Declining testosterone levels is a major issue in men, especially after the age of 30. Testosterone is responsible for sex drive in males and females, as well as bone density and sperm production. It is also responsible for your mood and various other mental functions.
Luckily, men with dangerously low testosterone levels have a lot of options when it comes to increasing their T levels. And one very popular option includes getting testosterone boosters. But do these boosters really work?
How Testosterone Helps the Body?
Before we get into if testosterone boosters help testosterone levels, let’s look into how testosterone helps the body. Testosterone is a sex hormone that is responsible for various physical and mental functions throughout the body.
Sex organs in both males and females develop testosterone, and it is especially useful in building lean muscle mass, acting almost like a natural steroid.
If men do not produce enough testosterone during puberty, their bones will be weaker, and they will have less muscle mass. Moreover, as men begin to lose their testosterone as they grow older, they can even experience severe mood swings along with depression and anxiety.
Do Testosterone Boosters Work?
The simple answer to that is yes. Testosterone boosters are one of the safest ways that people are able to improve their testosterone levels. However, it is much more complicated than anyone using it at their own discretion.
Of course, it is important to know that these boosters are very different from testosterone replacement therapy, and most testosterone supplements.
These testosterone boosters are especially popular among athletes as it can allow them to enhance their overall workout routines. They use these supplements to increase testosterone levels in their body to improve performance.
Should You Use Them?
Since we have already gone over if testosterone boosters will work or not, the real question is, should you use them? This is a very controversial topic as people cannot necessarily judge the usefulness of testosterone supplements by just how useful they are to athletes.
As athletes proceed to take up intense training routines after applying their respective testosterone boosters, their testosterone levels proceed to drop.
On the other hand, ordinary people may not be training as intensely; therefore, there is no reason to prescribe testosterone boosters for people according to this study published in Nature Reviews Endocrinology.
The Side Effects
It is essential that you understand the possible health risks that come with testosterone boosters in order to make a more educated decision. And sometimes, these boosters can do more harm than good.
A study in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2010 showed that men over the age of 60 were at an increased risk of heart disease by using supplements.
The side effects obviously branch out, as with the most form of supplements. And in the case of testosterone boosters, there are a few worrying side effects. These can include sleep apnea, testicular shrinkage, and acne flares.
The Difference Between Testosterone Boosters and Replacement Therapy
Alongside testosterone boosters, there has been a lot of talk about testosterone replacement therapy. And as it is also one of the many ways that people increase testosterone in their body, it is also a very popular option.
However, they are obviously not the same and have major differences, mainly that one is a supplement, and the other is proper therapy.
Testosterone replacement therapy is only possible through a health professional who gives you injections as necessary. The therapy helps individuals feel much better, more active, enthusiastic and improves their sex drive, among other things.
Replacement therapy became very popular among men over the age of 60 who had dangerously low levels of Testosterone. It is great for them as it helps them live a more comfortable life. The only way that people can get this therapy is by talking to a registered health professional.
On the other hand, these supplements are often available off the counter, so you will not even need a prescription to buy these boosters. And since they have yet to show promising results in tests, they can be quite a gamble.
How Effective are They?
Boosters can be effective in improving the levels of testosterone in the body, but they are not as effective as you would like to believe.
At most, you are looking at a 20% to 50% increase in testosterone levels for a short time. This is nothing compared to a low dose of steroids, which offers an increase of at least 300%.
More importantly, these different types of supplements will make you feel like you are getting better, even if that not being the case. They do this through something in your body called libido.
Libido: How Supplements Exploit It
Libido refers to the sex drive in humans, and a major factor that promotes libido is, of course, testosterone. As testosterone increases, so does your sex drive. Now, you might be thinking, is the inverse also true? No, it is not.
While increasing testosterone levels can improve libido, the same is not true for increasing libido to increase T levels.
Therefore, while you may feel more sexual desire after taking these supplements, it does not mean that they are giving you the benefits of increased testosterone levels.
In other words, you will have to be a lot more careful when buying your supplements, as they may be offering something different from what you may want. Of course, if you buy these supplements to improve your libido, you will be satisfied with the results.
Natural Ways to Improve Testosterone Levels
Taking testosterone boosters is very obviously a risky endeavor. For a small temporary boost, you are at risk of developing various side effects.
Luckily, along with various supplements and therapy that helps you improve your testosterone levels, one of the best ways that you can improve your T levels is completely natural. And that is through exercise.
Exercising to Help Improve Testosterone Levels
Exercise is a great way to improve your testosterone levels, as various exercises actively contribute to improving muscle mass—exercises such as weightlifting, jogging, or a HIIT (high-intensity interval Training) regiment.
Even simple exercises like pushups squat or pull-ups can help increase your testosterone levels for a short time.
Of course, you will also have to be careful, as some exercises can actively reduce testosterone levels in your body. Exercises like intense cardio or cycling can actively reduce testosterone levels in your body.
Consume Plenty of Vitamins
One of the best things that you can do to improve your testosterone levels is to supplement your intake of vitamins. You can easily take important vitamins by eating healthier foods and having a balanced diet, especially if you don’t want to depend too heavily on multivitamin supplements.
A study by the National Library of medicine shows that vitamins A, C and, E can play a role in improving testosterone levels. Other studies also showed that Vitamin D is especially great at improving T levels.
Rest Properly
One of the best ways that you can naturally increase testosterone in your body is by getting proper sleep at night. This can be hard to do, especially if you are struggling with very serious insomnia.
Therefore, you will have to set a proper sleep schedule as well as try to sleep as quickly as you can without using your phone.
Eat Proteins and Fats
A good way to gauge how good your testosterone levels are doing is by seeing how healthy you are eating. If you are eating healthy, you will be able to greatly stabilize testosterone production.
And after consulting your nutritionist, you should also consider eating more fats and proteins. Of course, you will have to do this in the form of a balanced diet.
While keeping a proper diet will help stabilize your testosterone levels, eating proteins can help reduce excess fat. Obesity is a very serious reason why people have reduced T levels, and by losing excess fat, they can improve their odds.
Reduce Stress
Long term stress is a very serious issue that is responsible for a variety of different problems. One of these problems includes lower testosterone levels, which are the result of unnatural amounts of cortisol in the body.
Therefore, you should look into therapy and various other ways that you can reduce stress in your life.
Conclusion
Testosterone boosters are one of the few ways that people are able to increase their testosterone levels. However, with the inherent risks associated with testosterone boosters and their uses, you may want to first contact health professionals and ask for their opinion.
As we mentioned earlier, most supplements can make you feel like you are improving, but are actually not changing what you really want. But if you are looking to improve your sex drive, then these supplements can work.
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