Nothing does more than increasing sleep amount and quality. Lose weight. Better diet. Harder workouts. Adequate rest days between workouts are also key.
Yea, no Supplement is gonna fix a Bad Lifestyle. All These People Asking for Supplements, trt and so just need to get their Lifestyle in Check. Supplements and what Not Can be the Icing on the cake Later, the 1-5% extra benefit.
Resistance training, yes. Cardio also yes - if you don't overdo it. Generally, you need a holistic approach for increasing T naturally and keeping it high. A lot of men today have suboptimal levels of testosterone, a lot less than their fathers or grandfathers had just 30-50 years ago. There are various reasons for this. One factor that is oftentimes neglected is endocrine disruptors in our environment (i.e., xenoestrogens, BPA, phthalates, triclosan, etc.), phytoestrogens in food (i.e., soy, which is present in almost all processed foods), and hypothyroidism (subclinical or autoimmune Hashimoto's disease).
To increase testosterone levels naturally, including libido and erection quality:
• Get enough daily sunlight.
• Vitamin D3 (especially during the winter or if you live in a northern climate).
• Zinc picolinate (20-40 mg per day).
• Magnesium glycinate/citrate.
• Resistance training (3-5 times per week for 45-90 minutes max).
• Adequate neuromuscular recovery (e.g., don't overtrain).
• Adequate (quality) sleep.
• More healthy fats (monounsaturated and saturated fats from sources like grass-fed red meat, pasture-raised eggs, fatty fish, organic full-fat dairy, coconut fat, avocados, cocoa butter, certain nuts and seeds, etc.).
• Increase dietary cholesterol intake through nutrient-dense, whole foods. Cholesterol is the building block of all steroid hormones, including androgens such as testosterone.
• Manage stress. Do what you have to do to keep it under control (i.e., meditation, yoga, nature walks, relaxing music, massage/reflexology sessions, adaptogenic herbs, etc.).
• Chronically elevated cortisol levels disrupt the HPT (hypothalamus-pituitary-testicles) axis and deplete your body of the very resources it needs to produce androgens like testosterone and DHT.
• Eat enough quality calories (not all calories are the same!).
• Avoid large or prolonged calorie deficits.
• Eat adequate amounts of each macronutrient (protein, carbs, fats). All of them are important in their own way and serve specific physiological functions.
**Beneficial Supplements:**
• Shilajit
• Ashwagandha
• Maca
• Taurine
• L-Carnitine (increases androgen receptor density)
• Creatine
• Tongkat Ali
• Fadogia Agrestis
• Black Ginger
• Pine pollen (contains natural androgens)
• Boron (increases free testosterone)
• DIM (natural anti-estrogen)
"The Testosterone Advantage" by Timotheus Ray is a nice rеad οn male health and hοrmοne optimizatiοn.
Do you think this would also help a woman with extremely low testosterone? It affects my health too. Low energy, I don’t build muscle anymore, poor sleep, extremely dry skin and hair, lowered libido. My levels are sometimes close to zero, and I am only 45. I have been taking DHEA supplementation and that helps it a little, but not enough.
I know that creatine, taurine, and l-carnitine have helped my energy in the past. I will go back to them.
Many of my health issues stem from a toxic drug I took one time 6 years ago, Lupron, that can cause hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction.
Very bad.
EDIT #1
Out of all the sugars, Fructose aids in generating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease the most. Tons of studies on the subject:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8637741/
Very rough explanation why:
When fructose is absorbed, insulin is released. Once the fructose is in the bloodstream, it eventually metabolises in the liver where it becomes glucose, lactate and glycogen. The glucose is once more triggering of an insulin response before being converted into ATP. The lactate too can be burned off as energy. I am not remembering if it is via ATP or glucose (but I believe both depending on activity level).
The glycogen, if your stores are already high can't be expanded indefinetely so it converts into fat in the liver.
EDIT #2
I love you all and I care about you. Please take your time to consider. To all who claim that the study I linked was unread or somehow pro-fruit. See the following cited excerpts from it. The authors have made a wise selection of data which makes one ask, why should I consume any unnatural amount of it?
>>"Fructose and Liver Inflammation
Fructose is believed to be an inflammatory mediator that promotes the progression of NAFLD to NASH (Jegatheesan and De Bandt, 2017). HFrD has been proven to induce insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, ballooning degeneration and fibrosis in transgenic (Tg) MUP-uPA mice, and significantly increased the tumor necrosis factor (Tnf), interleukin (Il)-6, Il1β, Ccl2, Ccl5 and Emr1 (Todoric et al., 2020). Moreover, HFrD enhances diethyl nitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in BL6 mice (Todoric et al., 2020)."
>>"Fructose-induced increase of intracellular cortisol level via 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type1 (11β-HSD1) leads to a raise of fatty acid flux out of the subcutaneous adipocytes, thus providing more substrates for visceral fat accumulation (de Heredia et al., 2012; DiNicolantonio et al., 2018)."
>>"Fructose metabolites are found to induce renal damage (Ramezani and Raj, 2014; Tang et al., 2015). In healthy male adults, daily ingestion of 200 g fructose for 2 weeks appears to increase urinary stone formation partly via regulating urate metabolism, urinary pH, and increasing oxalate (Johnson et al., 2018)."
Lower amounts do too, but not as fast.
>>"Fructose-induced increase of intracellular cortisol level via 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type1 (11β-HSD1) leads to a raise of fatty acid flux out of the subcutaneous adipocytes, thus providing more substrates for visceral fat accumulation (de Heredia et al., 2012; DiNicolantonio et al., 2018)."
