Plunging off the cliff edge. This evocative image is maybe a bit of an exaggeration but it's not difficult to adversely affect your t levels. Find out more here.
We’ve already covered what you should start doing to boost that testosterone, now it’s time to cover what to stop. Here’s a look at few of the worst crimes guys can commit to accidentally drain their precious T.
There’s no time (and plenty of testosterone) to waste, so let’s dive right in.
Don’t take our word for it, Dr Frances Hayes, of Harvard Medical School has gone so far as to say that;
When you think about it, this is actually really good news.
We can’t turn the clock back, but we can turn the bathroom scales back. Too much fat causes a reaction in the body which limits T output and converts existing male hormone in to estrogen. This is why overweight guys see their T levels rise when they shed those pounds.
If you fall in to the heavy category, aspiring to lose 15% could trigger a significant spike in levels of the male hormone according to a study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology published in 2013.
“Ayyy, sit on it” That’s what the Fonz used to say and he certainly didn’t appear to have a problem with testosterone levels.
Researchers who actually investigated the effects of sitting still on hormone levels disagree, The study, published in the Indiana Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology, saw 30 inactive men start a 12 week training program. At the end of it there was an impressive increases in testosterone.
Dr Ryan P. Smith is a urologist with the University of Virginia Health System said says that an active lifestyle will bring more than weight loss:
So there you go, if you’re going to listen to any 70’s ladies’ man, best make it more James Brown and his ‘Get on up, get on the scene, just like a sex machine’ advice.
A review article in the May/June 2015 Journal of Opioid Management appeared to show a link between certain drugs used in long term pain management and lower levels of T.
Obviously it may not be possible or smart to stop these medications if your on them and you should always discuss options with your doctor before making any changes.
Weird as it may seem topping up your T levels with massive amounts of a lab built copy – which is what you’re doing if you take steroids – lowers it in the long run.
If you get your testosterone from outside for long enough, your body’s internal production shuts down. This is the reason many users of steroids use a natural test booster as Post Cycle Therapy.
According to a study in a 2015 issue of Addiction, a team compared weightlifters who used steroids with weightlifters who didn’t and found lower T in the steroid users, even after they had stopped.
It’s best to avoid unnatural solutions altogether. If you’re keen for a shortcut the safest way to go is a natural booster supplement, which uses organic ingredients to promote your own body’s own T levels.
Certain hair loss medications, like Propecia, block the conversion of testosterone into other active agents and can cause low libido and poor sexual function.
The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology published research suggesting side effects also linked to Propecia, such as incidences of depression, are connected to a reduced amount of testosterone in a users system.
Soy has enjoyed some positive press recently. Replacing meat with soy is often the first suggestion made when we’re looking to improve our health through diet. As far as keeping T levels up though, making the shift to soy is bad news.
The plant estrogens in soy and the lack of complete proteins found in meat have been connected to a 10% dip in T levels within a month of changing diet.One of the most important T boosting properties you’d lose from meat is vitamin K2. K2 maintains plasma levels and supports your balls’ supply of male hormone.
Again, a low fat diet sounds like a win/win. But it can have surprisingly negative effects on your T levels.
Researchers at UCLA found that men who greatly reduced their fat intake and upped the fiber in their diet, had a 12% drop in T levels. Just make sure the fats you keep in your diet are healthy ones, rather than trans or saturated fats.
As your liver processes alcohol it releases compounds which limits testosterone production. One or two glasses of what you fancy will only down levels temporarily but regular heavy drinkers will have more lasting problems.
Chronically high alcohol use can drastically raises estrogen levels. It increases the activity of the aromatase enzyme, which converts the male sex hormone into the female sex hormone.
Booze also damages testicular leydig cells and other bodily tissues, leading to a reduction of T in your scrotum and the destruction of some T molecules already in circulation inside the testicles.
So there you have it. Testosterone sucking pitfalls that prove keeping strong levels is as much about the don’ts as the dos.
Cutting anything here that applies to you is a great start to raising your T. Combine that with the boosting tips on this site, regular exercise, maybe an effective natural supplement and you’ll be feeling and performing at your peak in no time and for a long time.