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Im sure you have seen the endless list of the benefits of optimal testosterone
levels, which include (but are not limited to):
The guide is broken into 4 big sections; lifestyle, nutrition, training, and supplementation.
The four sections hide inside multiple topics from sleep, to macronutrient splits, to
testicular health, all the way into neuromuscular training, hypoxia, sleep, sex, walking
On a study by Penev et al. the men who slept for ~4 hours had an average of 200-300 ng/dL
testosterone levels in serum, whereas the guys who slept for ~8 hours had levels closer to
500-700 ng/dL.
A study from Gov et al. showed similar results. On 531 Chinese men, increased sleep time
was highly correlated with higher total and -free testosterone levels. The researchers also
calculated that each extra hour of sleep led to about 15% more testosterone.
2. Be Lean and Have Some Muscle Mass
Why being fat often leads to low testosterone levels? The full answer is likely much
more complex than this, but what we do know is that increased fat-mass leads to
increased aromatase enzyme activity, which in turn leads to more testosterone being
converted to estrogen. Also, increased oxidative stress, metabolic syndrome, and poor
insulin-sensitivity are some other major-players in obesity related low-T.
Good news are that you can easily increase testosterone levels just by losing weight, in
particular losing the fat-mass, not muscle. Though its worth mentioning that there is a
limit to your leanness where it start to negatively impact testosterone production; going
below ~8% body fat starts to decrease thyroid activity, and because of that youll
eventually have to start cutting your caloric intake too much, and both of those things
will start zapping the life out of your androgens.
NOTE: The weight-loss industry is chock-full of some major league bullshit. This guide should help
you in getting to know everything there is to know about losing fat in a sane muscle-preserving way.
3. Stress Less
No dont get me wrong here, we all need some cortisol. It gets us up in the morning and
allows us as a species to walk with 2 feet, and without cortisol any kind of minor trauma
would instantly bring you into full shock and kill you
Out of the millions of chemicals used, most are relatively harmless. However there are
some compounds that have been proven to disrupt hormone production and functions in
the body.
How to reduce the exposure then? Well, its pretty much impossible to avoid all
exposure in the modern World, but you can slash your exposure significantly by using a
tap water filter, drinking from steel or glass cups and bottles, using natural personal-care
items, and eating less canned foods. Grocery store receipts are also coated with BPA, so
better not fiddle around with them too much.
5. Spark Up Your Sex Life
Is there any research on increased sexual activity and testosterone levels? You bet there
is.
A study of 44 men visiting a sex club actually showed that the guys who went there only to
watch other people have sex, had an average increase of 11% in their testosterone levels,
whereas the guys who went and actually had sex there noted an average increase of 72%.
Its also seen in couples that on the nights that there is sexual activity, testosterone
levels are significantly higher than on the nights that they dont have sex. One of the
many findings in the Baltimore Longitudal Study on Aging was that in men over 60-years
of age, those with higher level of sexual activity had significantly greater serum
testosterone levels.
Much has been theorized about ejaculations and testosterone, and there seems to be this
common misbelief that busting a nut would drain the body from testosterone (which
fortunately isnt the case). I recently wrote a more detailed article about the subject which
can be found here.
6. Know the Side-Effects of Prescription
Drugs
In many cases, prescription drugs can prove to be vitally important to the patient.
However, its also worth noting that in order for the pharmaceutical companies to make
money people have to be sick and for some reason we are only treating the symptoms
with more and more pills instead of actually focusing on the cause of the illness.
Though at the end of the day, your health is your own personal responsibility. Not the
doctors. Not the governments. Yours.
With that being said, heres some studies about prescription drugs that have
side-effect of lowering testosterone levels (what ever you might do with this
info is your decision);
Corticosteroids
Opiate-based painkillers
Some beta-blockers and tranquilizers
A type-2 diabetes drug called Sylfonylurea
A blood pressure drug called Spironolactone
Acid reducers such as; Tagamet, Cidemetidine, etc
Hair-loss drugs such as Finasteride and Dutasteride
Statins and other drugs that interfere with cholesterol synthesis
Some anti-fungal drugs, such as the commonly used ketoconazole
Many SSRIs (anti-depressants) are notorious for causing low sex-drive and also low-
T
7. TestShock Program
The problem is that I dont want to promote bullshit in here, and that
is exactly what 95% of the natural testosterone optimization
programs and supplements are.
Not TestShock though. The moment I had read the first few pages of the book I knew that
this was something different, something that aligns with the actual scientific evidence,
and something that might truly be the complete A-Z guide for natural testosterone
optimization.
Now I dont want to over-hype the program, but if you like to read articles like
the one youre reading now, and youre interested in natural T-enhancement,
then youre going to love all the 262-pages of Christopher Walkers TestShock
program.
Heres Cuddy herself talking about the topic and the study:
9. Money, Success, and Competition
This study of young future-traders is a great example. In it, the traders noted higher
testosterone levels on the days that they made above average profits. One young gun in
the study ended up on a 6-day money streak and had 78% higher T-levels in serum as a
result.
