The Complete Guide to Men Testosterone Boosters

Testosterone is the most important male sex hormone. It is natural for testosterone levels to decline as a person ages, but there are steps that they can take to slow, and perhaps reverse, the process.

Testosterone is vital to a person’s overall health and well-being. Low levels of testosterone can affect body composition unfavorably, and as people age, reduced testosterone levels can also cause weight gain.

Low levels of testosterone also affect sexual function, causing reduced sex drive, fewer erections, and infertility.

So it impacts everything from mood, memory to bone health—but yes, to be clear, it also makes muscles bigger and stronger, and helps increase endurance and athletic performance.

So what do you do if you want more of it? If you’ve watched, read about, or listened to a sporting event in the last few years, you know that there are plenty of companies dying to sell you a supplement that promises to boost your natural production of testosterone.

To be clear, we’re not talking about testosterone-replacement therapy here. That’s a prescription-drug-based treatment and is a popular option for men who get a low testosterone reading in a clinical setting.
Here, we’re talking about dietary supplements, a popular choice for men who just want to bump theirs from “kinda low” to “kinda high,” or from “I have no idea” to “I feel frickin’ awesome” and see how it pays off in the mirror, the gym, and everywhere.
The question, of course, is this: Do testosterone boosters actually work? Let’s dig deeper.

What Do Testosterone Boosters Do?

There is a long list of things that get better with age: jeans, whiskey, and cheese, just to name a few. However, your body and physical capabilities don’t have it quite so easy. We start to see some not-so-favorable changes in strength and muscle mass as we pass through our third decade, and things don’t get any easier from there.

What’s to blame? Testosterone. In fact, after age 30, most men begin to experience a gradual decline in the hormone. It can be just a little dip, or it can be a nosedive, depending on a wide range of factors—from body composition to stress level.

Testosterone boosters are a class of herbal supplements aimed at naturally increasing your testosterone levels. Usually, they contain micronutrients that men are commonly deficient in, such as zinc, and which have been connected in research to healthy testosterone levels. They also may contain adaptogens, which are a class of supplement that is thought to help the body adapt to stress or ingredients which have been connected to improved sleep. Sleep restriction has been shown to reduce testosterone in healthy young men

Testosterone boosters can work by increasing testosterone within a normal range or by providing indirect hormone support. Either way, in the end, these supplements are meant to give all the benefits a healthy testosterone level can provide: faster recovery from exercise, bigger and stronger muscles, and increased libido, to name a few.
Are Testosterone Boosters Safe?

Similar to pre-workout supplements and fat burners, testosterone boosters don’t always have a sterling reputation. Look on the shelf in a supp shop, and in all three cases, you’ll probably see a few products that look amateurish and have mysterious-looking proprietary blends on the label.

However, this doesn’t mean that testosterone boosters are unsafe. It just means you need to be your own best advocate!

Always read reviews before purchasing, and choose a testosterone booster from a reputable, established supplement company. Only take the recommended dose, and keep your doctor in the loop about what you’re taking if you have other health concerns or take medications.

Also, don’t expect a testosterone booster or any supplement to “solve” your health and fitness for you. How you eat and exercise has a bigger impact on your testosterone levels than you might think! And if you want your test-quest to be both safe and effective, you need to take both into consideration.

If you’re completely inactive, or if you’re completely burned out from overly intense training, neither one is going to help your T-levels. And when it comes to nutrition, eating enough—and getting adequate dietary fats—are both essential for healthy testosterone levels, and for general health. Sometimes extreme low-calorie dieting and fasting will hinder testosterone levels from staying at their peak, along with better-known villains like chronic stress.
Don’t dig yourself into an even deeper hole. Give your booster a fighting chance!

Do Testosterone Boosters Help You Build Muscle?

In short, yes, they can. However, a crap diet and mediocre training program will certainly decrease the effectiveness of your testosterone booster. And a great training program and a solid diet can both help you build muscle and boost testosterone.

Loading (or “intensity”), overall volume, exercise choice and even exercise order can have an impact.
Likewise, the amino acids in a protein-rich diet play a big role in both testosterone and muscle growth. “When combined with training, which increases the sensitivity of androgen receptors, and the consumption of essential amino acids necessary to support protein synthesis, the effects of testosterone on muscle and performance is significantly amplified.”

So before you take a single serving of your test booster, make sure you’ve got yourself set up for success. Exercise consistently with a well-designed muscle-building program, and make sure you are taking inadequate protein and overall calories based on your body weight, goals, and activity level.

Focus on eating right and training hard, and your testosterone booster will be worth more!

What Ingredients Are In The Best Testosterone Boosters?

You’ve probably noticed there’s a wide range of ingredients when it comes to popular test-support products. If you want to achieve the best results possible, it’s important to know the basics of science-backed ingredients. Here’s our list of top ingredients that can make a big difference in your T-levels within a healthy, normal range!

There are many herbs & supplements around which can contribute to boosting testosterone. Our belief and research show that Cordyceps Sinensis, Panax Ginseng, Tribulus Terrestris, Fenugreek, Kaunch Beej Extract (Mucuna Pruriens), Akarkara Extract (Anacyclus pyrethrum), Safed Musli Extract (Chlorophytum Borivilianum), Kali Musli Extract(Curculigo orchioides), L Arginine & Ashwagandha(Withania Somnifera) are widely known to enhance T-Level and performance*.

Fenugreek
Commonly called as Methi & traditionally used in the preparation of curry powders, pickles, and pastes, studies are now investigating Fenugreek for its anabolic properties.

