13 Ways To Increase Testosterone Naturally

How to Naturally Increase Testosterone, According to Science

If that’s your philosophy towards exercise, you might be sabotaging your testosterone levels (as well as your 20 Mile March). Studies have shown that overtraining can reduce testosterone levels significantly. Yes, it’s important to exercise hard, but it’s even more important to give your body rest so it can recuperate from the damage you inflicted upon it. The unsexy truth is that increasing T naturally simply comes down to making some long-term changes in your diet and lifestyle. As you’ll see, what I did to increase T largely boils down to eating better, exercising smarter, and getting more sleep.

Your weight plays a critical role in maintaining healthy testosterone levels. Excess body fat, especially around the abdomen, is linked to lower testosterone and can disrupt your hormone balance. This imbalance can lead to symptoms like reduced energy, muscle loss, and increased fatigue. Since your hormones control almost every area of your health, it can be extremely frustrating when something goes wrong. For many of my patients in my telehealth functional medicine clinic, low testosterone is something that can significantly impact their lives to the point where daily activities are no longer enjoyable. From low libido to weight gain, low testosterone can put a damper on your self-confidence, mood, and general wellbeing.

If you have low testosterone you may be wondering how to boost testosterone naturally. While there are medicines designed to increase testosterone levels, you may first consider making some lifestyle changes that can naturally increase testosterone. First, it’s important to note that these tactics and practices to boost testosterone naturally probably won’t work with men who have underlying health issues like define hypogonadism. If the glands and cells responsible for producing testosterone are damaged or defective, no amount of eggs or sleep will help you raise testosterone levels. You’ll likely need to use testosterone replacement therapy to get your T levels to a healthy place. You can naturally boost testosterone levels by eating a healthy diet and adding some foods known to help. Below are a few foods that increase testosterone, from fatty fish and fish oil to certain herbs like fenugreek seed and Asian red ginseng.

Plus, you’ll want to limit intake of “bad fat” foods like fried anything, fatty cuts of beef, and high-fat dairy products (e.g., cream cheese, sour cream, ice cream, butter), he recommends. Okay, guys, it’s time to master the skill of gauging an avocado’s ripeness. Healthy fats are as essential for testosterone production as a squeeze of lime is to good guacamole. HRT is generally recommended for people with clinical signs of hypogonadism—like infertility, osteoporosis, erectile dysfunction in males, or irregular periods in females—along with consistently low hormone levels. One of the main causes is being overweight (defined as a body mass index, or BMI, of over 25). As adipose tissues (also known as body fat) increase, aromatase levels can also rise, sometimes precipitously. If you’re getting your testosterone levels checked, you may be wondering if they can ever be too high.

Additionally, bending and roll-ups promote flexibility and spinal mobility26. This structured combination ensures a well-rounded approach to fitness while minimizing resource requirements and supporting broader applicability across diverse populations. While many scientific studies and huge amounts of data show the safety of supplemental testosterone in postmenopausal women, only about 50% of women who take it experience a significant increase in sex drive.

Flow diagram of study participants according to CONSORT guidelines29. If a participant was unable to complete crunches for the full 5 min, they were encouraged to take short breaks when experiencing fatigue or discomfort. These rest periods were limited to 10–15 s, enabling them to resume the exercise without losing momentum. A 2020 meta-analysis found that TRT significantly improved depressive symptoms in men with low testosterone. Once dismissed as a rare condition affecting older men, low T (testosterone deficiency) is now understood as a far more widespread issue. Thanks to a mix of modern stress, environmental exposures, and plain old aging, more men are hitting their 40s and 50s feeling like shadows of themselves — and many don’t even know why.

Certain medications can lower testosterone levels, including some pain medications, glucocorticoids (steroids), and opioids. Consider finding hobbies or relaxation techniques that you enjoy. Taking breaks during your day can also help manage stress levels effectively. Participating in sports can be a fun way to increase testosterone.

According to the American Urological Association (AUA), a level of at least 300 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) is normal for a man. Remember to avoid alcohol in the run-up to bedtime to stop it from waking you up during the night. RISE uses historical phone use data and proprietary sleep-science-based models to work out your sleep need — the genetically determined amount of sleep you need each night. Plus, if you have low T (or hypogonadism) and are concerned about your fertility levels, zinc is proven to help raise sperm motility (26). Too many brewskis also disrupts your sleep and can lead to snacking and weight gain. The decline can also increase your risk of long-term health conditions like diabetes, heart disease (2), and even an early death (3). With the exception of ZMA, I didn’t take any other purported testosterone boosters.

Studies have shown that for every one-point drop in your BMI, your testosterone levels can rise by as much as one point. Testosterone affects men’s health in many ways, both mentally and physically. In adolescent males, testosterone stimulates pubertal development, including muscle growth and facial hair growth, says Dr. Eisenberg.

We also go beyond the research, interviewing top experts in their fields to bring you the most informed insights. Every article is rigorously reviewed by medical experts to ensure accuracy. More importantly, onion and garlic activate luteinizing hormone, which helps spur the production of testosterone. A study in the journal Clinical Endocrinology found that some obese men between the ages of 14 and 20 have up to 50 percent less testosterone than those who are not overweight (12). Eating enough protein can also help you drop extra pounds, which is important since obesity holds the title as the most effective predictor of low testosterone in men (6). You might feel tired and lethargic, your sex drive may peter out, you may struggle to focus at work or home, or you could find it impossible to make gains at the gym, even with an all-out effort (1). For example, I reduced my exposure to blue light in the evening, reduced my consumption of caffeine in the evenings, and took warm showers before bed.