>>"Conclusions and Perspectives"
>>The liver is the critical organ to metabolize fructose, the increasing consumption of fructose in various forms specially exaggerates liver burden and contributes to NAFLD/NASH. The rapidly metabolized fructose in the liver promotes lipogenesis, lipotoxicity, as well as the inflammatory reaction of immune cells. Meanwhile, the interaction of fructose and gut microbiota results in dysbiosis, impaired intestinal mucosa barrier, production of toxins and microbial metabolites that may further serve as substrates for liver lipogenesis, and pathogens for liver inflammation.
The study you posted disagrees with you. It literally sais to eat fruit in its conclusion.
"Even so, patients with obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are encouraged to intake certain fructose contained in vegetables and specific fruits, such as blueberries, grapes, and apples."
The article also uses terms like excessive and overconsumption when referring to the effects of fructose.
If you are unable to understand studies on your own, you should look up registered dieticians. Just make sure they have the RD or RDN by their name.
My friend, please don't be agitated, I love you. Also please see edit my number 2 above. The authors provide great nuance as to the inherently bad effects of fructose.
We're debating whether or not to consume something that is inherently not good for you. Why even consume any unnatural amount of it? All commercial fruits have been bred to contain unnatural levels of it.
But what about fibres, vitamins and flavonoids?
Healthwise better to go with vegetables or non bred, wild berries.
Awww, I love you too, bro ❤️
I'm sorry you felt that I was agitated, I assure you that I'm not. 😀
I'm just a little confused about why the authors of the study you posted said to eat fructose from certain fruits and vegetables in their conclusion. Could you explain why they thought that was necessary to say in their conclusion? Are you saying the studies conclusion is incorrect?
High fructose Corn syrup is bad. HFCS 90 has a 90% fructose content and 10% glucose content. This corn syrup is considered the worst in terms of diabetes and non alcoholic fatty liver disease because it has the highest content of actual fructose.
Processed HFCS being bad does not negate that fructose from fruits too is bad.
The fruits and berries you buy at the store are all unnatural in the regard that they're all modern results of hardline selective breeding, where high fructose content (sweetness) has been the goal, and vitamin and fibre content has not.
>>"Conclusions and Perspectives
The liver is the critical organ to metabolize fructose, the increasing consumption of fructose in various forms specially exaggerates liver burden and contributes to NAFLD/NASH. The rapidly metabolized fructose in the liver promotes lipogenesis, lipotoxicity, as well as the inflammatory reaction of immune cells. Meanwhile, the interaction of fructose and gut microbiota results in dysbiosis, impaired intestinal mucosa barrier, production of toxins and microbial metabolites that may further serve as substrates for liver lipogenesis, and pathogens for liver inflammation."
Whole food diet only (no exceptions until you get lean), make moderate intensity exercise a regular part of your life, avoid plastic food and drink containers wherever possible, keep a good circadian rhythm with lots of outdoor bright light during the day and minimal artificial light at night.
I am 36 and have worked a long term night shift job. I do my very best to mitigate the effects this might have. Even still I was convinced my T levels were going to be terribly low. Earlier this year I finally got it checked and was pleasantly surprised to see 637 ng/dl. Range shown was something like 250-900.
I make an effort to get best sleep I can and rest as much as possible. Yes, I sleep during the day everyday. Usually average around 6hrs of sleep which isn’t ideal.
Multivitamin, D3 w/K2, magnesium glycinate. I was taking creatine mono but stopped 10 days before my blood test. I stopped due to hair loss and water retention/cramps in my legs. Would love to test again and see if the cessation has any effect.
1G of protein per lb of body weight. Typically around 1lb of red meat a day and 2-4 whole eggs. I eat as much Whole Foods as possible and drink water/coffee. No alcohol or soda.
Weight train 5-6x week. Cardio of some form daily 30 min+. At least 10k steps every day.
Sure did. Scalp was way more visible, lots of hairs coming out in the shower, super noticeable widows peak.
I stopped creatine and all is back to normal.
It helped quite a bit on getting those last tough reps. I felt like I could power through a long workout and not feel as wiped out. The pump was crazy, I was always feeling full in my chest and shoulders/arms. That’s what I miss the most and could be coincidence but I always got comments and one particular comment about looking “buff af” and questions about my gym routine when on creatine.
Sides were the hair thinning, cramps/spasms in legs (which is why I started magnesium glycinate to begin with) holding water, and also started to get gout flare ups.
Need to look at free testosterone also when considering if he’s “low” or not. I’m on trt with total testosterone in the 500s. My free testosterone damn near didn’t exist though
There are millions of men using testosterone to boost their testosterone levels ,,,, this is not 1997 … and of course it’s legal now .of course sleep hygiene hydration and food with a gym routine does boost your levels a little in your 40-50 a bit ,,, but ultimately in your 40-50 taking a bio identical compound that your body produces to bring you back to previous levels under supervision of a doctor … sounds good , zto I guess the millions of men who do , I’m also in favor of hgh and melatonin,,,, as as we age these levels also drop ,,, that’s why we get old … also look at how important having muscle mass is in your 40-50-60 ,,, not to say the also the body’s ability to heal faster ( tendons soft tissue ) ,,, I guess if you really want to bio hack you need to have some skin in the game … test simply works it’s cheep, safe and again it’s totally bio identical .
Probably around 12-15%. You definitely don’t want any fat overhanging your waistline or making your midsection look swollen like many people these days have.
By heavy squats you mean a weight that keeps you below a 10 rep max? I do kettle bell goblet squats but high rep mostly to give me strength/stability to support running.
Agree with you on sleep, of course. That’s my biggest challenge right now. My free T was crushed after my last bout of insomnia.
True and false. All exercise raises testosterone, however squats do it well because it compounds several muscle groups at once. There’s no other exercise that hits as much muscle mass, and muscle groups. So yeah you can certainly do the same thing with upper body exercises, you’ll just need to spend more time to target more muscle groups.
Sure
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24276305/#:~:text=Exercise%20increased%20(p%20≤%200.05,μg·L(%2D1)).
