Proven Non-Medical Ways to Boost Testosterone? Here’s the Big Six…

There are proven non-medical ways to boost testosterone, and the good news is that they aren’t a result of a complex or expensive supplement regime.

Having turned 40 and seeing ‘testosterone gurus’ popping up all over social media, I wanted to dive into the research around non-medical ways to boost testosterone. I wanted to see if the approaches were effective, or just snake oil salesmen trying to earn a quick buck from men who have lost their vigour.

I’ve read dozens of studies on different aspects of testosterone enhancement, looking at what works and what doesn’t. My research has allowed me to put together this mini-guide on the five most effective non-medical ways to boost testosterone…

Training to Increase Testosterone

There’s strong evidence that links resistance training with higher testosterone levels.

Researchers have studied all kinds of training protocols and their relationship with testosterone. The commonalities in the research show that…

• Resistance training is more effective than cardio training
• More muscle mass stimulation = more testosterone production (NEVER SKIP LEG DAY!)
• Higher intensity = more testosterone production
• Higher volume = more testosterone production
• Habitual exercisers = higher testosterone levels
• Free weights tend to increase testosterone more than machines

That’s an overarching summary of the research, and I’m aware there’s likely to be some examples of correlation rather than causation, but you can be confident in the general rules. Without putting together specific workouts, here’s how you can use resistance training to help boost testosterone…

• Full-body workouts to failure
• Use predominantly free weights
• Train 4-5 times per week
• Rest periods 30-60 seconds

Follow these guidelines and you’ll be training in the most efficient way to boost your testosterone.

Eating to Increase Testosterone

Diet is certainly linked to testosterone production, but not in the ways we’re commonly told.

Some foods (tofu, soya to name two) are often blamed for significantly reducing testosterone. The research shows that they do reduce testosterone relative to a meat-based diet (impact likely to be around 3-10%), but the bigger issues are around energy balance.

Large declines in testosterone production have been noticed in people on crash diets. Athletes looking to reduce their weight ahead of competition for example, often see significant declines in testosterone levels.

Several studies have shown that a reduction of caloric intake of around 40% can lead to large drops in testosterone, especially when coupled with high intensity training.

We’ve shown that high intensity training is actually beneficial for testosterone, but the combination of high intensity training and low fuel intake appears to be an issue. This means if you’re looking to drop weight, give yourself longer to do it and don’t drop your calories quite so aggressively.

Finally, making sure you eat a broad base of fruits and vegetables appears to have a small but significant impact on testosterone production. There’s a number of complex biochemical relationships that go on between molecules in your body, but the long and short of it is that fruit and vegetable consumption is a net positive for testosterone production.

Finally, excessive (more than 8 drinks per week) alcohol consumption is also strongly linked to a significant decline in testosterone production in men.

Sleep and Testosterone Production

When it comes to health, sleep is the gift that keeps on giving. When I studied for my degree in the early 2000s, sleep was seen as ‘important’. It’s now elevated to ‘vital’. Not a year goes by where sleep is linked to positive health outcomes.

There’s not a single physiological process I’m aware of that isn’t enhanced in some way by good quality sleep. Testosterone production is no different.

In a study from 2015 titled ‘Effect of 1 Week of Sleep Restriction on Testosterone Levels in Young Healthy Men‘, participants had their sleep reduced from 8 hours to 5 for a week. Their testosterone and cortisol (stress hormone) were tracked. After analysis of the data, researchers concluded…

“Daytime testosterone levels were decreased by 10% to 15% in this convenience sample of young healthy men who underwent 1 week of sleep restriction to 5 hours per night.”

Long story short, good quality sleep is one of the most powerful non-medical ways to boost testosterone. Aim for 7-10 hours per night (your body will tell you what it needs by waking you), and you’ll maximise your production.

Sun Exposure Impact on Testosterone Production

One of the more interesting directions of research around non-medical ways to boost testosterone is towards sun exposure.

Thanks to skin cancer risk, speeding of ageing etc, sun exposure has been somewhat demonised over the last 2-3 decades. What we now know is that actually, some controlled sun exposure has significant health-boosting benefits. Vitamin D production has been linked to many positive health outcomes.

Testosterone production also appears to be stimulated with sun exposure, and bright light exposure in the mornings.

The exact mechanism by which this occurs still remains somewhat unclear, but the pattern has been recorded in the research frequently enough for it to be a known response. Some controlled sun exposure, particularly in the morning, is shown to increase testosterone levels.

That’s a problem for many of us in colder climates in the winter, but when the chance arises it’s worth taking advantage of!

Testosterone-Boosting Supplementation

This is where my interest in the subject was initially piqued.

