How to Restore Testosterone Naturally & Improve Training Results

Have you ever had a client who was doing everything right - intense workouts, consistent training schedule, eating right, getting enough rest - but just don't get the muscle gains they expect?

Part of the problem may be hormonal: Low testosterone levels can significantly limit clients' muscle mass-building potential.

A steroid androgen hormone, testosterone is most known for triggering development of masculine sexual characteristics during puberty.

But testosterone benefits many other aspects of overall health and performance, too - including one benefit in particular that is prized by personal trainers, bodybuilders, competitive athletes, and well-informed weekend warriors all over the world:

Testosterone Promotes Anabolic Muscle Growth

Testosterone is the primary androgen (male sex hormone) found in muscle tissue. Here, T's bioactivities help with anabolic muscle development in many ways, as the androgen:

• Signals for the protein synthesis in muscle tissue that underlies all muscle growth
• Raises levels of growth factor that "fertilise" muscle tissue for healthy growth
• Optimises muscle repair, recovery, and regeneration after intense training

Testosterone production is most robust from puberty through our 20s -- it is no coincidence that strength training and athletic during these years bring massive anabolic results far more easily.

However, as early as age 30, T-levels start to drop. One research study reported that this testosterone decline occurs at "a more or less constant rate, with age, in men, with no period of accelerated testosterone decline."

As T levels drop, muscle concentrations of this anabolic androgen also decrease, making it much harder to maintain mass -- let alone to pack on additional lean muscle tissue.

Natural test decline is out of our control, but there are steps you can take to fight it. Lifestyle strategies can help you to maintain or even increase testosterone levels - and in doing so, create a peak-performing anabolic body state for enhancing strength and packing on lean muscle mass.

Testosterone Lifestyle Tips

Get enough sunshine

If you lock yourself away in a windowless gym and work out like an animal, you may not enjoy the same gains as athletes who work out drenched in sunshine at the world-famous muscle Beach in Venice, California. That's because working out in the sun - or getting any kind of sun exposure, really - enables the body to synthesise vitamin D3.

Known as the sunshine vitamin, D3 is widely known for supporting immune function and bone health. But it is equally critical for the body's testosterone production. Vitamin D is highly concentrated in the testes, where it has been suggested to counter some of the feminine hormones that diminish testosterone activity.

Sunlight is free, but supplements may help to - one study found that individuals who supplemented with vitamin D for a year appear to experience increases in free testosterone, bioactive testosterone, and total testosterone levels.

Perform the right exercises

Good news for all personal trainers - exercise directly influence testosterone levels. However, some research suggests that the type of exercise that is performed matters when it comes to raising your testosterone.

Strength training is most commonly associated with testosterone health, especially among bodybuilding communities. Researchers have suggested that strength training stimulates the release of testosterone and growth hormone, which would appear to benefit both workout performance and results.

In fact, One small study seems to bear this out, reporting a significant increase in testosterone levels after strength training activities. In this study, subjects who had performed benchpress lives showing a 7.4 increase in testosterone, while individuals performing jump squat exercise showed a 15.1% increase in testosterone levels.

Cardiovascular exercise may not be nearly as effective for testosterone. Several research studies have suggested that long-distance runners who consistently log high-mileage run appear to have lower blood levels of testosterone. Of course, this is no reason to skip out on cardio, but clients who are focused on increasing their testosterone levels may wish to limit their mileage - some researchers have suggested that the tipping point appears to be 100 km per week, and men who go over this threshold may be more likely to experience diminish testosterone levels.

Eat "testosterone foods"

Several basic vitamins and minerals play critical roles in testosterone production, but it seems that far too many adults are not getting enough of these nutrients.

According to research based on The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which tracked the nutrient intake of over 16,000 people for three years, 68% of Americans fail to get enough Vitamin D and 48% fall short on Magnesium. The CDC has also reported that global zinc deficiency ranges from 17%-30%, and that up to 15% of Americans fail to get enough B12. Other nutients of concern may include vitamins B6 and K2.

These potential shortfalls are important because all of these basic nutrients - Vitamins B6, B12, D, and K2, along with Magnesium and Zinc - are necessary for healthy testosterone production. In the case of zinc, low intake drives T so low that hypogonadism - a state of male breast development and teste shrinkage - may occur.

