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When I originally started researching testosterone boosting options, the advice was pretty much the same everywhere: hit the weights, get more sleep, watch what you eat, take vitamin D, cut back on stress, and invest in a testosterone booster supplement.
I quickly learned that these options don’t necessarily have the same sort of backing behind them, and that many are ineffective for those who are already relatively healthy compared to the average sedentary male.
My aim is to understand the difference between good practical habits and unneeded snake oil. Here are 7 ways to increase testosterone naturally and support healthy functioning, and when lifestyle alone won’t be enough.
How Testosterone Levels Actually Work
Testosterone is a sex hormone that plays an important role in things like sexual function, muscle and bone building, and more. It’s also a hormone that fluctuates under the influence of a variety of forces, including body fat percentage, sleep, nutrition, health issues, aging, and more.
This means that there isn’t some magic pill or diet to simply jack testosterone up willy nilly.
Rather, it’s a matter of creating an environment in the body conducive to normal testosterone production. Resistance training, balanced nutrition, sufficient sleep, and general body composition optimization are all part of this environment.
Extreme measures to crash diet, not recover well from workouts, drink excessively, or abuse substances will work against the desired goal.
Increasing Testosterone vs Supporting Healthy Testosterone
This point seems almost ignored entirely in testosterone discussions.
A person with low testosterone caused by obesity, lack of sleep, or other issues has much more to gain from optimizing these factors than someone who’s already relatively healthy.
Take resistance training and its effects on hormones for example.
While a workout can cause a testosterone spike, I am not going to optimize my entire training program around maximizing these spikes.
It’s much more important to focus on supporting overall health and normal bodily function.
As a result, instead of chasing after big spikes in testosterone, I’m focusing on correcting potential flaws in my hormone production.
7 Natural Ways to Support Healthy Testosterone
1. Aim for a Healthy Body Composition
If I had to choose between two tactics for a person carrying substantial excess body fat, I’d say that managing overall weight is a critical priority.
University of Utah Health names weight loss among natural approaches suitable for men with excess weight and androgen deficiency.
But that doesn’t mean I’m looking to become as lean as possible.
I would be aiming to gradually reduce body fat when it’s necessary while avoiding unsustainable methods that can have me constantly under-fed and weak.
What I would be doing: initiating a proper calorie deficit to allow gradual fat loss, ensuring adequate protein intake, and combining both with physical activity.
2. Resistance Training
Strength training is one of the most suggested types of exercises for boosting testosterone, partly because resistance exercise can temporarily increase testosterone.
But I wouldn’t be structuring my whole training around isolated increases in testosterone.
Instead, I would be taking advantage of resistance training’s other beneficial effects, namely continual strength and muscle gains, which in turn help with body composition and general physical performance.
A basic split involving upper- and lower-body presses, rows, squats or leg presses, hinges, and pulls is sufficient to begin with.
Consistency is much more important than pursuing some mythical testosterone-boosting workout.
3. Prioritize Sleep
While a new stack of testosterone-boosting supplements may sound more exciting, I wouldn’t dismiss the known value of a good night’s sleep.
Disrupted or insufficient sleep has been linked to lower testosterone.
Instead of trying to optimize every detail of my sleep schedule, I would focus on the most evident sleep issues:
- Keeping my sleep and wake-up schedules consistent
- Allowing myself sufficient time to sleep
- Eliminating frequent disruptive factors in the evening
- Not dismissing a possible underlying issue in cases of chronic insomnia
The point isn’t to pursue a hypothetical perfect sleep schedule; it’s about avoiding chronic loss of sleep.
4. Eat Enough (and Don not Try to Eat Like Everyone Else)
I wouldn’t be searching for some mythical testosterone-boosting foods.
Instead, I’d ensure that my diet is consistently sufficient in calories, protein, dietary fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.
For someone involved in regular, strenuous training, calorie intake is directly linked to performance and recovery.
That means planning my diet around lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado, and other healthy foods.
I would be especially wary of trying to lose weight while engaging in strenuous and regular physical activity.
5. Address Deficiencies, Not Megadose
Vitamin D and zinc are common ingredients in articles about natural testosterone boosters.
That’s not without reason in contexts of deficiency, but correcting a deficiency isn’t the same thing as mega-dosing to raise normal testosterone levels.
Studies on vitamin D supplementation and testosterone, for example, have mixed results.
