Most guys don’t think twice about their testosterone levels unless they begin to experience some of the tell-tale symptoms of low T, like a libido lull or loss of muscle mass.
The issue is that healthy testosterone levels aren’t a chemistry test: You can’t cram for them and expect results. Rather, T levels are best supported through a lifetime of healthy habits. In fact, board-certified family medicine and regenerative anti-aging medication specialist Gowri Reddy Rocco, M.D., M.S., an expert committed to helping men preserve fertility, sexual function, and hormone health as they age, recommends that men start prioritizing a hormone-happy lifestyle in their early twenties. That’s because 20 percent of young men are low in testosterone, with that number growing to 40 percent of guys in their late 40s.
The good news is that habits for healthy testosterone are easy enough to add to your daily routine. (Not to mention, they all have benefits beyond just boosting your testosterone.)
Ahead, a refresher on why maintaining adequate testosterone levels is so important for overall well-being, plus a look at five key routine tweaks your T levels will thank you for.
- ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Gowri Reddy Rocco, M.D., M.S., is a board-certified family medicine and regenerative anti-aging medication specialist committed to helping men preserve fertility, sexual function, and hormone health as they age. Dr. Alex Tatem, M.D., is a board-certified urologist, corporate director of the Men’s Health Center at Urology of Indiana, and advisor to Marius Pharmaceuticals. William Read, R.D.N., is a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant with the Lasta tracking app. Lisa Golding-Granado, M.D., is a board-certified internal medicine specialist focusing on hormone health and medical director of Serotonin Centers of Colts Neck, NJ.
Why Testosterone Levels Matter Throughout Your Life
“Testosterone is a hormone that’s essential for both development in adolescence as well as long-term health in adulthood and beyond,” says board-certified urologist Dr. Alex Tatem, M.D., corporate director of the Men’s Health Center at Urology of Indiana and Advisor to Marius Pharmaceuticals. In teens, the hormone ushers along the emergence of secondary sexual characteristics, like facial hair growth, a deeper voice, and penile and reproductive system development, he says. Meanwhile, “in adults, adequate levels of testosterone are essential for maintaining proper bone density, metabolic health, fat loss, muscle gain, sex drive, and cognitive ability,” he says.
Given the fact that testosterone plays so many roles in the body, individuals can experience a range of symptoms when levels take a hit. “Fatigue, low energy, weight gain, reduced muscle mass, low sex drive, erectile issues, depression, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping are all common signs and symptoms of testosterone deficiency,” says Tatem. Medically speaking, men are considered to be testosterone deficient if their blood testosterone levels measure at less than 300 nanograms per deciliter. However, some guys will experience noticeable symptoms if their testosterone levels decrease but aren’t technically medically low.
The 5 Top Daily Habits For Healthy (or Higher) Testosterone
Since maintaining healthy T is more of a marathon than a sprint, seemingly small daily decisions make a big difference in how your levels stack up over time. A few savvy moves throughout the day can set you up for healthier T.
1. Give All The Macros A Spot On Your Plate
The term “testosterone booster” might make you think of supplements, but the original T-optimizer is food. And while certain food choices—such as overdoing it on added sugar and processed foods—can send your T down the tubes, putting the good stuff on your plate helps your body keep testosterone production humming along.
“Testosterone is a naturally produced steroid derived from cholesterol,” which is a fat, explains Tatem. As a result, “men with low intake of healthy fats have a correspondingly low serum testosterone levels,” he says. Indeed, research published in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology compared the testosterone levels of men on high-fat versus low-fat diets and found that low-fat diets were linked with low T levels. This is particularly important for bodybuilders and physique-focused gym-goers, who may slash fat for periods to get shredded, to keep in mind. In the long run, your testosterone will thank you for keeping healthy fats on the table.
Meanwhile, research suggests that proper intake of carbohydrates also supports healthy testosterone levels, due to carbs’ impact on blood glucose and blood insulin levels. As it turns out, though, the type of carbohydrate matters here. Refined carbohydrates—which have been stripped of much of their nutritional value through manufacturing—have been shown to directly drop testosterone levels, even in healthy young men with no underlying health issues, says Tatem. With that, “complex carbohydrates including oats, brown rice, and sweet potatoes are best,” he says. Also worth noting: These types of carbs support your performance in the gym (and recovery afterward), which also influence T levels, so don’t skimp!
Read More: 7 Signs You Should Have Your Testosterone Levels Tested
Finally, while protein intake is not thought to directly influence day-to-day testosterone production, “a moderate- to high-protein diet of 0.8 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day is essential for maintaining the healthy body composition ultimately needed for testosterone production,” Tatem says. If that sounds like a lofty goal, enlist the help of a protein powder to really pack those grams in.
Altogether, this means that “men who want to support optimal testosterone production should prioritize healthy fats (like avocado, olive oil, and almonds), lean proteins (like organic chicken and grass-fed beef), and complex carbohydrates,” says Tatem. So if you rely a little too heavily on the drive-thru or have been giving any particular macronutrient the cold shoulder, opting for whole, nutritious foods and a balance of healthy fats, carbohydrates, and protein can keep your T production on track.
For starters, you might opt for a macro split of 35 percent carbs, 35 percent fat, and 30 percent protein, suggests Chad Howse, co-author of The Man Diet: A Proven Guide to More Energy, Increased Virility, and Higher Testosterone Levels.