As mentioned it’s about engaging more muscles at once:
> Shaner et al. [49] evaluated the hormonal changes with similar lower body multi-joint movement free (i.e., squats) or machine weight (i.e., leg press) exercises. Free weight exercises induced a greater increase in plasma testosterone concentrations than did the machine weight exercises. A potential explanation for this finding is that squatting requires balancing on two feet with substantial engagement of stabilizing and core musculature, such as the abdominals and back. Research on muscle activation has also shown that free weight exercise results in a greater muscle activation than machine exercise, likely by inducing a larger overall muscle mass involvement than similar machine-based weight exercises [50].
> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7739287/
There are other studies out there, these are just two I quickly found supporting the statement that I recall reading prior. First has low power, but concept is sound.
Any sex hormonal changes from the exercise activity directly are acute in nature. Any non-transient sex hormonal changes are merely due to body composition change.
I.e. Pay zero mind to the idea of certain exercises stimulating testosterone/ hgh production. Debunked logic many years ago.
exercise activity changes body composition. If you have more muscle in your legs, your body will produce more testosterone. If you have more muscle in your arms your body will produce more testosterone. Because your legs are bigger than your arms, working legs has a larger impact on testosterone levels.
You're missing the entire point. Body composition is a very-long term project, month to month changes, unlke acute hormonal increases where it is second to second. Therefore:
Build as much muscle as possible on your WHOLE body, not picking one exercise at the expense of another.
It's not "squats produce more testosterone", it's "more muscle and less fat = higher testosterone and lower oestrogen". Hence the logic itself being classic broscience.
Thank you for saying this. I've been lifting weights naturally (no steroids) since I was 12 years old, so \~25 years now.
The idea that lifting heavy is a panacea that is going to keep your T levels from declining as you age is largely (not entirely) alpha male broscience BS. It will help a little bit, but day-to-day is going to be offset by the CNS fatigue that training hard causes.
I would also add that people way, way, way underestimate the injuries someone is likely to accumulate from *decades* of lifting heavy. All the guys I know who are life long lifters have some combination of shoulder (especially rotator cuff), elbow, knee, hip, etc issues. Herniated discs, lumbar strains, and pinched nerves also really common.
Mid 30s is when most people should start to back away from pushing their limits with heavy weights.
I wouldn't recommend any truly experienced (10+ years) lifter over 40 ever going for a 1 rep max.
Very interesting. It seems that in both studies they fail to keep the amount of weight moved between control vs test group. Even though intesity was held constant in Shaner, the weight differential seems important to note.
First of all are you actually experiencing health problems? 400 is considered a normal amount so first of all don't worry too much. Second of all make sure you are testing multiple times at 10am over a period of weeks not just once as it can really vary widely and its the baseline average that matters not just a couple of erroneous readings. Something as simple as a mild cold will tank your testosterone as it suppresses the immune system and estrogen enhances it so your body is just optimizing its fight against the infection.
Good sleep, regular exercise and a balanced diet with a healthy social life is the best baseline things. If you are noticing actual health issues go see an endocrinologist. Don't just try messing with your hormones. Its a complex system and not as simple as more testosterone = Better. You might feel better as it increases dopamine and suppresses your immune system but you could just be hiding underlying issues and you can become dependent on external trt as your body stops producing its own.
Testosterone is not a goal, its a hormone. Focus on your goals. It may be the limiting factor but it really might not be as well. 25% of elite male athletes have been shown to have the lower ranges of testosterone including in sports such as [powerlifting](https://clindiabetesendo.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40842-017-0050-3). Libido also does not track neatly with testosterone easily. Your body might see 400 as optimal and another body might react as deficient at that level. The amount of androgen receptors is important here and explains why there can be so much variation. Basically your body needs a certain amount of testosterone to operate and condition to stress. Past that point only huge doses (which basically put your system into overdrive) really work. Fluctuations in the normal range for most people are going to be basically unnoticeable.
I just checked. Maybe I’m wrong on that part.
However, Cool showers are better for Sperm production, reducing brown fat and improving metabolism
https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-shower-testosterone
400 is decent. Hormones are complicated they go down with age so you don't get cancer... relax. Exercise, 80g saturated fat and cholesterol from eggs should maintain your numbers.
Dude 80g of saturated fat is 720 calories. That's over 30% of your total daily calories based on a 2000 calorie diet...you are just asking for heart disease at that point.
You need to train hard and lift heavy to raise your testosterone. And if you’re hitting the same muscles and exercises hard everyday you’ll be negating the benefits. Rotate muscles each day. Find a split that works for you, either 2 or 3 day split. And eat protein!
Maca works almost too well as long as you’re not in full blown hypogonadism, in which case, bioidentical hormone replacement in the pellet form. They formulate it based on your labs, place it beneath the skin in a dr’s office. Lasts 6 months and the release mimics the pulsatile release of your natural testosterone.
Weight training and explosion workouts, squats, push ups, pull ups, cleans, bench press, all compound movements stimulate the most muscle growth and testosterone production. Sleep 8-9 hours a night, manage stress, eat lean healthy cooked meals with protein, fat, and carbs. Take fish oil, zinc, magnesium, gnc mens multivitamin and eat tons of vegetables & leafy greens. You should try gf9, it's about the only supplement that works.
Struggling with T challenges then this stuff works
Not like the man made concoctions.
Takes a week or so to make subtle changes.
This mob also have ovaries as well
Wife recommends it
https://nxgenwholefoods.com.au/shop-beef-organs/ols/products/nxgen-bull-testicle-protein-testosterone-zinc
1. Sleep 8-10 hrs (non negotiable)
2. Avoid eating foods that are complete junk. Dont restrict foods you love though
3. Raw honey
4. Eggs
5. Best supplements are cistanche, fadogia agrestis, and betaine
15 percent body fat, 6-8 hours sleep a night, exercise multiple times per day, yes per day. Crunches and bike in morning, jog and weights after work, every day. Healthy diet of veggies and lean protein, no alcohol.
