Testosterone is a very important hormone – especially for men – and it plays a significant role in human health. It increases the ability to build muscles, improves sexual performance and libido, and most importantly, testosterone is crucial for sperm production. Did you know that you can increase testosterone yourself, naturally?
Lifestyle choices can affect testosterone levels, which means you may be able to increase your testosterone by adopting healthier habits.
Follow these five scientifically backed steps to increase testosterone production naturally:
Lack of sleep is responsible for numerous health issues. It can disturb the production of important hormones and affect testosterone production in the long run. In a recent study where participants went through different sleeping regimes, those that restricted their sleep to 5 hours per night had a significant drop in their testosterone levels [1].
We recommend that you have 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night.
Maintaining a healthy body weight is crucial to overall well-being. This is because fat affects many hormones, and a high body fat level strongly correlates with decreased testosterone. Several weight loss studies find a direct association between the amount of weight loss and increased testosterone among the participants [2][3]. A possible explanation for these findings is that fat tissue produces a specific hormone called aromatase. This increases the conversion of testosterone into estrogen, leading to lower testosterone levels.
We recommend that you stay at normal BMI (for males is 18.5 – 24.9) by following a healthy diet and physical activity level (see step 4 and 5).
Stressful situations, whether physical, mental, or emotional, have a direct impact on the hormone called cortisol. This hormone is responsible for managing many different functions in the body, such as blood sugar levels and metabolism. However, increased cortisol levels for a prolonged period can negatively affect testosterone. In a recent study where researchers examined students during exam periods, they found that such events contribute to decreased testosterone levels in males, highlighting the importance of managing your stress [4].
Try to avoid stressful situations and manage your daily stress level so it does not affect you in any way.
Physical activity, especially resistance training, can benefit testosterone production in the long run by improving body composition and reducing insulin resistance. However, be careful because too much exercise (overtraining) with inadequate rest periods can actually lower testosterone levels. Recent studies on inactive men show that physical activity can increase both testosterone levels and semen quality [5][6][7]. More specifically, 1 hour of combined resistance training and high intensity interval training 3 times per week was shown to be effective [8][9].
Make sure to incorporate at least 4 hours of physical activity every week where you combine both resistance and cardio training.
Most aspects of your diet influence your testosterone levels. This includes your macronutrient ratio (carbs, protein, and fat), micronutrient content (vitamins and minerals), and your total daily energy intake (calories). Although losing weight is a very efficient way to raise your testosterone levels if you’re overweight, being in a prolonged energy deficit can also cause low testosterone levels. In a study with 24 males it was observed that those being malnourished and having a long-term calorie restriction had lower testosterone levels [10]. Deficiency in specific micronutrients like zinc has also been shown to decrease testosterone.
It is possible to improve your sperm quality and testosterone level with nutrition. We recommend you to adopt some of the eating habits described in the ExSeed Cookbook and ExSeed Fertility Guide.
Binge drinking has its downsides and is pretty damaging for the endocrine system. It’s been shown that heavy alcohol consumption reduces testosterone levels and elevates the levels of estrogen and cortisol [11] [12] [13].
A few drinks are not going to cause any harm. However, if this is happening several times during the week, you might need to reconsider your habits. What is a healthy alcohol consumption? For men, it is a maximum of 14 units weekly and not more than 5 units at a time.
If you’re interested in increasing your testosterone, keep an eye out for our new supplements products and don’t hesitate to contact us for further advice.
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CONCLUSION: learn more about how heat can affect sperm quality here.
Besides higher mortality rate and various diseases, stress is associated with low sperm quality. Stress is known to be associated with lower testosterone levels and oxidative stress with both playing an essential role in producing and maintaining healthy sperm cells.
CONCLUSION: If you feel stressed, we recommend you get some help so you can have a balanced mental health. For a stress management guide, download the ExSeed app for free and start your personalized action plan today.
Scientific studies show that men who are physically active have better semen parameters than men who are inactive. Fertility specialists also state that regular physical activity has beneficial impact on sperm fertility parameters and such a lifestyle can enhance the fertility status of men.
Prioritizing exercise can help improve your overall health and result in healthy, fast swimming sperm cells that have good chances of fertilizing an egg.
CONCLUSION: Try incorporating exercise in your weekly schedule to you ensure exercising at least twice weekly. We recommend a combination of cardio training and strength exercise. Read more about exercise and male fertility on our blog.
Fast Food
Processed foods damage the health of sperm-producing cells and cause oxidative stress, which lead to poorer sperm quality. Heavy consumption of junk food (every week) can increase the likelihood of infertility since men who consume vast amounts of unhealthy food are at risk of having poor sperm quality. Besides harming your fertility, junk food enlarges your waistline, harms your cardiovascular system, kidneys, and more.
Vegetables
Eating more fruit and vegetables can increase your sperm concentration and motility. It’s important that you consume a healthy diet filled with antioxidants and that you eat vegetables every day. Foods such as apricots and red bell peppers are high in vitamin A, which improves male fertility by nurturing healthier sperm. Men who are deficient in this vitamin tend to have slow and sluggish sperm.
The exposure to tobacco smoke has significant negative effects on semen quality. The damage of cigarettes and nicotine of course depends on how many cigarettes you smoke per day and for how long, but even low usage (up to 10 cigarettes / day) can inhibit healthy sperm production.
When you have your cell phone in your front pocket, your testicles are exposed to electromagnetic radiation, which studies have shown to damage the sperm cells. Put your phone in the back pocket of your pants or in your jacket pocket.
There is a clear association between obesity and reduced sperm quality. At least part of the reason for this is that obese men may have abnormal reproductive hormonal profiles, which can impair sperm production and lead to infertility.
A BMI higher than 30 can lead to several processes in the body (overheating, increase in oxidative stress in the testes, sperm DNA damage, erectile dysfunction) that can have a negative impact on male fertility. This can result in problems when trying to conceive.
CONCLUSION: BMI is one of the risk factors that influence semen quality and, for example, sperm motility.
A beer or glass of wine now and then do not really harm sperm quality. But excess alcohol drinking (more than 20 units per week) can reduce the production of normally formed sperm needed for a successful pregnancy.
Studies show that women younger than 35 and men younger than 40 have a better chance of getting pregnant. Men can produce sperm cells almost through their entire life, but the sperm cell DNA is more fragile and prone to damage after the age of 40.
As men age, their testes tend to get smaller and softer resulting in a decline in sperm quality and production. These changes are partly because of an age-related decrease in testosterone level, which plays a very important role in sperm
production. Higher male age (>40 years) is not only associated with a decline in sperm production but also with increased sperm DNA fragmentation and worsened morphology (shape) and motility (movement). These negative effects make the sperm cells less qualified for egg fertilization.
CONCLUSION: with an age under 40, you shouldn’t have to worry much about age as a factor in itself. However, studies have shown a slow decline after the age of 30-35 years
and if you are above 40 years of age, your sperm quality can be affected due to increased sperm DNA damage resulting in a decrease of sperm motility and concentration. Remember that you cannot evaluate the quality of a sperm sample by just looking at it – this requires a sperm analysis.
