Testosterone plays a very important role in physical performance and overall well-being. When your testosterone levels get too low, it can make you feel sluggish, decrease your sex drive, and cause you to lose muscle mass, as well as several other symptoms. Many men take advantage of Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) to help increase their testosterone levels and get back to feeling like their best selves.
In addition to receiving testosterone replacement therapy, there are several key things you can do on a daily basis to help naturally increase your testosterone.
What Causes Low Testosterone in the First Place?
Before we dive into the ways you can naturally increase your testosterone levels that enhance testosterone replacement therapy, let’s start with covering what causes low testosterone in the first place.
There are several reasons your testosterone levels might be on the lower side. This could be due to your age (testosterone levels tend to decrease with age), various medical conditions, chronic illnesses, certain medications, chronic stress, and various lifestyle factors (such as not exercising or eating an imbalanced diet). The exact cause of your low T can be determined by scheduling an appointment with a testosterone specialist and getting a blood test. From there they can come up with a treatment plan to help increase your testosterone levels and get you back to feeling great.
What are the Symptoms of Low Testosterone Levels?
Below are common symptoms associated with low testosterone levels. If you experience any of these symptoms, it could be caused by low T. Consider scheduling an appointment with a testosterone specialist to determine if you have low testosterone levels and to receive appropriate treatment.
- Low energy levels
- Loss of muscle/fat gain
- Low strength and endurance
- Low sex drive
- Erectile dysfunction
- Difficulty sleeping
- Decreased enjoyment in life
- Feeling depressed or frequently in a bad mood
- Increased weight gain
Prioritizing your health and well-being is essential, and a specialist can help you address these concerns.
What are the Benefits of TRT Treatment?
It’s not fun experiencing any symptoms associated with low T. Increasing your testosterone levels can significantly improve your quality of life in the following ways:
- Increase your strength and muscle mass
- Increase your energy
- Experience improved endurance
- Raise your sex drive
- Improve your mental clarity
- Boost your mood
- Feel more confident
- Improve sleep quality
5 Natural Ways to Boost Testosterone Levels During TRT
Now that you know the causes of low testosterone and the benefits of increasing your levels (when needed), here are five ways you can increase it naturally:
- Improve Your Diet
It’s important to eat a balanced diet to potentially give your testosterone a boost. This includes nutrient-dense foods such as healthy fats, whole grains, lean proteins, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. You might also consider foods rich in zinc since it’s essential for testosterone production. This can include foods such as poultry, beans, lean beef, and oysters.
- Get Vitamin D
Vitamin D can potentially increase your testosterone levels, so going outside in the sun might help. Specifically, having enough of this vitamin in your system can make it more likely that your body can efficiently produce testosterone.
- Exercise
Exercise is important for many reasons, but it can also potentially help if you have low T. Doing some high-intensity interval training or resistance training, and maintaining a healthy body weight might make a difference. This is because when you exercise on a consistent basis, it creates a demand for testosterone in the body to support muscle repair and growth.
- Get Enough Sleep
Believe it or not, sleep plays a significant role in hormone production. By getting around 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night, your body is more likely to be able to produce testosterone. Whereas if you are constantly operating from a sleep-deprived state, your testosterone levels can become imbalanced.
- Choose TRT That is Molecularly Identical To What Your Body Already Produces
Sometimes you can incorporate all the above-mentioned changes to your lifestyle and diet, but still need help getting your testosterone to an optimal level. There are several testosterone replacement treatments known for being effective with minimal side effects. Just make sure that the facility where you receive treatments is using 100% bioidentical hormones – hormones that are molecularly identical to what your body already produces.
Synthetic hormones are foreign to the body and are not always effective in treating low testosterone. Bioidentical hormones are a closer match to your natural hormones, making them a potentially better solution with fewer side effects.
Which Types of Testosterone Replacement Treatments Are Available?
As mentioned, there are a few types of testosterone replacement treatments available. Below are three of the most effective solutions for increasing testosterone:Testosterone cypionate is a powerful treatment for increasing your testosterone levels. Most patients begin to experience the benefits of testosterone cypionate injections around three to six weeks from the first injection.
Also known as Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), this is a type of treatment that restores testosterone levels through pellets that are placed under the skin. These pellets naturally dissolve and release consistent levels of testosterone throughout the body over 3 to 4 months.
Clomid, also known as clomiphene citrate, can stimulate the body’s production of testosterone by blocking estrogen receptors in the brain. This can potentially lead to increased release of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which in turn stimulates the testes to produce more testosterone.
At Gameday Men’s Health, we only administer natural, bioidentical hormones – identical to what your body produces naturally. We can help determine your testosterone levels through a simple blood test, and choose the best treatment options based on your current health and specific needs.