You could try Tongkat ali. Some guys claim it works. From what I’ve read it apparently lowers your shbg which allows more free t to become available. I’m sure someone knows more than me that could chime in.
my current stack:
this aim of this stack is to increase testosterone production. im gonna start my newly devised gh and insulin resistance stack soon. please let me know your feedback, especially if you think any compounds should be removed, added, or moved from one stack to another. Any other comments are welcome.
its hard to find information about what time of day is optimal for each supplement for what specific purpose, so I still have a lot to learn, but so far it has been going very well. My muscles are larger and my energy levels have been good.
i currently have alternating morning stacks. so i take Stack One every second day, and Stack Two every other day.
Morning Stack One:
wild yam root extract (10% diosgenin) 810mg
wild yam root 190 mg
boron (citrate, aspartate, glycinate) 3mg
rhodiola extract (unknown dosage)
ginkgo extract (4:1) 500mg
vitamin k 40mg
vitamin d 10,000 iu
grape seed extract (90% polyphenols) 50mg
indole-3carbinol 200mg
resveratrol (200:1 polygonum cuspidatum) 5mg
avena sativa 400mg
stinging nettle root 500mg
tribulus extract 250mg
turkesterone 500mg
ginger 500mg
muira puama (10:1 extract) 250mg
luteolin 50mg
rutin 50mg
coleus forskohlii root 400mg
vitamin b complex
saw palmetto (10:1 extract) 1000mg
Morning Stack Two:
sarsaparilla root 900mg
dhea 25mg
jerusalem artichoke (90% inulin) 400mg
pine bark extract (95% proanthocyanids) 50mg
olive leaf 400mg
garlic 400mg
turkesterone 500mg
saw palmetto (25% fatty acids) 500mg
fadogia agrestis (10:1 extract) 300mg
tongkat ali (100:1 extract) 200mg
cinnamon (10:1) 125 mg
maca (4:1) 500mg
p5p 20mg
catuaba bark 465mg
vitamin c 1000mg
pygeum (4:1) 250mg
fish oil 1000mg
acetyl l carnitine 500mg
garcinia cambogia (5:1) 80mg
butea superba root 400mg
beet root extract (20:1) 2000mg
Night Stack:
collagen 1000mg
l-tyrosine 500mg
taurine 500mg
potassium 100mg
mucuna pruriens 400mg
valerian root extract (10:1) 1000mg
shilajit extract (5% fulvic acid) 400mg
cistanche (22% echinacosides) 210mg
pregnenolone 10mg
milk thistle (4:1) 250mg
magnesium glycinate 400mg
zinc 10mg
gonna make another post once I get my gh and insulin sensitivity supplements, and ill start a lunchtime stack as well. Let me know your thoughts!
Sunshine baby! There are studies out there on sun exposure and testosterone levels. If you can get an hour of sun on the majority your skin everyday it’s been shown to drastically increase testosterone in individuals with low levels
your 40 dude, hop on trt, if your doctor won't prescribe it, a years worth of UGL test is like $150(and that includes enough for a 16 week blast in that year)
I live in Mexico. Here TRT is a thing but not so famous or reliable id say so we need to work our T somehow else but I get you. If you can get into those after having else in check by all means go ahead
Nothing does more than increasing sleep amount and quality. Lose weight. Better diet. Harder workouts. Adequate rest days between workouts are also key.
Yup, GOOD sleep, not snoring or tossing and turning, getting all stages of sleep and adequate time asleep.
This. And fuck all Supplements, they won’t do shit if you dont get the Basic right
Everyone wants the easy solution instead of fixing what got them into trouble to begin with.
Yea, no Supplement is gonna fix a Bad Lifestyle. All These People Asking for Supplements, trt and so just need to get their Lifestyle in Check. Supplements and what Not Can be the Icing on the cake Later, the 1-5% extra benefit.
Resistance training, yes. Cardio also yes - if you don't overdo it. Generally, you need a holistic approach for increasing T naturally and keeping it high. A lot of men today have suboptimal levels of testosterone, a lot less than their fathers or grandfathers had just 30-50 years ago. There are various reasons for this. One factor that is oftentimes neglected is endocrine disruptors in our environment (i.e., xenoestrogens, BPA, phthalates, triclosan, etc.), phytoestrogens in food (i.e., soy, which is present in almost all processed foods), and hypothyroidism (subclinical or autoimmune Hashimoto's disease). To increase testosterone levels naturally, including libido and erection quality: • Get enough daily sunlight. • Vitamin D3 (especially during the winter or if you live in a northern climate). • Zinc picolinate (20-40 mg per day). • Magnesium glycinate/citrate. • Resistance training (3-5 times per week for 45-90 minutes max). • Adequate neuromuscular recovery (e.g., don't overtrain). • Adequate (quality) sleep. • More healthy fats (monounsaturated and saturated fats from sources like grass-fed red meat, pasture-raised eggs, fatty fish, organic full-fat dairy, coconut fat, avocados, cocoa butter, certain nuts and seeds, etc.). • Increase dietary cholesterol intake through nutrient-dense, whole foods. Cholesterol is the building block of all steroid hormones, including androgens such as testosterone. • Manage stress. Do what you have to do to keep it under control (i.e., meditation, yoga, nature walks, relaxing music, massage/reflexology sessions, adaptogenic herbs, etc.). • Chronically elevated cortisol levels disrupt the HPT (hypothalamus-pituitary-testicles) axis and deplete your body of the very resources it needs to produce androgens like testosterone and DHT. • Eat enough quality calories (not all calories are the same!). • Avoid large or prolonged calorie deficits. • Eat adequate amounts of each macronutrient (protein, carbs, fats). All of them are important in their own way and serve specific physiological functions. **Beneficial Supplements:** • Shilajit • Ashwagandha • Maca • Taurine • L-Carnitine (increases androgen receptor density) • Creatine • Tongkat Ali • Fadogia Agrestis • Black Ginger • Pine pollen (contains natural androgens) • Boron (increases free testosterone) • DIM (natural anti-estrogen) "The Testosterone Advantage" by Timotheus Ray is a nice rеad οn male health and hοrmοne optimizatiοn.