The results were likely caused by the fact that winning and success in almost any form of
competition are both heavily correlated with increased testosterone levels (study, study,
study, study), and what does a big pay day make you feel like? Winning of course. It
doesnt necessarily have to be money that generates the feeling of success. It can be
sports, even watching sports, simply getting a list of tasks done, etc. Whatever makes you
get the genuine feeling of being the boss and dominating your pursuits.
10. Testicular Health
I guess some sort of testicular massage might also help in T production, though
there isnt (understandably) any research on that .
11. Check What you Smoke
This effect is likely caused by nicotine, which acts as aromatase enzyme inhibitor
(turning less testosterone into estrogen) and also blocks the conversion from
dihydrotestosterone into a weaker metabolite 3-alpha-diol
Then theres also the metals and minerals in tobacco which can have androgenic
effects, bottom line being that smokers tend to have bit higher T levels than non-
smokers, even though smoking itself is not too healthy thing to do.
When it comes to cannabis, some studies say that the active ingredient (THC) can inhibit
testicular enzymes needed in testosterone production and reduce T-levels, though the
effects are reversible and not as significant as some people claim. In fact there have been
few studies where smoking pot has not negatively impacted any hormones (study, study).
12. Alcohol in Excess is Not your T-Boosting
Pal
The metabolization process of alcohol tends to reduce the amount of coenzyme NAD+,
which is an essential part of the electron donoring process necessary for
steroidogenesis.
Alcohol can also increase the release of beta-opioid-endorphins from the brain and
stimulate the hormone prolactin, both of which can negatively affect testosterone
production.
Oxidative damage increases thorough the body in response to alcohol consumption,
this leading to localized reduction of testosterone in the gonads and also indirect
reduction via increased cortisol levels.
Chronically high intake of alcohol is notorious for its effects in increasing the
aromatase enzyme, which converts testosterone into estrogen, causing a feminized
effect in the male body.
How much do you have to drink to actually suppress test levels though?
The most damaging effects come from few rodent studies (study, study, study, study). One
rat study in particular showed a staggering 50% reduction in testicular size after they were
fed with a diet containing 5% of the calories from alcohol.
Rodents aint the only ones who see suppressed T-levels after alcohol ingestion. Heavy
alcohol consumption has been linked to lowered testosterone levels in humans too
(study, study, study, study). Its also known that chronic alcoholics tend to have
significantly lower levels of testosterone accompanied with significantly higher estrogen
levels than their non-alcoholic peers (study, study, study)
Luckily enough, few studies have shown that low-moderate alcohol consumption isnt
that bad for male hormone production. Here an equivalent of ~2 glasses of red wine was
associated with a mere 7% reduction in testosterone. In this one 0,5g/kg of alcohol
actually slightly increased testosterone levels.
In the case of alcohol, the dose really does make the poison. Enjoying
a few old fashioneds or beers once in a while isnt enough to
chemically castrate you.
13. Caloric Intake Matters
It doesnt even have to be a massive calorie deficit, a 7-year study compared men who
restricted their calories (13502415 kcal/day) and ate very clean against sedentary
subjects who ate a normal Western diet with higher caloric intake (2145-3537 kcal/day).
Due to their restrictive caloric intake, the group of men that ate lower amounts of calories
had 31% lower testosterone levels, despite the fact that they maintained a clean diet and
practiced running on a regular basis.
The catch-22 here is that if youre fat (which lowers testosterone), you MUST be on a
caloric deficit to lose the weight, and the deficit itself can end up reducing your T-levels.
So should you remain fat and make sure that youre not getting too few calories? Or
should you consider losing the weight by eating a calorie deficit and then bumping your
calories up to maintenance level after youre lean?
The answer is the latter option obviously.
When you start eating more after your weight loss success, your hormone production
quickly shoots up, and as you lean down, its going to jump up to much higher numbers
than what it was on a caloric surplus when you were still fat. If you want to lose weight
slowly without really hurting your T-levels in the process, consider a really small deficit of
only -15%, which has been shown to have no significant negative impact on testosterone
production.
The problem is that the bodybuilding sites and magazines preach everyone to eat super-
high amounts of protein (remember that they also sell you the protein), and protein IN
EXCESS is not only useless for your muscle building goals, but it can also significantly
reduce testosterone levels.
A study by Anderson et al. shows that when the male subjects undergo 10-days on a high-
protein low-carb diet, their free-testosterone levels will be 36% lower than what they
would be on a high-carbohydrate low-protein diet. High-protein diets also caused
significantly higher cortisol (stress hormone) levels and as to be expected from lowered
bioavailable T increased SHBG levels. Caloric intake and the amount of dietary fat was
kept the same during both diets.
Another study, this time on resistance trained men, showed that dose-dependent
reductions in testosterone were caused by increased percentages of energy from protein
as well as increased protein to carbohydrate ratio.
