (i.e., intensity, volume, and rest periods) affects the endocrine response to exercise; however, the influence of dietary nutrients on basal and exercise-induced concentrations of hormones is less understood. The present study examined the relationship between dietary nutrients and resting and exercise-induced blood concentrations of testosterone (T) and cortisol (C). Twelve men performed a bench press exercise protocol (5 sets to failure using a 10-repetitions maximum load) and a jump squat protocol (5 sets of 10 repetitions using 30% of each subject's 1-repetition maximum squat) with 2 min of rest between all sets. A blood sample was obtained at preexercise and 5 min postexercise for determination of serum T and C. Subjects also completed detailed dietary food records for a total of 17 days. There was a significant (P 0.05) increase in postexercise T compared with preexercise values for both the bench press (7.4%) and jump squat (15.1%) protocols; however, C was not significantly different from preexercise concentrations. Significant correlations were observed between preexercise T and percent energy protein (r = 0.71), percent energy fat (r = 0.72), saturated fatty acids (g · 1,000 kcal1 · day1; r = 0.77), monounsaturated fatty acids (g · 1,000 kcal1 · day1; r = 0.79), the polyunsaturated fat-to-saturated fat ratio (r = 0.63), and the protein-to-carbohydrate ratio (r = 0.59). There were no significant correlations observed between any nutritional variables and preexercise C or the absolute increase in T and C after exercise. These data confirm that high-intensity resistance exercise results in elevated postexercise T concentrations. A more impressive finding was that dietary nutrients may be capable of modulating resting concentrations of T. "

 

[blind12]

Here's the study you mentioned, but I don't speak science geek so someone needs to translate to normal English.

"Significant correlations were observed between preexercise T and percent energy protein (r = 0.71), percent energy fat (r = 0.72), saturated fatty acids (g · 1,000 kcal1 · day1; r = 0.77), monounsaturated fatty acids (g · 1,000 kcal1 · day1; r = 0.79), the polyunsaturated fat-to-saturated fat ratio (r = 0.63), and the protein-to-carbohydrate ratio (r = 0.59)."

This says that high protein, fat, saturated fat, MUFA and PUFA (), and low carb raise T.

 

[Kina Mutai]

Sexual Transmutation

One technique I like is: watch porn and get really close to the 'edge'. Then, go workout. If you have a very co-operative wife/gf (like lucky me), you then get to do 'the deed' only if you set a PR in one of your lifts. This has to be specifically planned. It should not be used all the time since setting PRs is not constant. You might go 6 months w/o getting any. ;o

Make it a reward, and remember to shower first.

If this doesn't raise T, nothing will.

 

[lutherblsstt]

OK, besides the nonsense about only needing 140 gms of protein for a 170 pound guy, and the usual attack on low-carbs as lowering test, here is another issue I have with the half-truths of this lead post...




Yes, you do need a decent amount of HEALTHY fats to produce test at a high levels. Yet bad fats are not good for anyone's health in general. But Fried Tortilla Chips.....well, I'd worry about the fats in that and even if the fats are somewhat OK, what about the cooking process? And I do much better personally keeping my carbs away from my high-fat meals. Moreover, the carbs in these chips are fast carbs. I and many, many others can't handle a lot of fast carbs (almost like eating sugar) without a good dose of a strong nutrient partitioner, and not very often at that.

Fast carbs with high fat is trouble for anyone without great blood glucose health.

Mike Mahler had an excellent article on this:


Personally, I feel my best on a moderate protein, fairly high fat, and moderate carbohydrate diet.

Without enough fat in your diet, your skin will dry up, your energy will plummet, and you will look like death,fat is a critical component in overall hormone production and the body requires fats to produce the sex hormones, such as DHEA and testosterone.

Long term low-fat dieting, not surprisingly, results in low levels of critical sex hormones. . Getting 20-40% or more of your calories from fat is a good way to go. I suggest one load up on healthy fats such as: Hempseed olive oil, almonds, walnuts, marine algae DHA, pecans, almond butter, and avocadoes.

Another critical component in natural hormone optimization is maintaining insulin levels within ideal ranges.

When you eat a significant amount of carbohydrate (such as a bowl of pasta) your blood glucose levels go through the roof, requiring a compensatory surge of insulin to bring that glucose back down within normal range.

Time after time, meal after meal, the consequence is poor body composition, e.g., excess body fat stores, poor mood and poorer health. Excess insulin production resulting from dietary carbohydrate increases body fat, which in turn compromises sex hormone manufacture and metabolism.

The fatter you are, the more estrogen receptors you'll have, which reduces the cellular access to testosterone. This is why you can't utilize extra testosterone, no matter how much you are making (or supplementing) if insulin is not properly managed.

In short, insulin must be balanced with glucagon. Insulin drives nutrients into cells for storage, while glucagon mobilizes cellular energy stores to circulate in the blood stream on demand. High insulin levels block the release of glucagon, which, among other chores, is critical for brain function.

Excess insulin in the body indicates excess calories, in particular, carbohydrate. Worse, the more carbohydrate you eat, the more free radicals are produced in the digestive process, compromising the immune system. Overly high insulin levels also call on cortisol as a backup, which leads to excess cortisol production.

Remember, excess cortisol destroys the desirable hormones: testosterone, DHEA, and human growth hormone. Adding cortisol into this game increases insulin resistance by indirectly increasing insulin production. This is because the pancreas pumps out more insulin to lower the cortisol. As if that weren't bad enough, prolonged excess cortisol eventually destroys the cortisol sensitive cells in the brain. This is why more and more research is linking Alzheimer’s disease to lifelong excess cortisol.