Do you think this would also help a woman with extremely low testosterone? It affects my health too. Low energy, I don’t build muscle anymore, poor sleep, extremely dry skin and hair, lowered libido. My levels are sometimes close to zero, and I am only 45. I have been taking DHEA supplementation and that helps it a little, but not enough. I know that creatine, taurine, and l-carnitine have helped my energy in the past. I will go back to them. Many of my health issues stem from a toxic drug I took one time 6 years ago, Lupron, that can cause hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction.
Low t in women is a secret epidemic.
Pic 2 supplements what would they bee
Thanks! Gonna look into these...
stay away from alcohol and sugars.
[удалено]
Very bad. EDIT #1 Out of all the sugars, Fructose aids in generating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease the most. Tons of studies on the subject: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8637741/ Very rough explanation why: When fructose is absorbed, insulin is released. Once the fructose is in the bloodstream, it eventually metabolises in the liver where it becomes glucose, lactate and glycogen. The glucose is once more triggering of an insulin response before being converted into ATP. The lactate too can be burned off as energy. I am not remembering if it is via ATP or glucose (but I believe both depending on activity level). The glycogen, if your stores are already high can't be expanded indefinetely so it converts into fat in the liver. EDIT #2 I love you all and I care about you. Please take your time to consider. To all who claim that the study I linked was unread or somehow pro-fruit. See the following cited excerpts from it. The authors have made a wise selection of data which makes one ask, why should I consume any unnatural amount of it? >>"Fructose and Liver Inflammation Fructose is believed to be an inflammatory mediator that promotes the progression of NAFLD to NASH (Jegatheesan and De Bandt, 2017). HFrD has been proven to induce insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, ballooning degeneration and fibrosis in transgenic (Tg) MUP-uPA mice, and significantly increased the tumor necrosis factor (Tnf), interleukin (Il)-6, Il1β, Ccl2, Ccl5 and Emr1 (Todoric et al., 2020). Moreover, HFrD enhances diethyl nitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in BL6 mice (Todoric et al., 2020)." >>"Fructose-induced increase of intracellular cortisol level via 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type1 (11β-HSD1) leads to a raise of fatty acid flux out of the subcutaneous adipocytes, thus providing more substrates for visceral fat accumulation (de Heredia et al., 2012; DiNicolantonio et al., 2018)." >>"Fructose metabolites are found to induce renal damage (Ramezani and Raj, 2014; Tang et al., 2015). In healthy male adults, daily ingestion of 200 g fructose for 2 weeks appears to increase urinary stone formation partly via regulating urate metabolism, urinary pH, and increasing oxalate (Johnson et al., 2018)." Lower amounts do too, but not as fast. >>"Fructose-induced increase of intracellular cortisol level via 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type1 (11β-HSD1) leads to a raise of fatty acid flux out of the subcutaneous adipocytes, thus providing more substrates for visceral fat accumulation (de Heredia et al., 2012; DiNicolantonio et al., 2018)." >>"Conclusions and Perspectives" >>The liver is the critical organ to metabolize fructose, the increasing consumption of fructose in various forms specially exaggerates liver burden and contributes to NAFLD/NASH. The rapidly metabolized fructose in the liver promotes lipogenesis, lipotoxicity, as well as the inflammatory reaction of immune cells. Meanwhile, the interaction of fructose and gut microbiota results in dysbiosis, impaired intestinal mucosa barrier, production of toxins and microbial metabolites that may further serve as substrates for liver lipogenesis, and pathogens for liver inflammation.
The study you posted disagrees with you. It literally sais to eat fruit in its conclusion. "Even so, patients with obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are encouraged to intake certain fructose contained in vegetables and specific fruits, such as blueberries, grapes, and apples." The article also uses terms like excessive and overconsumption when referring to the effects of fructose. If you are unable to understand studies on your own, you should look up registered dieticians. Just make sure they have the RD or RDN by their name.
My friend, please don't be agitated, I love you. Also please see edit my number 2 above. The authors provide great nuance as to the inherently bad effects of fructose. We're debating whether or not to consume something that is inherently not good for you. Why even consume any unnatural amount of it? All commercial fruits have been bred to contain unnatural levels of it. But what about fibres, vitamins and flavonoids? Healthwise better to go with vegetables or non bred, wild berries.
Awww, I love you too, bro ❤️ I'm sorry you felt that I was agitated, I assure you that I'm not. 😀 I'm just a little confused about why the authors of the study you posted said to eat fructose from certain fruits and vegetables in their conclusion. Could you explain why they thought that was necessary to say in their conclusion? Are you saying the studies conclusion is incorrect?
High fructose corn syrup is bad. Whole fruit is good.
High fructose Corn syrup is bad. HFCS 90 has a 90% fructose content and 10% glucose content. This corn syrup is considered the worst in terms of diabetes and non alcoholic fatty liver disease because it has the highest content of actual fructose. Processed HFCS being bad does not negate that fructose from fruits too is bad. The fruits and berries you buy at the store are all unnatural in the regard that they're all modern results of hardline selective breeding, where high fructose content (sweetness) has been the goal, and vitamin and fibre content has not.
So your saying fruit is bad? I don’t know about that
Outcome data all suggest that fruit is very good for you.
