Testosterone is a hormone present in both males and females, but males have larger quantities. Men's testosterone levels peak around age 30 and then start to slowly decline at a rate of about one percent a year. Around age 40, men might start to notice some changes due to the hormone loss--decreased sex drive, erectile problems, infertility, muscle and strength loss, changes in sleep patterns and emotional changes like depression. In severe cases of testosterone depletion, your doctor may prescribe hormone therapy, but for the average man a few lifestyle changes can give a noticeable boost to the male hormone.
Step 1
Get eight hours of sleep per night. It is primarily during the REM phases of sleep that your body produces testosterone, and a lack of sleep will reduce testosterone levels.
Step 2
Cut out all soy products from your diet. Soy increases levels of estrogen in the body, a female hormone, and decreases testosterone levels.
Step 3
Make sure 30 percent of your daily calories come from good fats like olive oil, fish, avocados, nuts and seeds, which contain monounsaturated fats that have positive effects on testosterone levels.
Step 4
Reduce your stress level by practicing yoga and meditation, solving personal, professional or financial problems, or simply by doing something that you enjoy every day. Stress raises cortisol levels which leads to lower levels of testosterone.
Step 5
Exercise with more intensity. Incorporate compound exercises that use more than one muscle group at a time--squats, push-ups, pull-ups, rows--into your workout, which studies show increase testosterone levels more than exercises that only use one muscle group.
Step 6
Quit smoking. Nicotine reduces testosterone production.
Step 7
Take a zinc supplement. Zinc deficiency can lead to lowered testosterone levels in men. Check with your doctor to see if your zinc levels are low and then only take as much zinc as you need to bring your testosterone to normal levels. Taking too much zinc can have unwanted side effects.