The bottom line is that yes, you do need protein for both testosterone and muscle gains,
but no, you dont need as much as the fitness industry claims. For the optimal amount in
terms of T-production, a good starting point would be ~20-25% daily calories from
protein. As well as getting the majority from animal sources since plant-based protein is
inferior to animal sourced when it comes to big T.
The fact of the matter is that it has been scientifically proven that weight-loss has
absolutely nothing to do with the amount of carbohydrates or other macronutrient
trickery. Heck, you can eat the shittiest sugary snacks for all of your meals and still lose
weight as long as youre in a state of caloric deficit. Guess why? Because thats how the
human body works.
In the past few years as the paleo diet has become a thing, their so called experts have
been telling people that since the cavemen didnt eat a lot of carbs, we shouldnt either.
The thing is that they had absolutely no evidence to back up their claims about
paleolithic humans not eating carbs. Recent evidence actually suggests that cavemen ate
plenty of them.
The biggest reason why no man should go on a low-carb diet, is the fact that theyre
notorious for lowering testosterone levels, increasing the stress hormone cortisol, and
messing up with your sleep.
As explained in the above subheading, Andersson et al. found out that when caloric intake
and fat intake are kept the same, diet high in carbs and low in protein leads to 36% higher
free-testosterone level and lower cortisol production when compared to one with high-
protein low-carbs. The study by Volek et al. Found similar results, go low on carbs and
testosterone takes a hit.
When two groups of men undergoing intensive cycling 3x/week eat a diet of either 30%
energy from carbs or 60% energy from carbs, the group which eats less carbs will have
significantly lower free-testosterone levels. Similar results have been seen in a study with
both men and women as subjects.
In this study, exercising men who are put on a low-carb diet, notice significant increases
in the stress hormone cortisol (needless to say this is not a good thing). The pulastion rate
of GnRH (master hormone that starts the testosterone production process) also seems to
be heavily dependent on glucose availibity.
A crucial part that is often left out in many articles is the part of
different types fats having different effects on your hormones.
Bottom line: Ideally youd want to keep your dietary fat intake at somewhere close to
~40% of daily calories, while most of them coming from SFAs and MUFAs with limited
amounts of PUFAs and trans fats. In case youre scared about the effects this would have
on your cardiovascular system, theres very little to be afraid of, recent research has
showed that the link between saturated fat & dietary cholesterol with heart problems was
never really strong, and the older studies have been debunked multiple times in more
recent trials.
17. About that Sugar
Theres no research that I know of which would of have linked sugar intake to long-term
reductions in testosterone. In fact, the studies on carbs being pro-testosterone and GnRH
increasing its pulsation rate in high-glucose environments speak towards the fact that
sugar, which is basically what all carbohydrates eventually convert into, is not that bad
for testosterone levels. It might actually be relatively good to consume some sugar on a
daily basis.
In my opinion, sugar has been unfairly demonized. It doesnt make you fat as everyone
and their dog claims, overeating anything does. Sure its not that filling, and it might be
more addictive than many other foods, but its not some toxic poison that destroys you
from the inside out as is often boldly stated in click-bait headlines. Dr Ray Peats info on
sugar is something I highly recommend to everyone who still lives in sugarophobia.
The liver provides about 70% of our active thyroid hormone, by converting
thyroxine to T3, but it can provide this active hormone only when it has
adequate glucose.
Dr. Ray Peat
Not to mention that its increasingly harder to consume your daily caloric needs from
plant-based foods alone (not to say that this isnt possible, its just much harder).
Factoring those in, its no surprise that many studies have linked plant-based diets to
lower testosterone levels. For instance, in this 1989 study changing from meat-based diet
to plant-based one resulted in a 26% reduction in free-testosterone levels. Another study
did the same thing with 30 male subjects and saw a 36% reduction in total testosterone
levels on plant-based diet. Multiple other studies have noted that plant-based diets can
lead to higher SHBG levels resulting in lower free-T and thus lower bio-availibity of
testosterone for the androgen receptors (study, study, study)
Though this isnt always the case, in one study it was noted that after adjusting BMI,
vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters dont really differ much in terms of testosterone
levels. In fact in that singular study the vegan group had 6% higher total testosterone
levels than meat-eaters.
Which brings me to the point. You dont necessarily have to crush your testosterone
levels with vegan/vegetarian diets. If you can get in a good amount of calories,
accompanied with some SFAs and MUFAs (coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, Macadimia
nuts), its likely that you can maintain high testosterone levels despite not eating any
animal-products.
Sure, organic foods are more expensive, and surely you dont HAVE
to switch everything organic in order to maintain high-T, and yes not
all pesticides are harmful
But some can be. In this study, the researchers screened 37 commonly used pesticides
for their hormonal actions in-vitro, as many as 30 of them were antiandrogens. Another
study tested multiple pesticides for their effects on the 5-alpha reductase enzyme and saw
that many of them had a mechanism for blocking DHT synthesis.