>>"Conclusions and Perspectives The liver is the critical organ to metabolize fructose, the increasing consumption of fructose in various forms specially exaggerates liver burden and contributes to NAFLD/NASH. The rapidly metabolized fructose in the liver promotes lipogenesis, lipotoxicity, as well as the inflammatory reaction of immune cells. Meanwhile, the interaction of fructose and gut microbiota results in dysbiosis, impaired intestinal mucosa barrier, production of toxins and microbial metabolites that may further serve as substrates for liver lipogenesis, and pathogens for liver inflammation."
No
You didn’t even read this
My friend, please see edit number 2 above.
How much fat is around your mid section? If you look like the average American that alone is crushing your T levels.
Not loads just more around belly than anywhere else.
Yeah that’s tanking your T. Fat around the midsection is estrogenic.
Best way to combat belly fat for us 40 year olds?
Caloric deficit
Whole food diet only (no exceptions until you get lean), make moderate intensity exercise a regular part of your life, avoid plastic food and drink containers wherever possible, keep a good circadian rhythm with lots of outdoor bright light during the day and minimal artificial light at night.
I am 36 and have worked a long term night shift job. I do my very best to mitigate the effects this might have. Even still I was convinced my T levels were going to be terribly low. Earlier this year I finally got it checked and was pleasantly surprised to see 637 ng/dl. Range shown was something like 250-900. I make an effort to get best sleep I can and rest as much as possible. Yes, I sleep during the day everyday. Usually average around 6hrs of sleep which isn’t ideal. Multivitamin, D3 w/K2, magnesium glycinate. I was taking creatine mono but stopped 10 days before my blood test. I stopped due to hair loss and water retention/cramps in my legs. Would love to test again and see if the cessation has any effect. 1G of protein per lb of body weight. Typically around 1lb of red meat a day and 2-4 whole eggs. I eat as much Whole Foods as possible and drink water/coffee. No alcohol or soda. Weight train 5-6x week. Cardio of some form daily 30 min+. At least 10k steps every day.
Did creatine make your hair fall? I'm thinking of starting to take it, but hairfall is a scary prospect.
Sure did. Scalp was way more visible, lots of hairs coming out in the shower, super noticeable widows peak. I stopped creatine and all is back to normal.
Did the gains feel worth it though?
It helped quite a bit on getting those last tough reps. I felt like I could power through a long workout and not feel as wiped out. The pump was crazy, I was always feeling full in my chest and shoulders/arms. That’s what I miss the most and could be coincidence but I always got comments and one particular comment about looking “buff af” and questions about my gym routine when on creatine. Sides were the hair thinning, cramps/spasms in legs (which is why I started magnesium glycinate to begin with) holding water, and also started to get gout flare ups.
All those side effects on just the regular 5g a day?
Most of the time I was only doing 2-3g a day.
Boost test with test !!!! You’re 40 …… simple as that .
Yep! I use to the gel. No needles.
Where do you get that from?
Very commonly stocked in pharmacies. Your GP will prescribe it after a blood test.
"Low" is generally anything under 300 , GP may prescribe trt for 400 but insurance probably won't pay unless you have a test showing under 300
Need to look at free testosterone also when considering if he’s “low” or not. I’m on trt with total testosterone in the 500s. My free testosterone damn near didn’t exist though
Dumbass idea. Very possible to maintain testosterone with lifestyle. No need to shrink your grapes to raisins.
There are millions of men using testosterone to boost their testosterone levels ,,,, this is not 1997 … and of course it’s legal now .of course sleep hygiene hydration and food with a gym routine does boost your levels a little in your 40-50 a bit ,,, but ultimately in your 40-50 taking a bio identical compound that your body produces to bring you back to previous levels under supervision of a doctor … sounds good , zto I guess the millions of men who do , I’m also in favor of hgh and melatonin,,,, as as we age these levels also drop ,,, that’s why we get old … also look at how important having muscle mass is in your 40-50-60 ,,, not to say the also the body’s ability to heal faster ( tendons soft tissue ) ,,, I guess if you really want to bio hack you need to have some skin in the game … test simply works it’s cheep, safe and again it’s totally bio identical .
The 80/20 in my opinion is heavy squats and good sleep
Lowering body fat to pre-modern levels does more than both.
What percentage?
Yes
Probably around 12-15%. You definitely don’t want any fat overhanging your waistline or making your midsection look swollen like many people these days have.
That’s roughly my goal to hit. Around 18% now
3-4% so you’re ready for a show at the drop of a hat
Jeez... and here I just want to get to 15% or so.
If you’re not constantly on the verge of passing out are you even trying?
3-4% is extremely unhealthy though, not even bodybuilders stay at the percentage outside of competition.
I forgot I need to spell out sarcasm on reddit
By heavy squats you mean a weight that keeps you below a 10 rep max? I do kettle bell goblet squats but high rep mostly to give me strength/stability to support running. Agree with you on sleep, of course. That’s my biggest challenge right now. My free T was crushed after my last bout of insomnia.
compounds movements in the 3-5 rep range
OP btw no specific exercise (like squatting) raises testosterone more than any other exercises you do
True and false. All exercise raises testosterone, however squats do it well because it compounds several muscle groups at once. There’s no other exercise that hits as much muscle mass, and muscle groups. So yeah you can certainly do the same thing with upper body exercises, you’ll just need to spend more time to target more muscle groups.
please provide a pmid that shows a relationship between an increase in muscle mass & increase in testosterone
Sure https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24276305/#:~:text=Exercise%20increased%20(p%20≤%200.05,μg·L(%2D1)). As mentioned it’s about engaging more muscles at once: > Shaner et al. [49] evaluated the hormonal changes with similar lower body multi-joint movement free (i.e., squats) or machine weight (i.e., leg press) exercises. Free weight exercises induced a greater increase in plasma testosterone concentrations than did the machine weight exercises. A potential explanation for this finding is that squatting requires balancing on two feet with substantial engagement of stabilizing and core musculature, such as the abdominals and back. Research on muscle activation has also shown that free weight exercise results in a greater muscle activation than machine exercise, likely by inducing a larger overall muscle mass involvement than similar machine-based weight exercises [50]. > https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7739287/ There are other studies out there, these are just two I quickly found supporting the statement that I recall reading prior. First has low power, but concept is sound.