Simply correcting diet to include more of these nutrients is an easy low-hanging fruit that can help to restore testosterone levels. Testosterone foods to consider include:

• Oysters - Rich source of zinc, magnesium, B12 and B6
• Beef - Supplies Vitamin D, zinc, B6, B12 and cholesterol that is converted to T
• Dairy - Milk, cheese, eggs and yogurt supply B12, vitamin D & cholesterol
• Almonds - Healthy, convenient, and loaded with T-boosting magnesium and zinc
• Tuna - An excellent source of Vitamin D and healthful Omega-3 fatty acids
• Leafy Greens - One of the best dietary sources of Vitamin K for testosterone

Consider Testosterone Supplements

Dietary changes can help to bring basic testosterone-supporting nutrients back up to par. But what if you want more? That's where testosterone supplements come in.

Testosterone supplements often supply basic vitamins and minerals for T, but may do so in stronger dosages and advanced forms are easier for the body to absorb and utilise.

Testosterone supplements also bring more diverse testosterone support to the table - offering exotic herbs and testosterone-promoting compounds that are rarely present in a standard American diet.

The full scope of testosterone-supportive nutrients - numbering in the dozens - may help raise testosterone in a variety of different ways, including by supplying:

Construction materials. The body produces about 6 mg of testosterone per day. In order to do this, it requires the nutritional building blocks for testosterone synthesis. Zinc is probably the most important nutrient in this category, and has been found to improve both athletic performance and testosterone status.

Endocrine system regulators. A nutrient called D-Aspartic-Acid (DAA) may be most effective; it stimulates the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and testes to release growth hormone and testosterone. One study found DAA increased test levels by 42% in 12 days; the D-AA-CC form may be even more powerful.

Aromatase inhibitors. Aromatase converts testosterone into estrogen, which is bad for anabolic growth and manly wellness. Blocking aromatase helps to protect and sustain circulating testosterone. An antioxidant found in green vegetables called lutein is emerging as an effective natural aromatase inhibitor that helps to maintain testosterone: estrogen balance.

SHGB Neutralisers: Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is a type of protein that clings to free testosterone and renders it bound - essentially making it inert and ineffective. The mineral boron and herb stinging nettle are both suggested to naturally neutralise SHGB, thereby freeing up more active testosterone.

Cortisol fighters. Intense training generates stress, which floods the endocrine system with a stress hormone called cortisol. The problem is, high cortisol levels have a significant negative effect on testosterone. Supplemental herbs Rhodiola rosea and Ginseng both strengthen the body's resistance to stress, limit cortisol release, and appear to help raise T.

Testosterone supplements may also be customised with other types of nutrition that complement testosterone, especially for athletes - these may include natural herbs for peak physical performance, muscle protection, rest and recovery. The website Testosterone Boosters Review offers insight into which supplements work and which don't.

Avoid Anti-Testosterone Factors

As part of an overall testosterone-supportive lifestyle, you want to avoid certain factors that may diminish testosterone or otherwise present risk to overall health. Two really maxed out your testosterone, try to avoid:

Excess weight - obesity has a strong inverse association with testosterone levels. This T problem appears to get worse when obesity is paired with Type 2 Diabetes.

Soy products - the jury is out on this one, but some early research suggests that tofu-heavy diets may raise estrogen and diminish activity of androgens, including testosterone.

Phthalates - these synthetic compounds that are found in plastics, including water bottles, have been associated with significantly decreased testosterone levels in adult men between the ages of 40 and 60.

Unhealthy sleep patterns - sleep is not only the magical time of muscle repair, recovery, and regeneration - it is also the time when the body synthesises testosterone. Researchers have suggested that unhealthy sleep cycles appears to impair the production and release of testosterone.

Steroids - Effective for testosterone, but never a good idea. Steroids work by directly introducing synthetic analogues of testosterone to the bloodstream. This unnatural act has predictably Dyer risks and side effects, including cardiovascular problems, liver issues, droid rage, acne, and testicular shrinkage.

Conclusion

Low testosterone may be part of the reason why some personal training clients may struggle with adding muscle or hit a plateau in their development.

While there is no magic bullet to the low testosterone problem, the lifestyle steps that we have discussed in this article can be helpful in getting testosterone - and its anabolic muscle & athletic performance benefits - back on track.

Increased testosterone levels have also been associated with other more elusive benefits, including greater focus, easier weight loss, and enhanced physical performance - all of which might bring even greater support for bodybuilders, competitive athletes, casual gym goers, or anyone who is simply trying to get in better shape.