In a large-scale American study, it was noted that 91% of the US test subjects had notable
amounts of the insecticide; chlorpyrifos in their bodies. In another human study, TCPY
(3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol) which is a metabolite of chlorpyrifos, was noted of having a
dose-dependent testosterone lowering effect in multiple linear regression models. Several
animal studies have also shown that chlorpyrifos has a significant testosterone lowering
effect (study, study, study).
In isolated testicular leydig cells, one of the most widely used herbicides in the World;
Glyphosate, had a direct testosterone lowering effect at normally occurring environmental
dosages.
Two interesting studies from Denmark have showed that farmers who spray their crops
with conventional pesticides experience lower sperm production and lowered sex
hormones when compared to farmes who produce organic foods whom have higher sperm
quality and higher sex hormone levels (study, study).
Many other pesticides such as organophosphates, Vinclozolin, PCBs, and Atrazine have
been also linked to suppressed testosterone production.
NOTE: Im not a fan of fear-mongering (think FoodBabe, Mercola, David Wolfe, NaturalNews), which
is why I refrain from making any wacky tin-foil hat accusations about pesticide use. Indeed GMOs
have saved thousands of lives in Africa, and in many cases theres a legit reason to use crop-sprays,
preservatives, and so forth. Its always your personal decision whether you eat organic or
conventional produce, or maybe you mix them up. The most important thing is that you read the
evidence about them yourself instead of blindly following one expert with one specific stance,
Its the amount of hormones, in particular the naturally occurring mammalian estrogens,
and especially in countries like US where the cows are kept pregnant (this increasing
estrone content by up to 33x) for over 300-days of the year.
As a big-fan of milk, I was not happy to find this Japanese study where drinking cows milk
resulted in increased serum estrogen and progesterone levels, which suppressed GnRH
secretion from the brain and thus lowered testosterone secretion in men and prepubertal
boys during a 21-day study period.
Since the conjugated hormones are mostly in the fat portion of the
milk, it seems that skimmed and low-fat milk would be a hormonally
better option
And indeed there are two studies which support this theory;
A study where physically active men drank full-fat milk and their overall sperm
quality significantly decreased
A study where consumption of low-fat and skimmed milk increased sperm volume
and mobility
Its also known that the more cholesterol you consume through your diet, the less of it
your body has to synthesize in liver, intestines, adrenal glands, and reproductive organs.
Bottom line is that all the steroid hormones are made from cholesterol, and even though
your body naturally synthesis it on a daily basis and controls the production accordingly
to your dietary intake increased dietary intake of cholesterol, as well as blood levels of
HDL cholesterol, are still positively linked to increased serum testosterone levels. So eat
some egg yolks and make sure to keep your blood HDL (the good cholesterol) high.
Looking at tea from the hormonal point of view, its not so supreme after all;
Tea is one of the foods with highest known fluoride content and fluoride in excess can
significantly lower T-levels.
When isolated leydig cells are exposed to green tea catechins (EGCG and EC),
stimulated testosterone production drops significantly.
Injecting rodents with green tea antioxidants ended up crushing testosterone levels by
a whopping 70%!
The catechins and tannins in various teas have a mechanism of blocking DHT
synthesis via reducing 5-a enzyme (study, study).
Adding increasingly bigger dosages of green tea to male rodents feed (human
equivalents of 5 to 20 cups) caused dose-dependent reductions in testosterone between
25-78%.
I recommend choosing coffee instead, since not only does coffee taste better, its
also pro-testosterone;
4mg/kg of caffeine taken 1-hour prior to exercise can increase T-levels by 12% in elite
athletes.
When infused into a chewing gum 240mgs of caffeine was able to increase the
exercise-induced testosterone boost by 14%
In this study, pre-workout caffeine dosed at 200, 400, 600, and 800mgs led to dose-
dependent increases in testosterone
Caffeine is known to be a non-selective PDE-inhibitor, reducing the breakdown rate
of cAMP (a compound needed in T-synthesis)
23. Intermittent Fasting for Androgen
Sensitivity
In fact there are few interesting studies which have shown that after a short-term fast,
your androgen receptors become more sensitive towards testosterone than what they
would be if youd eat on a constant basis. Even after 10-days of water fasting, re-feeding
shoots testosterone levels higher than what the baseline was in the beginning. (study,
study)
Flaxseed products
Licorice
High-PUFA Vegetable Oils
Mint, Peppermint, Spearmint
Soy Products
Trans-Fats
Alcohol
Green tea
High-PUFA nuts
Studies on the topic are highly inconclusive though, and while many of them do show that
soy lowers testosterone levels (study, study, study, study, study, study, study), others
show no apparent change (study, study, study, study).
I personally do limit my soy consumption, not necessarily because of the research on its
effects for testosterone, but because soy is also chock-full of goitrogens, which are
compounds present in foods, medication, or chemicals, that disrupt the production of
thyroid hormones by interfering with iodine uptake in the thyroid gland.