Your exact caloric needs and optimal macronutrient breakdown depend on factors such as age, body composition, overall health, and current activity level. For more personalized recommendations, consider working with a certified nutrition expert. (Healthy Awards members can take advantage of free one-on-one nutrition counseling with our credentialed nutritionists.)
2. Lift Heavy, with Large Muscle Groups in Mind
One of the best ways to get a quick hit of testosterone is to hit up the weight room. According to a 2020 review published in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, resistance training causes changes to serum testosterone levels that are more pronounced than changes from endurance exercise. So if you tend to go for cardio over strength training, switching up your gym routine priorities can only do your T levels good.
Specifically, the review found that exercises that recruited larger muscle groups led to the greatest increases in testosterone concentrations. This means you’ll get a bigger bang for your T buck if you prioritize compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, cleans, and overhead presses over single-muscle exercises like bicep curls or leg raises. The researchers also linked lifting heavier weights to greater gains in T levels, suggesting a benefit in upping your weights—so long as you can maintain sound form.
If you’re wondering whether the time of day you lift matters (after all, guys’ T levels peak in the morning and taper off throughout the day), the answer is probably not. The researchers behind a small study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology set out to determine how circulating T at the time of strength training impacted muscle hypertrophy (size) or strength gains. Their results? It didn’t influence overall gains!
With that, your move is to lift whenever it fits into your schedule—and prioritize heavy weights and multi-muscle exercises when you do. Research suggests working out three to five times per week may increase testosterone levels, so pencil that many gym sessions into your weekly planner.
3. Take T-Boosting Supplements
Your diet alone may give your testosterone levels all the boost it needs. But some guys—such as picky eaters and takeout kings—may benefit from taking daily supplements that fill any nutritional gaps, says registered dietitian William Read, R.D.N., a nutrition consultant with the Lasta tracking app.
Two nutrients that people worried about their T levels should look into: zinc and vitamin D. “Both zinc and vitamin D support testosterone production,” explains Read. As such, deficiencies in either have been linked with low T levels. As it turns out, both nutrients have antioxidant properties that support the overall health of the endocrine system, which in turn supports testosterone production, according to research published in Nutrients. So if levels of either nutrient become suboptimal, the endocrine system stops pumping out T with its usual gusto.
A blood test can determine if you’re deficient in zinc or vitamin D, says Read. Depending on your levels, your provider may suggest a vitamin D3 supplement to help you reach your daily 600 IU of vitamin D needs and/or a zinc supplement to ensure you’re getting the recommended 11 micrograms per day.
In addition to vitamin D and zinc, you can also support your testosterone by adding any of a number of T-loving herbs to your daily supplement regimen. Saw palmetto, pine bark extract, ashwagandha, Tongkat ali, and fadogia agrestis are all good options, according to Read.
4. Skip That End-of-Day Drink
Sipping a beer in front of the TV may be your favorite way to unwind, but this habit doesn’t do your testosterone levels any favors. “Alcohol has harmful effects on the testicles and adrenal glands, making it incredibly toxic for testosterone production,” says Tatem. One 2019 study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine showed that regular alcohol consumption damages the specific cells in the testicles (Leydig cells) that are responsible for testosterone production. A second study found that alcohol consumption increases inflammation levels and oxidative stress (a phenomenon that leads to cell damage) in a portion of the endocrine system called the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA), leading to lower testosterone concentrations. Research has also shown that testosterone levels can drop within 30 minutes of a single drink.
Read More: These Food And Drink Habits Can Lower Your Testosterone
Given that both chronic and casual drinking have been linked with reduced testosterone levels, “it’s safe to say that drinking alcohol is a bad idea for men concerned about their testosterone levels and long-term health,” Tatem says. If you like the ritual of an end-of-the-day drink, a non-alcoholic beer or adaptogenic mocktail is a sound substitute. Just be sure your replacement isn’t jam-packed with sugar, as sweetened beverages have also been linked to reduced testosterone.
5. Be As Diligent About Sleep As You Are About The Gym
The body pumps out testosterone following your circadian rhythm, or 24-hour sleep-wake cycle. The bulk of your testosterone is secreted at night, which results in testosterone levels being highest in the morning, says Lisa Golding-Granado, M.D., a board-certified internal medicine specialist who focuses on hormone health and medical director of Serotonin Centers of Colts Neck, NJ. Indeed, one Current Medical Research and Opinion study identified 8:00 a.m. as testosterone prime time. From there, levels slowly decline throughout the day (which is why anyone getting their testosterone levels tested has to do so in the morning).
With that, “getting adequate sleep is essential for maintaining a healthy level of testosterone,” says Golding-Granado. In fact, research published in JAMA found that those who slept eight hours a night for one week had 10 to 15 percent higher T levels than men who slept just five hours.
Bottom line: If you want to optimize your testosterone levels, consider sleep as important as your lifting sessions and piling your plate with top-notch food. (That means not skimping on sleep to squeeze an extra workout in! All the training in the world won’t move the needle on T levels if you don’t get ample rest and recover properly.)
The exact amount of shut-eye needed for optimal testosterone levels may vary from person to person, but typically seven to nine hours is ideal, Golding-Granado says. Notably, research has linked peak testosterone levels with the REM sleep stage, suggesting that sleep quality matters, too.
To log ample hours and increase the likelihood that those hours are deeply restful, set a bedtime and stick to it—and create a bedtime routine that doesn’t involve scrolling. Try a relaxing warm shower, sleep-supporting supplements like magnesium glycinate, reading, or deep breathing.
Interested in exploring testosterone replacement therapy? Learn more at Whole Health Rx by The Vitamin Shoppe.