While testosterone levels naturally begin a slow decline once men hit 30, low levels of testosterone can cause all sorts of problems for men. Thankfully, there are some simple ways to maintain normal levels of testosterone, even as you age.
What Is Testosterone?
Testosterone is a hormone synthesized by your gonads using cholesterol. Your body also monitors your blood to make sure that you’re not producing too much of it. In adult men, testosterone helps:
- maintain muscle size and strength
- regulate sperm count and libido
- keep a level mood/energy
- helps burn fat
And these are only the functions we know. We may discover more in the future.
Effects of Low T
If you can see the positive effects of testosterone, you might guess that at lower levels problems occur. These include:
- Reduced body and facial hair
- loss of muscle mass
- lower libido
- reduced sperm count
- irritability
- poorer concentration
- sleep disruption
Natural Ways to Boost Testosterone
The best way to check your testosterone levels is to get a blood test and consult with your doctor on the results. The doctor’s knowledge of your own medical history combined with this information can give you more helpful context for the results. But you don’t need to see a doctor to be taking care of some basic things to maintain testosterone levels in your body. Here are a few tactics to consider:
- Get plenty of sleep. There’s never a downside to getting a good night’s rest. Make sure you’re giving your body time to produce this hormone.
- Minimize stress.
- Get some sun or take a Vitamin D supplement.
- Watch your alcohol intake. At The Gents Place we love our beer, wine, and spirits, but it’s also important to have a sense of moderation. This will help with your health overall, not just your T levels.
- Exercise and lift weights. Resistance training has been shown to boost T in the short-term, and high intensity interval workouts are a good mid to long term strategy for boosting your testosterone levels.
- Eat a balanced diet. Without commenting on the ever-changing list of diets, a traditional balanced diet featuring protein, fat, and carbs will help your body produce the testosterone it needs.
Remember that a Gent’s health isn’t entirely dependent on one thing or another: it’s a set of habits, disciplines, and practices that allows us to live healthy and productive lives, providing and protecting those we love. Part of that providing and protecting is making sure we’re doing all we can to take care of our bodies.