Zinc might be pertinent to certain deficient populations, but that doesn’t make high-dose zinc a universal testosterone booster.
My approach would be simple: meet nutritional needs via a balanced diet and use supplements when there’s a legitimate need for them, not based on what’s on the front of a bottle.
6. Limit Heavy Alcohol Use and Pay Attention to Recovery
While there’s a complicated relationship between alcohol and testosterone, heavy consumption can inhibit testosterone and testicular function.
I wouldn’t put those together to suggest a completely alcohol-free lifestyle only for testosterone reasons. Rather, I’d avoid making heavy drinking a regular part of my life.
I’d apply the same practicality to stress.
Chronic stress can interfere with sleep, food choices, exercise, and recovery. Rather than expecting five minutes of meditation to massively raise testosterone, I’d manage stress for the benefit of the larger lifestyle picture.
7. Know When Lifestyle Changes Are not the Answer
This might be the most important strategy on the list.
If I have persistent symptoms that might be associated with low testosterone, I wouldn’t assume that another supplement or a harder workout will be the answer.
Fatigue, reduced libido, poor training, or changes in body composition can have a number of underlying causes.
Symptoms alone cannot indicate what my testosterone level is
That’s where appropriate medical evaluation comes in.
What About Natural Testosterone Booster Supplements?
This is where marketing often gets ahead of evidence.
Products may include zinc, vitamin D, fenugreek, ashwagandha, magnesium, or long proprietary blends.
Some individual ingredients have research behind them in certain populations, but evidence for testosterone-boosting supplements overall is inconsistent.
I would ask two questions before investing in one:
- Am I correcting an actual deficiency?
- Has this ingredient had a meaningful effect on testosterone in people like me?
Those questions are more useful than asking whether an ingredient has appeared in any study concerning testosterone.
For someone who’s already eating well, sleeping adequately, training consistently, and maintaining a healthy body composition, I wouldn’t expect an over-the-counter “test booster” to suddenly transform muscle growth.
Can I Tell If My Testosterone Is Low Without a Blood Test?
Not reliably.
Symptoms commonly associated with low testosterone can overlap with other health issues.
Feeling tired doesn’t necessarily mean low testosterone, and neither does a bad week in the gym or reduced motivation.
If I have persistent symptoms that concern me, I’d discuss them with a qualified healthcare professional rather than self-diagnosing based on an online symptom list.
That also keeps me from spending months trying to “fix testosterone” when something else may be the underlying cause.
Mistakes Made When Attempting To Increase Testosterone
1. Buying a Booster Before Fixing Sleep and Lifestyle
A supplement is easier to buy than to change my habits, but it doesn’t mean that it’ll be effective.
2. Trying to Get Extremely Lean
Healthy body composition matters, but extreme dieting isn’t necessarily better for hormone health.
3. Megadosing Vitamins and Minerals
More zinc or vitamin D isn’t necessarily better when my nutritional needs are already being met.
4. Chasing Temporary Workout Hormone Spikes
I train to become stronger, fitter, and healthier, not to maximize a short-lived lab change after every workout.
5. Assuming Every Symptom Means Low Testosterone
Persistent symptoms are a good reason for appropriate evaluation, not guesswork.
How I Would Put These Strategies Into Practice
I would keep the plan surprisingly simple.
First, I’d lay out regular resistance training and increase everyday physical activity, and then ensure that my diet was supporting my body-composition goal without unnecessary extremes.
Next, I’d prioritize sleep and reduce habits that unnecessarily interfere with recovery.
Only then would I start to worry about supplements, and even then, I’d focus on legitimate nutritional needs rather than flashy testosterone-booster claims.
That approach might not be as exciting as promising to “double testosterone naturally,” but it’s much more realistic.
My Final ‘‘Boring’’ Thoughts
When you think of the best ways to boost testosterone levels, it is important to realize that the best ways are typically not mysterious or involving special or unique efforts.
A person should try to maintain a healthy weight, get resistance training, get enough sleep, eat healthy food, prevent nutrient deficiencies, avoid heavy drinking, and get appropriate medical care if needed.
The first and foremost is not to confuse the concept of normal healthy testosterone with extremely high levels of the hormone and the ability to maintain them.
Thinking like this will make a person much less likely to be influenced by marketers and instead choose healthy options which are good for their muscles, fitness, and overall health.
