Testosterone is probably the best known hormone and everyone looking for big muscle gains wants to know how to increase their levels. Testosterone’s main job is muscle growth and it also helps burn fat and establish your sexual characteristics. Testosterone causes muscle growth by directly stimulating protein synthesis. Men make testosterone in their tests and women make it in their adrenal glands, but in much smaller amounts than men. This is why it is easier for men to build large amounts of muscle.
In most cases (without exercise or diet), testosterone production begins to decline at the age of 40 for most men. Decreased testosterone production can cause muscle loss, bone loss, increased body fat, weakness, and depression.
But fortunately, to some degree, you can control your testosterone levels through the ratio of food in your diet and exercise. To support testosterone levels, your diet should be balanced and consist of large amounts of vitamins and minerals (especially the B vitamins, vitamin C, zinc, and manganese). When it comes to gaining muscle, a high fat intake is necessary to stimulate maximum testosterone production. Diets low in fat or products that contain it, such as a vegetarian diet (with the exception of diets that include rice, potatoes, oats, etc.), produce much lower levels of testosterone compared to a diet rich in meat or fish . Fat provides the cholesterol necessary for the synthesis of testosterone. There are about 100 mg of cholesterol in 3 oz. of red meat.
Heavy resistance training (80-95% effort) and short rest intervals also stimulate higher than normal testosterone levels!
So here is some information on how to increase your testosterone levels along with some interesting tips:
• Runners and weight lifters have lower testosterone levels than bodybuilders.
• Higher volume activities (more than 8 hours per week) lower testosterone levels.
• The higher your stress level, the lower your testosterone level.
• Alcohol lowers your testosterone levels. Even one night out can send your testosterone levels plummeting.
• High intensity training causes a periodic rise in testosterone levels, but then drops. T levels stay for a day or two and then start to rise again. This is a good reason for the hard gainer to train every other day.
• Sex, masturbation and erotic stimulation cause an increase in testosterone levels.
• Pain relievers such as aspirin, marijuana, and codeine lower testosterone levels.
• Diets high in cholesterol, protein, fat, and saturated fat increase testosterone levels.
• Increasing polyunsaturated fat and decreasing saturated fat will lower testosterone levels.
• High protein generally equals more saturated fat and cholesterol.
• T levels will decrease with restricted diets, but will restore within 48 hours of refeeding.
To sum it all up, testosterone levels are highest during the summer, winning streaks, periods of higher fat intake, and when you are sexually active. And testosterone levels are low during winter, losing streaks, stress and depression, low-carb diets, drug and alcohol use, and sexual inactivity.