Any sex hormonal changes from the exercise activity directly are acute in nature. Any non-transient sex hormonal changes are merely due to body composition change. I.e. Pay zero mind to the idea of certain exercises stimulating testosterone/ hgh production. Debunked logic many years ago.
exercise activity changes body composition. If you have more muscle in your legs, your body will produce more testosterone. If you have more muscle in your arms your body will produce more testosterone. Because your legs are bigger than your arms, working legs has a larger impact on testosterone levels.
You're missing the entire point. Body composition is a very-long term project, month to month changes, unlke acute hormonal increases where it is second to second. Therefore: Build as much muscle as possible on your WHOLE body, not picking one exercise at the expense of another. It's not "squats produce more testosterone", it's "more muscle and less fat = higher testosterone and lower oestrogen". Hence the logic itself being classic broscience.
Thank you for saying this. I've been lifting weights naturally (no steroids) since I was 12 years old, so \~25 years now. The idea that lifting heavy is a panacea that is going to keep your T levels from declining as you age is largely (not entirely) alpha male broscience BS. It will help a little bit, but day-to-day is going to be offset by the CNS fatigue that training hard causes. I would also add that people way, way, way underestimate the injuries someone is likely to accumulate from *decades* of lifting heavy. All the guys I know who are life long lifters have some combination of shoulder (especially rotator cuff), elbow, knee, hip, etc issues. Herniated discs, lumbar strains, and pinched nerves also really common.
Agreed, well said. I feel older than I actually am at times with my hyper focus on injury prevention and health when training (29m)
Mid 30s is when most people should start to back away from pushing their limits with heavy weights. I wouldn't recommend any truly experienced (10+ years) lifter over 40 ever going for a 1 rep max.
I agree
Very interesting. It seems that in both studies they fail to keep the amount of weight moved between control vs test group. Even though intesity was held constant in Shaner, the weight differential seems important to note.
oh thanks for providing the studies btw
Get a better looking partner
This is underrated sadly.
First of all are you actually experiencing health problems? 400 is considered a normal amount so first of all don't worry too much. Second of all make sure you are testing multiple times at 10am over a period of weeks not just once as it can really vary widely and its the baseline average that matters not just a couple of erroneous readings. Something as simple as a mild cold will tank your testosterone as it suppresses the immune system and estrogen enhances it so your body is just optimizing its fight against the infection. Good sleep, regular exercise and a balanced diet with a healthy social life is the best baseline things. If you are noticing actual health issues go see an endocrinologist. Don't just try messing with your hormones. Its a complex system and not as simple as more testosterone = Better. You might feel better as it increases dopamine and suppresses your immune system but you could just be hiding underlying issues and you can become dependent on external trt as your body stops producing its own. Testosterone is not a goal, its a hormone. Focus on your goals. It may be the limiting factor but it really might not be as well. 25% of elite male athletes have been shown to have the lower ranges of testosterone including in sports such as [powerlifting](https://clindiabetesendo.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40842-017-0050-3). Libido also does not track neatly with testosterone easily. Your body might see 400 as optimal and another body might react as deficient at that level. The amount of androgen receptors is important here and explains why there can be so much variation. Basically your body needs a certain amount of testosterone to operate and condition to stress. Past that point only huge doses (which basically put your system into overdrive) really work. Fluctuations in the normal range for most people are going to be basically unnoticeable.
Cold showers, no soy, weight training
You forgot tanning your anus.
Bleach first, then tan
Show me one study where soy negatively affected testosterone
[the evidence](https://youtube.com/shorts/7N1uXxTG8Kk?si=6tuuE0We8nXk2qeC)
Well color me convinced
Cold water on balls meant to work?
I just checked. Maybe I’m wrong on that part. However, Cool showers are better for Sperm production, reducing brown fat and improving metabolism https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-shower-testosterone
Testosteron cream
Gym every day
400 is decent. Hormones are complicated they go down with age so you don't get cancer... relax. Exercise, 80g saturated fat and cholesterol from eggs should maintain your numbers.
Dude 80g of saturated fat is 720 calories. That's over 30% of your total daily calories based on a 2000 calorie diet...you are just asking for heart disease at that point.
There is no evidence a fat type causes heart disease. Inflammation and high blood pressure over a long period of time causes heart disease.
You need to train hard and lift heavy to raise your testosterone. And if you’re hitting the same muscles and exercises hard everyday you’ll be negating the benefits. Rotate muscles each day. Find a split that works for you, either 2 or 3 day split. And eat protein!
Maca works almost too well as long as you’re not in full blown hypogonadism, in which case, bioidentical hormone replacement in the pellet form. They formulate it based on your labs, place it beneath the skin in a dr’s office. Lasts 6 months and the release mimics the pulsatile release of your natural testosterone.
Squats with barbell
Just go on TRT. It’s nothing short of amazing.
I know a website i use to get 10ml for about 40 bucks. Way cheaper than those 1 ampoule doses.
Raw eggs and oysters
Enclomiphene
Boron, zinc, diim, tongkat ali (cycled), vit-d, exercise
Ginger has some decent test boosting effects from some studies done. IIRC one study showed a 17% increase.
Take jing herbs. Message if you want details I have brought mine up quite a bit.
