Testosterone and How This Amazing Hormone Can Make or Break You
Testosterone is the thing that keeps men looking and feeling young. It keeps the muscles strong and the muscle mass high as men age, and it also contributes to positive mental health, fat burning, and overall well-being. However, most American men are seeing their testosterone levels decreasing with age even faster than they are supposed to. The scientists haven’t found out why there is such a rapid decrease in it.
Many guys don’t even recognize that they are suffering from low testosterone. They simply chalk it up to old age. The symptoms of low testosterone levels can include ED, lowered sex drive, and reduced bone density. It can also cause hair loss, reduction in semen, and difficulty sleeping. Though many men turn to testosterone therapy in the form of testosterone injections, gels, creams, and patches, there are a number of ways to treat Low-T or low testosterone.
Lift Weights and Exercise
Exercising and lifting weights is a natural therapy for Low-T, without having to have replacement therapy. It improves your lifestyle, and it also prevents disease.
Many studies have demonstrated that men who exercise regularly have higher levels throughout their life. Even in older guys, exercise improves their levels, their fitness, and their overall health.
Obese men who don’t have high physical activity levels see an even greater benefit. They lose weight and fat, which can cause Low-T, while also improving the production of it. Resistance training, lifting weights, and HIIT training is the most effective at raising testosterone levels, though exercise, in general, will work to some extent.
Eat Enough Carbs, Fat, and Protein
Most men know that they should be eating more protein to build their muscles, but it can also treat Low-T. However, you should pay attention to how many calories you are eating to prevent too much weight gain. It is important to gain weight through muscle, not fat. Overeating and dieting can also wreck your balance.
Eating enough protein helps maintain healthy levels of it while also encouraging fat loss. However, most guys don’t recognize the importance of eating carbs. Carbs help optimize levels when you are doing weight training. Eating healthy fats is also important in keeping them balanced because it is a major source of energy, vitamins, and minerals. The fat is used to ensure you have smooth muscle movement while also improving your immune system and regulating testosterone.
Reduce Your Stress and Cortisol Levels
Cortisol is the fight or flight hormone that can increase your energy, reduce inflammation, and manage how your body is using nutrients. However, when you have stress over a long period of time, and your body is exposed to higher cortisol levels a lot, it can lead to some serious consequences. Not only will it cause you to have Low-T, but it will also cause heart disease, memory issues, trouble sleeping, anxiety, weight gain, and even depression.
Long-term stress is more dangerous than most people realize. Having elevations in cortisol can wreak havoc on your testosterone because when one increases, the other decreases. It might also lead you to eat more, causing you to gain weight and store the extra weight as fat around the belly, which can also affect your optimal health.
To reduce stress, keep a balanced lifestyle with good sleeping cycles, whole foods, regular exercise, and even a lot of laughter.
Take Vitamin D to the Next Level
Many Americans are deficient in Vitamin D. They think that if they go outside in the sun at all, they are producing enough vitamin D. Vitamin D is naturally produced when the skin is exposed to the sun, however there are a number of things that can affect your skin’s ability to absorb it properly to synthesize the vitamin. Most people in the northern hemisphere cannot produce enough vitamin D from simple sun exposure.
However, people who supplement with an over the counter vitamin D can recover from deficiency. Vitamin D and calcium can have a severe effect on testosterone levels. Men should consume 3,000I IU of vitamin D each day. Doing so could improve their levels by nearly 25%.
Regular exposure to the sunlight is beneficial, but most people need to take an over the counter supplement as well. It is an easy way to start the TRT process or testosterone replacement therapy.
Get High Quality Sleep
Much of the body is regulated through the sleep cycle, meaning that sleeping well is vital for your health. It is just as crucial for your health as diet and exercise, but it is generally the first thing people are willing to give up. Many people only sleep 5 hours each night which can reduce testosterone levels by 15%. Before starting TRT, make sure you are getting adequate sleep.
One study even demonstrated that people who sleep four hours a night or less have deficient levels of testosterone.
Start TRT with Natural Supplements
There are only a few supplements that have been supported by scientific data to improve Low-T. One is an herb called Ashwagandha, which helps infertile men see an increase of 17% and a 167% increase in sperm count. Health men can also see a reduction in cortisol.
Ginger has also been known to improve levels, and it has several other health benefits. Ginger can boost levels by 17% in infertile guys.
Conclusion
If you are experiencing low-t levels even after trying natural treatment and over the counter supplements, you might need TRT. TRT should be supervised by a physician, and many products are only available through prescription. TRT starts with a visit to a certified physician who will prescribe you a therapy based on your needs. Typically they come in gels, injections, buccal patches, or subcutaneous pellets. The gels are rubbed into the skin quickly, but it is essential to prevent contact with the treated area for several hours. Otherwise, they could also get more testosterone into their system. The injections are given two or ten weeks apart and are an inexpensive treatment. Buccal patches are placed on the upper gums twice daily, though they might irritate the gum. Subcutaneous pellets are inserted under the skin every three or six months.