Since thyroid activity is crucial for your energy levels and overall
health, Im not going to stuff my face with soy when I know theres
plenty of research suggesting that it can negatively impact thyroid
activity
Also soy tastes awful and Im not a vegan/vegetarian, so what real reason
would there be to even consume it?
During exercise the importance of drinking plenty of water is increased, since even mild
dehydration will suppress the exercise induced rise in testosterone and growth hormone,
while dehydration also increases cortisol secretion.
It has been shown in studies that even a mild 1-2% dehydration can significantly raise
cortisol levels (study, study) and lower growth hormone secretion. One study by Volek et
al. actually tested the effects between hydrated state, dehydration by 2,5%, and
dehydration by 5% on their hormonal effects during exercise and saw that the less water
the subjects drank, the higher their cortisol and lower their testosterone levels were.
28. Resistance Training Recommended
But also in the long-term by forcing the body to adapt into a new normal where your
testosterone production is significantly higher even at rest mainly due to forced
neuromuscular adaptations (study, study, study, study).
Resistance training is also generally very healthy, and its easily the best way for men to
make your body look great, which amps up your confidence and can furthermore boost
your T-levels due to those feelings of success as explained in the subheading #9 of this
article.
The idea is not just to lift weights in any manner that you can think of, but
instead what you want to do for optimal hormonal response is to;
All of the above pointers will be addressed more in detail in the below subheadings.
NOTE: Theres also a book coming out in the few following weeks by Chris Walker titled as the THOR-
program and designed specifically for hormonal response training, ie. getting the biggest hormonal bang for
regular sprinting
hill & wind sprints
circuit training
playing hockey
HIIT cycling
Heres a great example of hill sprints that would be pretty great for hormonal
response (courtesy of FitByGreen.com):
Bottom line: Basically any type of exercise where you can do quick 15-30 second all-out
bouts of exercise in 2-8 intervals will work wonders for anabolic hormones and
neuroendocrine adaptations. Instead of boring hours of steady-state cardio, consider
crushing it with few all-out sprints for maximal hormonal gains.
30. Maintain Regular Physical Activity
There are even studies to show how effective regular physical activity is for T:
A recent study from the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition observed 41
obese and overweight male subject who were put on a lifestyle modification program
lasting 12-weeks, consisting of varied amounts of physical activity (measured by a
pedometer) and reduced caloric intake. The goal of the study was to determine which one
had the biggest impact on testosterone levels; increased physical activity or reduced
caloric intake and the resultant weight-loss? After the 12-weeks had passed, the
researchers found out that it was the high physical activity not so much the magnitude
of the calorie deficit which was the driving factor in the subjects rising T levels.
(LPA = low physical activity, HPA = high physical activity, LCR = low calorie restriction, HCR = high
calorie restriction).
Of course walking isnt the only physical activity that boosts T-levels, when sedentary
subjects are compared against active subjects, the more physically active guys do have
higher sperm counts and testosterone levels. Also its seen in studies that when sedentary
men start some sort of physical activity and/or low-pace exercise routine, their T levels
tend to go up as well (study, study, study)
The cardio question first. Sure, there are many opinions, but the actual evidence is
suggesting that yes, cardio before weights is more anabolic.
In fact a study by Rosa et al. showed that the guys who hit cardio before weights had 7x
higher post-workout testosterone levels than the guys who did cardio after weight training
(due to stimulus interference the researchers claim).
NOTE: Although the immediate post-exercise hormone alterations are not going to massively
impact your physique or resting T-levels, its still good to have that 7x higher testosterone response
When it comes to morning or evening training, it doesnt really matter. Even though
your T-levels are naturally highest in the morning, over long-term training increases
testosterone levels in similar fashion regardless of the time of the day (study, study).
It also goes without saying that your body will look quite weak and
frail if you train mainly for endurance.
A much better option for those of us who dont need to train for endurance, would be
something like low-pace walking or hiking. Obviously resistance training and high-
intensity intervals are the optimal way to train for T, but if youre looking for a bit more
lighter way to balance hormones, slowly walking with a small incline is actually much
more beneficial for T and especially normal cortisol secretion than chronic endurance
training.
Basically reverse pyramid training comes down to first warming up, then hitting your first
set with all-out effort of say for example 5-8 reps, then you rest for roughly 3-5 minutes
and reduce the weight by 10% and do the same with 1-2 more reps than in the first set. If
you want to do more sets, keep reducing the weight by ~10% and adding 1-2 reps. IMHO 2-
3 sets is optimal (more than that is just unnecessary strain for the central nervous
system).
4 reps of deadlifts -> Reduce weight by 10%, rest ~4 minutes and do 5-6 reps of the
same movement.
5 reps of weighted wide-grip pull-ups -> Reduce the weight by 10%, rest ~4 minutes
and do 7 reps of the same movement.
8 reps of weighted chin-ups -> Reduce weight by 10%, rest ~4 minutes and continue
with 10 reps of the same movement.
