Testosterone is one of the most important male hormones, as it exerts an effect on everything from sex drive to muscularity and athletic performance. For these reasons and more, testosterone is a popular substance for illegal consumption by athletes, bodybuilders and others. However, there are effective legal ways to raise your testosterone levels.
Step 1
Consult your doctor regarding testosterone replacement therapy. If you're reaching middle age or you're younger but feel that you have especially low testosterone levels for your age group, arrange with your doctor to have your plasma testosterone levels checked. If they're below a certain point, you'll be diagnosed with hypogonadism and qualify for testosterone replacement treatment. This consists of periodic administrations of exogenous testosterone by injection, transdermal gel or other means. Testosterone replacement therapy consistently leads to higher testosterone levels in hypogonadal males.
Step 2
Lift weights three times per week. In both young and old men, consistent programs of resistance training lead to elevated testosterone levels over time. If you're unfamiliar with weight training, follow this simple routine--at each session, perform the squat, deadlift, bench press, military press and bent-over row. For each exercise, perform five sets of five repetitions, using the heaviest weight that you can manage without sacrificing proper form. Rest for approximately two minutes between sets.
Step 3
Increase your complex carbohydrate intake. While excessive quantities of simple carbohydrates are unhealthy, a 2002 study published in the journal "Life Sciences" found that high carbohydrate diets led to higher plasma testosterone levels than high protein diets containing the same number of total calories. As such, build your diet around healthy complex carbohydrates such as whole grain bread, baked potatoes and brown rice.
Step 4
Increase the amount of sleep that you get on a daily basis. Testosterone levels are highest when you wake up in the morning, because sleep is the period during which these levels are regenerated. The more sleep you get, the greater the regeneration of testosterone that will occur, shaping your average daily levels over the long term.
Step 5
Avoid alcohol and other recreational drugs. While the occasional drink is no big deal, these substances can have an acute negative impact on the production of luteinizing hormone and thus on plasma testosterone levels. As such, if you're a regular drinker, your testosterone levels will remain is a consistent state of recovery.
References
- "Journal of the American Geriatric Society"; Effects of testosterone replacement therapy in old hypogonadal males: a preliminary study; J. E. Morley et al.; 1993
- "Mechanisms of Aging and Development"; Effects of progressive resistance training on growth hormone and testosterone levels in young and elderly subjects; B. W. Craig et al.; 2003
- "Life Sciences"; Diet-hormone interactions: Protein/carbohydrate ratio alters reciprocally the plasma levels of testosterone and cortisol and their respective binding globulins in man; Karl Anderson et al.; 2002
- "American Journal of Epidemiology"; The Epidemiology of Plasma Testosterone Levels in Middle-Aged Men; Wanju Dai et al.; 1981
- Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research: Effects of Alcohol on Plasma Testosterone and Luteinizing Hormone Levels