A study out of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas, examined the effects of fenugreek supplementation on strength and body composition in resistance-trained men. Researchers found that while both the placebo and fenugreek groups significantly increased their strength during the first four weeks, only the fenugreek group saw significant increases in strength after eight weeks of training and supplementation.

This lends to the idea that fenugreek could help you continue to increase strength and muscle after hitting a plateau. Additionally, only the fenugreek group saw significant increases in lean body mass at both four and eight weeks.

Zinc And/Or Magnesium

These are often in testosterone boosters individually or combined in what is known as ZMA.

ZMA is a combination of zinc monomethionine aspartate, magnesium aspartate, and vitamin B-6. It’s a recognizable name found on several supplement labels, including sleep aids and test boosters. Most often used as a recovery aid to help the body achieve deeper levels of REM sleep, ZMA claims to increase muscular strength and hormonal profiles.
Why bother with such common micronutrients? Because it’s not uncommon for athletes to suffer from zinc and magnesium deficiencies, partly due to inadequate replenishing of levels after intense bouts of exercise. Deficiencies in these key minerals can lead to a poor anabolic hormone profile, impaired immune function, and increased cortisol, ultimately leading to decreases in strength and performance.

In a placebo-controlled study, 27 Division II football players received either a placebo or a ZMA supplement for a total of seven weeks during their scheduled spring practice. At the end of the seven weeks, the players taking the ZMA supplement had a 30 percent increase in testosterone, while the placebo group had a 10 percent decrease. The ZMA group also saw an 11.6 percent increase in strength, compared to only 4.6 percent in the placebo group.
Sleep better and get stronger—sounds like a win-win to us!

Ashwagandha

Used both in recovery-focused supplement blends and in testosterone boosters.

Popular through the centuries in Ayurvedic healing (a traditional practice of medicine in India) ashwagandha is what is known as an “adaptogen.” This means the body may be able to use it to help adapt to stressors. While many people supplement with it for reducing cortisol, anxiety, and fatigue levels, ashwagandha also holds relevance for us here with potential testosterone boosting benefits.

Though evidence is limited, ashwagandha supplementation has been associated with increased testosterone levels in men, as well as some growth in muscle and strength in comparison to a group taking a placebo.

Because of its anti-stress potential, ashwagandha is also one of the top four supplements recommended to improve sleep. There is also research connecting this herb to improved sexual health in both men and women.

We should also mention that the name ashwagandha means “the smell of a horse,” and in the ayurvedic tradition, it’s said to give you the strength and vitality of a horse. So perhaps its reputation as a testosterone booster isn’t so new after all.

OTHERS
One study published in the Journal of Hormone and Metabolic Research found that taking vitamin D supplements might correct a deficiency and even contribute to increased testosterone levels.

Getting at least 15 minutes of direct sunshine each day can also keep vitamin D levels managed. Food sources high in vitamin D include salmon and other fatty fishes or fortified milk and cereal products.

Eating healthful fats found in fish and flaxseed might help the body use the DHEA it produces.

Magnesium supplementation can help return testosterone levels to normal if the cause of the decrease is a deficiency.

One study in the journal Biological Trace Element Research found that taking supplements for at least 1 month might increase testosterone in all people. The report added that people who exercise would see a more significant increase in testosterone levels than those who are not active.

As with magnesium, zinc deficiency may contribute to a drop in testosterone. One older study from 2007 showed 4 weeks of zinc supplementation could prevent a decline in testosterone levels in sedentary men who do exercise.
It is possible to correct both magnesium and zinc deficiency through diet. Magnesium-rich foods include whole grains and dark leafy greens. Zinc is also an ingredient in dark greens, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds.

Creatine is known for its small but reliable testosterone increases. A research study from 2006 found higher levels of testosterone in college football players after taking creatine supplements for at least 10 weeks. Creatine occurs naturally in salmon, tuna, and beef.

How Can I Make My Test Booster More Effective With Exercise?

Test boosters can be an effective accessory for increasing muscle strength and size, but they won’t take the place of a solid resistance-training program. Research has shown regular strength training has the potential to help boost your testosterone levels, not just benefit the testosterone you have.[14] It’s a win-win relationship.

Here are a few tips to take your training and T to the next level:

• Think big to small: Research shows that starting your workout with compound lifts (bench press, squat, overhead press, etc.) followed by smaller isolation movements leads to a greater anabolic response.
• Get in, get out: Try to shorten your workouts without decreasing overall volume. Testosterone levels are higher after shorter workouts, like less than 60 minutes. During that time, keep most rest periods brief, like 30-90 seconds, explains strength coach Parker Hyde.
• Keep more weapons in your arsenal: Occasionally use lifting methods like forced reps, negatives, and dropsets to further stress your body. Personal trainer and fitness journalist Michael Berg explains in “6 Ways to Crank Up Your Testosterone Levels” that going beyond muscular failure with these techniques has been shown to pump up T-levels in study subjects.
• No, doing it on every set probably isn’t a good idea, but going for broke on the final set of a safe exercise—say, curls or shoulder presses—can pay off over time.
• As a final note, start using any test booster with the proper mindset. Building your testosterone levels, like building your dream physique, isn’t an overnight project. Dig in, do the work, and make choices that will set you up for long-term success.

Takeaway

Testosterone development starts before birth and assists in the development of the male sex organs.

Testosterone drives libido, production of sperm, distribution of body fat, muscle strength, and creation of red blood cells in males. Women also produce testosterone in their ovaries and adrenal glands, but they produce significantly lower levels than men.

People can boost testosterone naturally through diet and exercise, or in some cases, through supplementation.