6 reps of lat pulldowns with narrow handle -> Reduce weight by 10%, rest ~4
minutes and do 8 reps.
Aaand thats it for the back, a total of 8 sets which might seem like a ridiculously low
amount of work but when done correctly (1st set is really ALL OUT set) youre actually
going to be pretty done. Go ahead and give it a shot if you dont believe my word
Since increased muscle activation is known to increase the testosterone and growth
hormone response, youll often see people saying that in order to boost testosterone you
have to squat, squat, deadlift, squat and then do some deadlifts. And sure enough deadlifts
and squats are very good movements for size and increased muscle activation, but they
fall short on intensity (explosiveness) not allowing you to maximize the activation of fast
glycotic muscle fibers, and they also bring you more easily to the training treshold.
Some movements which actually can be used for NM training to maximize all
the above factors are;
If you workout with a reverse pyramid style doing neuromuscular movements and some
HIIT cardio once in a while, you really cant be lifting every day. You can try but
eventually this will lead to sluggish progress and messed up hormonal response, which is
exactly what were trying to avoid here.
In short, you want to workout 3-5 times a week with ALL OUT INTENSITY and then REST
properly so that your muscles, endocrine system, and CNS are always primed for your
next workout which will be slightly more intense/heavier.
Going to the gym with no energy and when youre still recovering from
the previous workouts does very little to your progress and only
negatively affects the hormonal response.
Remember, constant progress is the key to gains and hormonal adaptations. In order to
push for that increased testosterone response and to move your resting baseline higher
and higher (creating the new normal) you have to get out of your comfort zone and
constantly progress to heavier weights and higher intensities
Another study saw that after sedentary subjects started a resistance training routine, their
baseline testosterone levels shot up by over 40% in just 4-weeks. Why? Likely because
they had to get out of the comfort-zone and create a new normal to which their
hormones had to adapt into.
Thats the idea behind constantly pushing yourself and getting to higher weights and
better intensities as you get stronger and stronger, youre slowly pushing the hormonal
baseline up by forcing your body into using bigger workloads and heavier weights
If you overtrain, your lifts will start degrading and your CNS will be
too taxed to actually make that constant progress, and thats just
one of the many reasons to avoid the pitfalls of training too much.
36. The THOR Program
Ive had a minor involvement in few of the topics of the book (which isnt yet released),
and for now I can say that it contains multiple new ideas which havent really been
discussed and/or applied to hormonal response training yet. Sure it has all the
evidence-based teachings that are already well-known in this field, but also a TON of new
and somewhat revolutionary info.
All I can say is that the THOR-program is not your average more
squats and deadlifts bro! kind of book.
37. Get a Quality Multivitamin
Even though many guys think theyre all topped up on all the necessary vitamins and
minerals, they usually arent.
Large portions of the population had total usual intakes below the
estimated average requirement for vitamins A (35%), C (31%), D
(74%), and E (67%) as well as calcium (39%) and magnesium (46%).
Only 0%, 8%, and 33% of the population had total usual intakes of
potassium, choline, and vitamin K
When you start looking at how vitamin and mineral deficiencies affect your
testosterone production, youll realize why its important to keep your body
topped up on essential micronutrients;
38. Phosphatidylserine
Due to over 50% of the bodily PS being in neural tissue of the brain, many claims of
phosphatidylserines nootropic or brain boosting benefits have been made. Surprisingly
enough, theres a good amount of evidence which suggests that PS supplementation can
improve cognitive functions (study, study, study). In fact PS has an FDA granted qualified
health claim for prevention of cognitive decline in humans.
39. Bromelain
Why bromelain for testosterone you ask? This is actually more for the guys who want
to do endurance training, since bromelain can preserve T-levels during strenuous
endurance training, but allow me to quote one of my older articles;
A study from the University of Tasmania by Shing et al. had fifteen young elite
cyclists as their test subjects. The subjects were racing in a competitive cycle
race for 6 consecutive days, and the researchers divided the participants into
two groups. First one consisted of 7 cyclists who received 1,000 mgs of daily
bromelain. The second group consisted of 8 cyclists who received a visually
similar placebo pill. During the six days of the cycle race, the researchers took
blood samples from the cyclists at days 1, 3, and 6, and they examined these
samples for various exercise markers, including testosterone. What they
found out was very interesting. As to be expected, the high amount of
endurance exercise significantly reduced blood testosterone levels however
only in the placebo group. The group receiving 1,000 mgs of bromelain, noted
relatively stable levels of testosterone throughout the 6 days of cycle racing!
Yup, thats not a typo. 6 consecutive days of elite level cycling with no
significant reductions in T levels. The researchers conclude: Consecutive
days of competitive cycling were associated with increased markers of muscle
damage and a reduction in circulating testosterone across the race period.
