There isn’t any mystery about the importance of the Big “T.” High testosterone levels are a large part of what make men manly! Hard training athletes wanting to improve performance, recovery, and body composition and have a generally energetic attitude must be mindful of testosterone levels to maximize their progress. However, natural and easy ways to boost testosterone levels may not always be so obvious. Implementation of the tips below can possibly increase your total testosterone while also improving your body’s ability to make best use of this powerful hormone.
The right dietary fat choices aren’t bad
The right dietary fat sources provide raw materials that are critical for natural anabolic hormone production including testosterone. A low fat diet is a surefire way to crush testosterone levels. Concentrate on consumption of whole cage-free eggs, grass fed beef, olive oil, raw nuts, and avocados for your fat consumption. A total dietary fat intake of less than 30 percent of total food intake may jeopardize your ability to naturally maximize your testosterone levels. Special protocols such as dietary fat loading can be used for boosting test levels in a strategic manner. Get over the phobia—eating the right fat isn’t responsible for the obesity problem in this country. Compare how the body reacts to eating a grass-fed cow product and vegetables versus the latest soy protein and breakfast cereal. My money is on option one to produce the strongest and best looking athlete.
Eat the right meats
Real men didn’t grow up on soy protein and prissy yogurt. To have optimal test levels, you must consume ample protein from real food sources. One of the best is beef! Commercially raised meats may have high levels of toxins stored in the fat cells along with antibiotics and other crap given to the cows that you should prefer not to consume. Identifying grass-fed cows ensures that you minimize the toxins while also consuming a better ratio of dietary fat. For example, meat from grass-fed cows has a much higher ratio of omega 3 content compared to commercially raised beef. As a result, the fat content from the two types of cows creates a much different result.
Get more omega 3!
Essential fats such as omega 3 provide important hormonal building blocks crucial for optimal testosterone production. The food supply has a diminished amount of omega 3 and an elevated omega 6 content, which further complicates absorption of omega 3. No, you can’t get enough omega 3 from a couple servings of fish each week. As a matter of fact, in our experience, eating fish for every meal seven days per week still won’t provide enough essential fatty acid raw materials to optimize testosterone levels. Unfortunately, fish that aren’t wild caught may have far less omega 3 than nature intended, limiting the benefits of farm-raised fish. The toxin counts found within farm-raised fish may also present problems if they’re consumed regularly. This is one reason why I highly recommend the Alpha Omega M 3, which was specifically designed to improve body composition and performance. The special ratios of ingredients help the body to easily utilize the raw materials in a highly efficient fashion. Remember—it isn’t just about what you take in but about how well the body can utilize the raw materials.
Don’t overtrain
Overtraining will drop your testosterone levels like a rock while sending muscle wasting catabolic hormones through the roof. Some people get into trouble by doing too much training, but many simply have poor recovery rates because they’re doing a poor job to support success outside of the gym. You must take advantage of all recovery aspects including nutrition, supplementation, rest, stress reduction, and soft tissue work to accelerate the recovery process.
The greater your efforts with recovery, the more you can train to reach aggressive goals. The best opportunity to turn the hormonal tides in your favor is pre- and post-workout. Providing a high dosage of amino acids in the correct ratios thirty minutes before, during, and again immediately after training helps to minimize the catabolic response of heavy exercise while providing critical raw materials needed for performance, recovery, muscle growth, and fat loss. Strength athletes must keep in mind that addressing muscular recovery is only part of the picture, as the nervous system is heavy taxed with intense training. Amino loading also boosts neurological recovery, enabling strength athletes to be sharp for every session. Dr. Serrano’s proprietary blends, 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis, have a proven track record among highly competitive strength competitors and professional athletes in multiple sports.
Pick your sports’ teams wisely
Watching sports or other competitions for which you have a vested interested can raise testosterone levels more than you think. Why else do you think there are thousands of crazy fans paying top dollar to get into stadiums across the country? They crave the thrills of victory even if they have no relationship with anyone on the team. So make sure the team you’re supporting has a good chance of winning before you sit and watch because being on the side of a losing squad can zap testosterone levels as well.
Eat more of the right foods 1–2 days per week
Raising caloric intake from good sources in the proper ratios a couple times per week coordinated with training is a great way to boost anabolic hormone levels. Too many trainees that I run across nearly every week eat too little for too long in an effort to lose body fat or make weight for competition. They end up lowering testosterone levels from multiple angles. Read more about feasting for more muscle and less fat.
Drink the booze and you lose
It seems the tolerance to alcohol will vary in more ways than one. We have found some people who can consume alcohol consistently without too much of a problem. However, the majority will have suboptimal hormonal blood work. To ensure you reach your full potential, minimize or eliminate alcohol intake altogether.
Kill off your stress levels before they kill your progress
Society has experienced a huge increase in stress over the last several years for many reasons. Anyone reading this article can relate to the damage stress creates, and at times, it is unavoidable. The body is well positioned to deal with short-term stressors such as getting cut off in traffic, but the long-term burdens of a bad relationship, sick relative, or other problem can have a devastating effect on the hormonal profile. Testosterone levels may not be directly impacted, but stress hormones that run in opposition to testosterone can be increased tremendously when stress is high. The solution? Solve long-term stressors ASAP and don’t let them linger or you will pay the price. Of course, that’s easier said than done, but many situations become more stressful if they’re left to fester. Avoid stressful situations to the best of your ability. This can often be done by thinking through steps to prepare. For example, if you find yourself stressed over getting to work late, leave ten minutes earlier to avoid the problem. Solve unpleasant tasks early in the day so you can move on to other more productive things.
Elevated stress hormones can compound dramatically when combined with intense training. Amino loading with 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis around workouts and between meals helps keep cortisol in check, which in turn helps the body use more of its available testosterone. A quick dosage of the 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis between meals provides a high dosage of the amino acids needed to knock down catabolic hormones while providing crucial raw materials to the muscles for recovery. Our clients experience a boost in mood and concentration, increased rates of fat burning, and accelerated rates of recovery when amino loading between meals.
Infinity Fitness INC provides training, fitness, and nutritional information for educational purposes. It is important that you consult with a health professional to ensure that your dietary and health needs are met. It is necessary for you to carefully monitor your progress and to make changes to your nutritional and fitness program to enjoy success. Infinity Fitness does not employ dieticians or health professionals and assumes no responsibility or liability for your personal health and condition.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. SST™, Superior Supplements and Training™, 100% MR™, Muscle Synthesis™, Muscle Synthesis Powder™, Alpha Omega M 3™, Amino Loading™, Fat Reduce™, and Zero Tolerance Fat Loss Plan™, are Trademarks of Superior Supplements and Training LLC, OHIO USA. Your results may vary and depend on many factors. No Endorsements of any product or training system is intended, expressed or implied, by any athlete who may be pictured in illustration of this Article. Copyright © Infinity Fitness & Training Inc, OHIO USA 1999-2010, All Rights Reserved.