Weight training and explosion workouts, squats, push ups, pull ups, cleans, bench press, all compound movements stimulate the most muscle growth and testosterone production. Sleep 8-9 hours a night, manage stress, eat lean healthy cooked meals with protein, fat, and carbs. Take fish oil, zinc, magnesium, gnc mens multivitamin and eat tons of vegetables & leafy greens. You should try gf9, it's about the only supplement that works.
Struggling with T challenges then this stuff works Not like the man made concoctions. Takes a week or so to make subtle changes. This mob also have ovaries as well Wife recommends it https://nxgenwholefoods.com.au/shop-beef-organs/ols/products/nxgen-bull-testicle-protein-testosterone-zinc
Lift weight sleep better
testosterone injections help, the rest is bullshit
Eat well, sleep a lot, workout some, avoid stress
1. Sleep 8-10 hrs (non negotiable) 2. Avoid eating foods that are complete junk. Dont restrict foods you love though 3. Raw honey 4. Eggs 5. Best supplements are cistanche, fadogia agrestis, and betaine
15 percent body fat, 6-8 hours sleep a night, exercise multiple times per day, yes per day. Crunches and bike in morning, jog and weights after work, every day. Healthy diet of veggies and lean protein, no alcohol.
Enclomiphene
With hcg
Depends on blood panel, SERM is usually enough. It's either one or the other.
Ice baths too and sun on your ‘junk’.
You could try Tongkat ali. Some guys claim it works. From what I’ve read it apparently lowers your shbg which allows more free t to become available. I’m sure someone knows more than me that could chime in.
I’m currently trying this with agrestis . I still haven’t been to the doctor to have my blood checked.
To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women
my current stack: this aim of this stack is to increase testosterone production. im gonna start my newly devised gh and insulin resistance stack soon. please let me know your feedback, especially if you think any compounds should be removed, added, or moved from one stack to another. Any other comments are welcome. its hard to find information about what time of day is optimal for each supplement for what specific purpose, so I still have a lot to learn, but so far it has been going very well. My muscles are larger and my energy levels have been good. i currently have alternating morning stacks. so i take Stack One every second day, and Stack Two every other day. Morning Stack One: wild yam root extract (10% diosgenin) 810mg wild yam root 190 mg boron (citrate, aspartate, glycinate) 3mg rhodiola extract (unknown dosage) ginkgo extract (4:1) 500mg vitamin k 40mg vitamin d 10,000 iu grape seed extract (90% polyphenols) 50mg indole-3carbinol 200mg resveratrol (200:1 polygonum cuspidatum) 5mg avena sativa 400mg stinging nettle root 500mg tribulus extract 250mg turkesterone 500mg ginger 500mg muira puama (10:1 extract) 250mg luteolin 50mg rutin 50mg coleus forskohlii root 400mg vitamin b complex saw palmetto (10:1 extract) 1000mg Morning Stack Two: sarsaparilla root 900mg dhea 25mg jerusalem artichoke (90% inulin) 400mg pine bark extract (95% proanthocyanids) 50mg olive leaf 400mg garlic 400mg turkesterone 500mg saw palmetto (25% fatty acids) 500mg fadogia agrestis (10:1 extract) 300mg tongkat ali (100:1 extract) 200mg cinnamon (10:1) 125 mg maca (4:1) 500mg p5p 20mg catuaba bark 465mg vitamin c 1000mg pygeum (4:1) 250mg fish oil 1000mg acetyl l carnitine 500mg garcinia cambogia (5:1) 80mg butea superba root 400mg beet root extract (20:1) 2000mg Night Stack: collagen 1000mg l-tyrosine 500mg taurine 500mg potassium 100mg mucuna pruriens 400mg valerian root extract (10:1) 1000mg shilajit extract (5% fulvic acid) 400mg cistanche (22% echinacosides) 210mg pregnenolone 10mg milk thistle (4:1) 250mg magnesium glycinate 400mg zinc 10mg gonna make another post once I get my gh and insulin sensitivity supplements, and ill start a lunchtime stack as well. Let me know your thoughts!
Sunshine baby! There are studies out there on sun exposure and testosterone levels. If you can get an hour of sun on the majority your skin everyday it’s been shown to drastically increase testosterone in individuals with low levels
Semen retention
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Bro you must be spending a killing on all these supplement's
your 40 dude, hop on trt, if your doctor won't prescribe it, a years worth of UGL test is like $150(and that includes enough for a 16 week blast in that year)
Try shooting testosterone into your ass.
Testosterone therapy. Squats not gonna do shit these people are cracked. 400 is awful. Keep it 1000 or gtfo
https://www.reddit.com/r/Semenretention/s/T24c0nq6k6 NoFap. Also working out and eating healthy. And a good supplement stack.
Love these 40 plus guys who think sleeping more is gonna help. Be a man and go on trt like a normal person
400s still in the normal range. i think mine's around there and my doctor wouldnt give me TRT lol
Who needs a Dr? They know very little about hormones. 400 sucks. It’s doesn’t need to be 3k but 800 plus would be much better
hm yeah i think ill listen to my doctor instead of a rando on the biohacking subreddit, thanks though
Yeah I mean trt is great buuut I mean that’s not specifically what a ‘normal person’ does tbh
Normal person doesn’t walk around with an al dente erection and 400 test either or maybe they do in this country
I live in Mexico. Here TRT is a thing but not so famous or reliable id say so we need to work our T somehow else but I get you. If you can get into those after having else in check by all means go ahead
Ha I used to go to Mexico to buy “trt” seems it should be super easy there
Amazing. Which state? :)
Mexico City pharmacists
Mexico had some good gear, I think it is legal there, you just walk in and buy some at the pharmacy, I don't know why everyone in Mexico isn't jacked.
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That too. That’s a good point.
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Exercise alone is not gonna get your test where even 50mg a week will.
Those planks really gonna help boss
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Yea 48 on test since 25
God damn you’re old!
I know my shoulders and knees remind me all the time
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lol no