Bromelain supplementation reduced subjective feelings of fatigue and was
associated with a trend to maintain testosterone concentration. Mind you,
this study is peer-reviewed, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-
controlled. Not bad results from a gram of meat tenderizer per day I might
say
40. Ashwagandha Roots
Even though there are those herbal healers who slowly smear the name of every single
herbal compound, we cant forget the fact that ashwagandha actually has A LOT of
interesting Western medicine studies on its belt
Take a look at these for instance (copied from my older Ashwagandha article):
41. Forskolin
The herbal extract so reliably boosts cAMP and testosterone levels in cell-culture studies
that scientists often use it as a positive control to stimulate testosterone production in
isolated testicular cells.
When forskolin was tested for its hormonal effects in humans, 12-weeks of forskolin at
250mg/day was able to increase testosterone levels by 33% when compared to placebo.
You could also call forskolin a testosterone utilizer, since it increased the amount of
active androgen receptors in this in-vitro study. The mechanism is as follows: Forskolin
stimulates cAMP -> cAMP stimulates an enzyme called protein kinase A (PKA) -> PKA
stimulates the upregulation of AR.
NOTE: When buying forskolin or coleus supplements, make sure its standardized to at least 20% active
ingredient. Also dont be bummed by the reviewers who say it doesnt help with weight-loss, no supplement
really does and the claims of forskolin doing that originate from the Dr. Oz show. We all know what kind of
42. Creatine
Creatine works by increasing cellular ATP (adenosine triphosphate) levels. ATP is what
cells use as energy, so basically youre increasing the supply of energy for your cells when
you ingest creatine. Logically this helps you perform better.
But did you know that creatine can also increase testosterone levels?
Not only the exercise-induced T-levels but also your resting baseline.
As a side note for a study that tested creatines effect on cognitive abilities, the
researchers found out that it also increased salivary testosterone levels. In athletes
creatine has been noted to reliably increase T-levels, for instance; This 4-year study
noted that in athletes who reported using creatine, a trend towards increased testosterone
levels was noted
In swimmers testosterone levels and swim times can be improved with creatine
supplementation. In overtrained men who practice resistance training, creatine maintains
power output, free testosterone, and total testosterone levels. One study even found out
that creatine supplementation in resistance trained males led to 17% higher baseline
testosterone levels than what was seen in the placebo group which received sugar pills.
Creatine is also known for increasing DHT levels by up to 56% in young rugby players.
Bottom line: Creatine is a legit supplement for every athlete and gym-rat, since it
increases strength output, reduces fatigue, and offers a slight boost to anabolic hormones.
Its also really cheap.
43. Probiotics
The definition of probiotics is as follows:
live micro-organisms which, when
administered in adequate amounts, confer
a health benet on the host. In other
words, probiotics are friendly bacteria
most commonly used to improve gut
health.
These bacteria naturally occur naturally in many fermented foods, such as: yogurt, kefir,
kimichi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and sourdough, and can also be supplemented with,
currently it isnt known which one is the better delivery method supplements or food
but common sense would suggest its the naturally occurring kind from fermented foods.
Well for one, our gut health is strongly correlated with testosterone production. People
with poor gut flora are much more likely to suffer from micronutrient deficits and lower
T-levels
But it doesnt end there, some modern research has shown that some strains of
probiotics can directly increase testosterone levels. Take this 2014 rat study for example,
where a probiotic strain commonly found in yogurts (Lactobacillus reuterii) was able to
significantly increase multiple parameters related to reproductive health. In fact, the
addition of L. reuterii to male rodents feed resulted in;
increased testosterone levels
increased testicular size and weight
increased markers of social domination
prevention of age-related testicular shrinkage
improved sperm quality, motility, and volume
increased luteinizing and follicle stimulating hormone levels
This isnt the only rat study with promising results, another one found similar results, the
more the rodents were exposed to probiotics, the higher their testosterone was. One study
also saw that a probiotic strain by the name of Clostridium scindens is able to directly
convert cortisol into androgens inside the gut.
Obviously, being lean, using natural personal care items, drinking less alcohol, not using
too much plastic products, and switching to skimmed-milk can work wonders, but there
are also some supplements that can be used in estrogen removal (you do need some
estrogen for joint health etc, use the stack below if you have too much of it).
Looking at this patent application, theres a citation where its claimed that Tongkat Ali
works by stimulating the CYP17 enzyme in testicles. According to a rodent study, the
active ingredients from the herb do make their way to the testicles, so its plausible that
this mechanism could work.
The available human data is pretty interesting. In a study of 109 men, 300mgs of Tongkat
Ali for 12-weeks was able to improve semen mobility by 44% and volume by 18% when
compared to placebo. According to a questionnaire that the subjects had to fill during the
study, the Tongkat Ali group also noted significant improvements in libido and erection
quality, sadly hormones werent measured in this trial.
The only study that tested hormonal effects, was this human study where moderately
stressed subjects took 200mgs of Tongkat Ali for 4-weeks. When compared to placebo,
the TA group had 37% higher testosterone and 16% lower cortisol levels than the placebo
group.