Because of continual elevated cortisol production, the condition of insulin resistance results in decreased levels of other, beneficial, hormones. The master hormone, pregnenelone, opts between making DHEA, progesterone, or cortisol but when glucagon levels are inadequate the body must opt for survival rather than thriving. Consequently, pregnenelone does not go to DHEA and progesterone production, thus DHEA doesn't convert to androstendione and our theoretical (at this point) androstendione never converts to testosterone. This cascade of failure illustrates why trying to increase any single hormone before managing the play of insulin and glucagon is ineffective and a waste of your supplement budget.

But what happens when you clean up and lock in your diet, master stress levels and train hard with adequate recovery time? Well, in my case, when given the opportunity to optimize themselves, my hormones adjusted themselves into not only adequate, but ideal ranges.

In fact, my last saliva test showed my androstendione, progesterone, DHEA, DHT and testosterone all in upper high/normal ranges. I'm thirty-five with the hormone profile of a healthy eighteen year old male and I've achieved this through diet modification, hard training and a few key supplements, primarily Magnesium Oil and zinc citrate. Additionally, I have a solid restoration program, assuring I thoroughly recover from training and any accumulated lifestyle stressors, keeping cortisol levels within appropriate range.

The subject of hormone optimization is complex, but its core is the proper balance of insulin and cortisol. When insulin and cortisol are managed, the secondary sex hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, will sort themselves out. This is a top-down approach to optimizing hormones. Provide foundational nutrition with diet and supplementation, create the crucial physical demands with a meaningful fitness program and manage your sensory inputs by filtering out the garbage information all around you."

 

[BigBlackGuy]

I'd still be interested in any research that shows low carbs are bad for testosterone production.

What about the cortisol blunting effects of carbohydrates? Cortisol and testosterone are made from the same materials in the body, so one could assume taking in carbs would allow for more materials to make testosterone.

I'm just throwing this out there, don't lynch me yet!

 

[AllPros]

Great post. More sleep, morning sex, and more rest between workouts....I don't hate any of that.

Thank you.

 

[lutherblsstt]

Wow, is this thing really available ? I kinda read about the history of beer and the possibly politically motivated replacement of gruit with hops to make beer drinkers sleepy and passive and thus less of a problem. I figured I'd try to brew the old-style beer myself, had no idea it was still produced nowadays.

I was reading a book called THE NATURAL TESTOSTERONE PLAN by Stephen Buhner and he says the best source is Bruce Wiliams,a Scottish brewer who is bringing back the traditional ales of europe and especially Scotland.He has 5 in production and they can often be found in larger American cities at any store that carries a wide selection of unusual beers.

go here: http://www.ezo-beer.com/eng/scotland.htm

 

[enhanced]

Great info! I just finished reading this going into hour #14 of a 16 hour shift. I'll be home by 10, & hopefully in bed by 10:30, only to get up 5 hours later to pull yet another 16 hour shift! I think I know where my biggest problem is! I think I might get 8 hours of sleep maybe 2-3x a week! We have a 2 month old and a 2.5 year old. Yeah, cort levels are probably fairly high. I've recently (reluctantly) cut beer out of my diet to try & see if I can trim down the mid-section a little more. This is my first week back in the gym since we had our girl. I can do any workout that doesn't involve rotator cuff movement (think I have a tear, I'll know this Tuesday). Since I've stopped working out, I've lost about 15lbs!! I'm down to a 31 in jeans but look like a friggin AIDS patient next to my twin brother...

OK, this ones all over the place. I'll end it now & try to figure out how to get more sleep & possibly look into a cort blocker.

 

[purebred]

What I'd like to know is to what extent soy raises estrogen levels. When it comes to protein, variety is always a good thing. Soy should not be shunned, but like anything else, should not be consumed in excess. From what I understand, soy delivers a wide host of benefits. Plenty of successful folks in the lifting scene consume soy and clearly, they have nothing but great results to show for. I'm sure many more can be mentioned but the first one that comes to mind is John Pinder. The dairy industry has created an influx of propaganda against soy to boost their profits and deprive people of soy's benefits. Just as much negativity can be produced in response to the dairy industry's attacks on soy. Just take a look @ notmilk.org. There's always many sides to every story but there's only one truth. Although, truh tends to be subjective to the individual it doesn't change the bottom-line: hidden agendas are always going to be an issue in the food and supplement industry.

 

[Jag]

I have saved this thread a few years ago and have just re-read it AGAIN. After being bombarded with crap from so many different sources it's nice to put things back into perspective with an easy, common-sense approach to keep test levels adequate and get back on track. Oh, and Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads!!!

 

[Kristofer68SS]

I have saved this thread a few years ago and have just re-read it AGAIN. After being bombarded with crap from so many different sources it's nice to put things back into perspective with an easy, common-sense approach to keep test levels adequate and get back on track. Oh, and Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads!!!

i second that!

 

[Jessep76]

13 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Testosterone Levels


The symptoms of overtraining are hard to miss: irritability, insomnia, muscle shrinkage, joining the Reform Party.

This part always killed me

 

[Jag]

This part always killed me

And me. My addiction to training has led me into an overtrained state on many occassions and no matter how many times it happens i still remain blind to it until i read or hear the blatant obvious.

 

[Jessep76]

And me. My addiction to training has led me into an overtrained state on many occassions and no matter how many times it happens i still remain blind to it until i read or hear the blatant obvious.

Gotta look at the bright side... at least we're not cough potatoes??

 

[ohiostate2827]

i train everyday 3x a week with weights and cardio everyday..i only eat twice per day and sleep 6hrs a night..after reading this no wonder my t-levels are low..but im ripped as hell...i guess i need to eat more fat,train less, and sleep more...