On an average, 25 percent of men aged 30 and above have low testosterone levels. Normal low testosterone signs are decreased energy and fatigue, mood swings, depression, irritability, decreased muscle mass, and increased body fat levels. This decline in testosterone levels is not just linked with obesity and poor muscle quality, but it could also lead to some serious health issues such as low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, bone fracture and osteoporosis. Fortunately, you can reverse these conditions by increasing your testosterone levels, and the best part is that there are natural ways to increase testosterone. In fact, most of the natural methods to increase testosterone are activities you should have been regularly adhering to in the first place.
Compound Lifting
There is no better way to increase testosterone levels naturally than doing some heavy lifting. A compound lift is one of the best heavy lifting exercises you can resort to. A compound lift basically utilizes several muscle groups in your body or perhaps your entire body. Compound lifting comprises deadlifts, squats, cleans and snatches. Compound lifts work because they place increased levels of stress on many muscle tissues. When the number of muscles moving are more, the easier it becomes for the body to use up testosterone.
Eat More Fat
You probably didn’t know this: cholesterol is a natural steroid. The human brain is filled with cholesterol since it assists with cognitive functioning. Though fat consumption should be within certain limits for it to be beneficial to your body, most studies link both fat and cholesterol with increased levels of testosterone in men. Eggs and bacon are good sources of fat. Quit eating bagels and cereal. You can also procure your fats from avocados, nuts, etc.
Vitamins
If there is a vitamin deficiency, it could also lead to declining testosterone levels. The vitamins you need are magnesium, zinc and vitamin D. Sun is a major source of vitamin D. Other vitamins are usually available in the food you eat. However, there are chances you may not be getting the right kind or sufficient levels of necessary vitamins from the sun and food. There are two types of vitamin D. The variant that we are concerned about here is D3, which is not a vitamin but a hormone.
Get More Quality Sleep
Proper sleep can help augment your testosterone levels. Insufficient sleep could lead to several health issues – stress being one of them. Cortisol, the stress hormone, is your enemy (for the most part). In other words, your body loses its ability to properly utilize testosterone if there are abundant levels of cortisol obstructing the process.