Bottom line: Tongkat Ali has some good research behind its back, would have even more
so if that Dr. Tambi guy would publish his studies online. Also if youre going to get a
Tongkat Ali supplement, consider purchasing the original Malaysian 200:1 water extract.
46. Carnitine
The reason why carnitine is perfect for everyone interested in natural testosterone
optimization, is that when carnitine shuttles the fat to the mitochondria, it also
upregulates androgen receptor activity at the same time. This in turn leading to better
androgen utilization by the body.
This effect has been shown in a study where 3-weeks of L-carnitine L-tartrate
supplementation at 2g/day was able to significantly increase the amount of active
androgen receptors in exercising human subjects. The researchers actually took muscle
biopsies to be sure. In a previous study by the same researchers it was noted that even
without exercise, carnitine is able to upregulate AR activity.
Since carnitine increases AR activity and also luteinizing hormone pulsation rate, its not
a big surprise to see that it can very reliably increase sperm quality in human subjects
(study, study, study, study).
Bottom line: If you want to maximize your tissue uptake of testosterone, consider adding
carnitine to your supplement cabin. According to the studies youll get even more out of it if
you exercise and take it immediately after training.
48. Shilajit
The research on shilajit is still in baby shoes, but one interesting study has been made
about its effects on testosterone levels.
In the study, 60 infertile male subjects consumed 200mg/day of shilajit for a total of 90
days
After the three months had passed the shilajit treated group were found to
have;
NOTE: over 90% of the shilajit in the market is not authentic, and highly uneffective. True shilajit is
always in its pure resin form and black.
Many animal studies have noted that ginger contains androgenic compounds, and could
be used as an aphrodisiac in men (study, study, study). And yes, there is a human study on
gingers effects for testosterone levels, which saw that an undisclosed amount of ginger
administered daily for 90-days was able to increase LH (43%), FSH (17%), and testosterone
(17%) levels in infertile men.
Currently no human data exists, but many in-vitro and animal-studies have shown
interesting effects with standardized icariin.
In this in-vitro study, icariin was found to be a natural PDE-5 and PDE-4
inhibitor (ED drugs like Viagra and Cialis work through PDE-5 inhibition).
Even though icariin is not nearly as effective as the blue pill is, this could still
explain some of the claimed aphrodisiac effects of horny goat weed. In the
same study, it was noted that icariin activates the cAMP enzyme (due to PDE-
4 inhibition), which is positively associated with increased testosterone
production.
This rat study found out that at the dose of 80mg/kg icariin is able to triple
testosterone levels, without changing the levels of gonadotropins (LH and
FSH). The researchers claim that icariin acts as a testosterone mimetic in the
body, and doesnt stimulate the hypothalamus-pituiary-testicles axis like
many other herbal T boosters do.
In few animal studies, icariin has suppressed the levels of the stress hormone;
cortisol (study, study). As you might already know, elevated cortisol levels will
suppress testosterone synthesis, due to the facts that elevated production of
cortisol robs the cholesterol needed for testosterone synthesis, and high
cortisol directly suppresses testosterone production inside the gonads.
Icariin is also very potent nitric oxide (NO) booster (study, study). Increased
NO production will relax blood vessels and increase blood flow, and this might
be one of the reasons why HGW is primarily considered to be an aphrodisiac
(libido booster).
The reason why mucuna would work to boost the big T, is that its chock-full of a
compound called L-Dopa (levadopa), which is a precursor to the
hormone/neurotransmitter; dopamine. Since increased dopamine secretion is linked to
increased testosterone production, one could easily imagine that M. pruriens could
stimulate T-production.
First of, there are several animal studies where Mucuna Pruriens has been
able to increase testosterone levels and sperm parameters (study, study,
study). Then came a human study where M. Pruriens was able to significantly
increase sperm concentration on infertile and healthy men. (this could
explain the proclaimed testicle size boosting effects).
Another human study followed, where 75 healthy and 75 infertile men, were
given 5 grams of ground up Mucuna Pruriens for 90 consecutive days. The
results showed that testosterone levels increased significantly (38% in infertile
men and 27% in healthy men). Luteinizing hormone (LH) also increased (41%
in infertile males and by 23% in healthy males). And prolactin decreased (-
32% in infertile group and -19% in healthy group). Similar results were seen
in this study, where Mucuna increased testosterone levels by 38% in infertile
men (this study had no healthy men as subjects though).
Testshock Program (the ultimate natural T-enhancement guide. Best in the market.
Unbeatable).
THOR-program (the complete guide for how to train to elicit the maximal
testosterone response).
Testosterone Fat-loss program (how to lose weight in a sane evidence-based way that
maintains T-levels).
Eat Stop Eat (everything you need to know about intermittent-fasting and fasting in
general).
Testosterone Podcast (a podcast hosted by me, Chris Walker, and Ian Lenny).
Testosterone Meal Plans (tailored nutrition plans by the TestShock team).
Examine.com (unbiased supplement research resource).
Think and Grow Rich (book that every man needs to read).