Since turning 40, the social media advertising for testosterone boosting and hair replacement treatment has bombarded me! I know that the vast majority of supplements are a waste of time and money, and I assumed test-boosters would be the same. I decided to research it because, well, content.

It turns out that most of the supplements that claim to boost testosterone are a waste of money. There are some active ingredients though that help.

Taking a market average, only around 25% of supplements that claim to boost testosterone can boast any form of success. The other 75% don’t appear to do much, if anything at all for testosterone. In fact, 10% of them appeared to actually reduce testosterone!

It’s difficult to pin a label of ‘this works’ on any individual ingredient, because biochemistry is very complicated and we all react differently to different ingredients. However, there are some elements to a supplement that are linked only to testosterone production increase, and never to a decrease. These are…

• Anacyclus pyrthrum
• Bulbine natalensis
• Epicatechin
• Eurycoma longifolia extract
• Fenugreek extract
• Horney goat weed extract
• L-Arginine
• L-Carnitine
• Mucuna purine
• Pantothenic acid
• Selenium
• Shilajit
• Tongkat ali extract

That’s not to say that all of these will be effective for you, but they’re only associated with a positive increase in testosterone production.

There are many other minerals that are present in testosterone production, but a good quality multivitamin will sort your levels of those without much effort. It will also save you a lot of time, effort and money searching for a magic elixir of testosterone production.

Reduce Stress

Stress levels have been shown to impact testosterone production significantly, regardless of age.

In a study titled ‘Testosterone and cortisol responses to acute and prolonged stress during officer training school‘, 67 young men (around 20 years old) had their testosterone and cortisol levels measured during their 15 week military training programme.

The results showed that long-term exposure to high stress (physical tests, examinations, difficult field-test situations etc) all led to a significant drop in testosterone production and levels.

If it’s the case that young men in the prime of their lives can experience a significant reduction in testosterone during stressful times, what chance to older men have?! Especially when you consider there’s a physiological disadvantage at play too (the reduction in testosterone-producing capability).

It highlights the vital importance of maintaining low stress levels where possible. That can mean a deliberate relaxation practice, such as meditation, yoga, reading, exercise or whatever. Couple this with the other advice in the list to maintain production as best as you can, whilst reducing the other negative aspects of stress.

It’s a great excuse to get away on holiday frequently too!

Why Boost Testosterone?

One of the questions some people ask is why should I boost testosterone?

I think the answer is two-fold. First of all, there’s a health benefit aspect to maintaining testosterone. A healthy testosterone maintains health and vitality. It preserves muscle mass, strength, and the skeletal system. It enhances confidence and vigour. It’s a physical and psychological advantage – hence why it’s a banned substance in sports!

There’s also a psychological element to testosterone maintenance. Nobody likes to feel the negative effects of ageing, and one of the more acute signs of ageing in men is a reduction in testosterone, and the associated health declines.

By maintaining testosterone you retain your health and vitality for longer. It’s not a question of winning medals in sport, it’s a question of maintaining your health, that’s all.

Why Does Testosterone Decline As We Age?

There’s a complicated mechanism by which testosterone production declines with age. Essentially it’s a combination of decline in number and function the Leydig cells in the testes, and a lack of responsiveness to luteinizing hormone, which is secreted by the pituitary gland in the brain.

These two form the axis of testosterone production, and it’s a natural response to age. It’s not the only reason why testosterone production reduces though – there are many lifestyle factors at play.

The combination of age-related physiological changes, coupled with a decline in health-promoting behaviours also impact testosterone production. Frequently as we age, we accumulate more stress – more responsibility at work, children to raise, ageing parents and the like. As I’ve highlighted, this stress is a killer for testosterone production.

The trick is to balance the demands of life with health-promoting behaviours. When you look at the list of non-medical ways to boost testosterone, I don’t think there’s much that’s completely revolutionary. It’s largely a case of maintaining good habits. Eating well, sleeping well, reducing stress, enjoying some sunlight, taking supplements.

That’s a pretty good prescription for a long, healthy life. Never mind high testosterone production.

Proven Non-Medical Ways to Boost Testosterone – Final Thoughts

My problem with the gurus and the supplement companies is that they’re preying on the insecurities of men who are afraid of losing their edge. I suspect they know that a lot of their products don’t work, but as long as those sales keep rolling in, they’re not especially bothered.

The good news is that the non-medical ways to boost testosterone are achievable to anyone.

As this guide shows, if you’re training at high intensity 4-5 days per week, ideally with full body workouts, sleeping 7-10 hours per day, eating well, supplementing, getting some sunlight when possible and maintaining low stress, you’re 99% of the way there.

The benefit of that lifestyle goes far beyond testosterone production as well – you’ll be in great shape, happy and healthy!

If you’d like to read about how I’m training to maintain testosterone production in my 40’s and beyond, read this!