If you have been working out for a number of years, and are probably in your late twenties, thirties or beyond, you’ve probably noticed that you don’t get quite the bang for your buck that you used to.
Is this a result of your subpar workout routine and diet? It could be. But if you’re sure that you’ve checked all the boxes and doing what you should, then there’s a good chance that your testosterone levels have taken a hit.
Is this something that you should lose sleep over? Well yes, and no. Yes in the sense that you should not let your precious muscle building hormone free-fall until things become so bad that you lose the essence of what makes you a man, but no as well, since it is inevitable for every man after the age of 30, and because you can take steps to arrest a sharp decline.
One of the best ways to support your testosterone levels? Using all natural test boosters, such as those we will be discussing now.
Laxogenin
A supplement you may have heard making waves in recent months but may not have been aware of, Laxogenin is actually a compound known as a brassinosteroids, a plant based steroid found naturally in foods such as mustard, broccoli and even cabbage.
Now hold on a second. Just because there’s the word “steroid” in something, that doesn’t mean it’s bad. This is especially true in the case of Laxogenin. While it is a steroid, it does not exhibit typical steroid-like effects in humans.
This means that it actually does not alter androgen levels, but rather modifies the rate of protein synthesis and breakdown, known as an anabolic effect[i]other goes up.
Adaptogens
Adaptogens have been around for centuries, having a history of use in Ayurveda and the Orient, even though their utility has been underrated for years by conventional medicine. Turns out, using adaptogens could be one of the best steps you take to improve natural testosterone levels, and without risking hormonal dysfunction.
Adaptogens, by name and nature, help your body to “adapt” to the stresses placed on it, by reducing cortisol production. Cortisol, while critical to our survival, is often chronically elevated and as a result lead to a slew of pro-inflammatory states.
Good adaptogens include Ashwagandha (KSM-66), which has been studies extensively and has shown to enhance parameters such as spermatogenesis, usually impaired under high-stress conditions. It positively influenced fertility and hormone levels in men deemed as infertile[ii]magnesium aspartate and vitamin B6, is a specially bonded compound known as a chelate, which can help with optimizing your natural testosterone levels.
Besides supplying two of the most common minerals endless men are deficient in (you lose zinc from sweating and every time you ejaculate, for example), there is ample evidence that ZMA possesses anabolic properties that are favourable to accrual of lean mass.
A study published by the Journal of Exercise Physiology revealed that athletes who supplemented with ZMA experienced an average 30% increase in testosterone levels, as well as 5% in IGF-1 levels, while a placebo group experienced decreases in both[v]sleep, (and likely increase in HGH as well), and you can see just how useful it can be to any training regimen.
Tribulus
One of the earliest, and most well-known testosterone boosting supplements on the planet, tribulus is called many things, including devil’s weed and puncture vine. It actually grows wild in many parts of the world, and even though you could probably get some in your backyard, it is important to realize that not all tribulus is the same.
Rather, you should be looking for high quality tribulus grown in Bulgaria or adjacent locations, containing at a minimum 6% protodioscin content and supplying more than 45% saponins. Why? Because tribulus appears to have a dose specific action.
If you under dose (as many people do), you will probably fail to see any change and simply shrug it off as useless. However, its ability to increase testosterone levels and also display pro-erectile properties is undisputed, thanks to its ability to influence luteinizing hormone levels.
Better known as LH, this hormone in turn dictates testosterone synthesis, which frequently show acute increases in the days following administration[vi]stress in seminal plasma of infertile males.Ahmad, Mohammad Kaleem et al.Fertility and Sterility, Volume 94, Issue 3, 989 - 996
