When it comes to the differences between men and women, some are arguably cultural and some are biological. And the ones that are biological all pretty much have one thing in common: testosterone.
It was testosterone that helped form your penis and scrotum when you were just a fetus and put those first awesome hairs on your chest as a teenager. You may not have thought about testosterone much since your voice cracked while reciting Shakespeare in Mrs. Tonnelson’s ninth grade English class. But you should, a lot actually. Why, you ask? Well, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you feel like your libido has been ebbing away?
- Has erectile dysfunction caused you embarrassment?
- Have you been carrying some extra pounds that won’t go away?
- Do you often feel physically and mentally tired?
- Do you feel depressed and unhappy?
- Do you feel shiftless and lack drive?
- Do you wish you felt more like a man?
Testosterone is not the cure for all of life’s ills. But it can go a long way in addressing these ailments and contributing to your overall health and well-being.
What is testosterone?
Testosterone is part of the androgen group and is the primary male sex hormone. The majority of your T is produced by your trusty testes. Women have T too, but men have 40-60 times greater amounts in their bodies. Testosterone is what gave you bigger muscles and organs than women. And it’s what gave you a “male brain,” which is larger than the female brain (although we should strongly point out that size has nothing to do with intelligence) but which has a decreased connection between the hemispheres. Perhaps most importantly, T is what enables you to rock an awesome beard or mustache. Testosterone maintains your manly characteristics throughout your whole life and regulates several systems in your body.
So T is pretty damn important to a man. It’s what makes you feel like a man, man. So if you haven’t been feeling too manly lately, or maybe ever, perhaps it’s time for you to throw yourself a T party.
The Benefits of Testosterone
Testosterone has been scientifically proven to:
- Improve your mental and physical energy
- Increase your competitive drive1
- Increase your muscle size and strength
- Increase your metabolism
- Help prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia2
- Increase libido and erectile function
Every man is born with different levels of testosterone, and T secretion naturally falls as a man ages. And overdosing on testosterone (read: steroids) can have negative health effects. But modern environmental, cultural, and dietary changes are artificially decreasing men’s normal T levels, and at a younger and younger age. According to a recent study:
“Researchers in the US are finding testosterone levels to be substantially lower — by about 15 to 20% — than they were fifteen years ago. Scandinavian studies show similar declines, and in younger men too; a man born in 1970, for example, had about 20 percent less testosterone at 35 than a man of his father’s generation at the same age.”3
So what’s sapping our T? Here’s a few of the factors at play:
Stress. Stress increases our level of cortisol and decreases our testosterone.
Lack of sleep. Testosterone rises while you sleep, particularly during the REM phases. Today, men are often skimping on their shut eye, which in turn is sapping their testosterone.4
Soy intake. Soy is supposed to be so good for you, right? Wrong! Soy increases your estrogen and decreases your T.5 It will also lower your sperm count.6
Eating a low fat diet. Low fat diets have been widely debunked these days.7 But in case you needed yet another reason to put down the Snackwell’s, it has also been proven to decease your T.8
Smoking. The nicotine and cotinine in cigarettes inhibits and reduces T production.9
The Day 4 Challenge: Increase Your Testosterone!
So your task for today is to do three things from the following list that will help increase your testosterone. Obviously, doing more than 3 is great, and I would encourage you to commit to them for the whole 30 days and beyond.
1. Get at least 8 hours of sleep tonight.
2. Do not smoke at all today. (If you don’t smoke right now, you can’t count this one as one of your 3)
3. Do no eat anything with soy in it. You’re going to have to read labels. It will blow your mind how many things contain soy these days.
4. Meditate for at least 10 minutes. This will help you de-stress.
5. Do resistance training. Lift some weights and do compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, dips, rows, and pull-ups. They’ll boost your T more than bicep curls. You also need to use heavy weights and short sets. If you’re looking to maximize your T, I highly recommend the Strong Lifts 5X5 program.
6. Eat a serving of good fat. As you fat intake goes up, so do your T levels. Aim to get at least 30% of your calories from fat today and spread your consumption of it throughout the day. Monosaturated fats-the kind found in nuts, fish, olives, olive oil, seeds, and avocados-are particularly beneficial to your testosterone level (and your health).10 Also, don’t be afraid of saturated fat; that whole business about it raising your cholesterol and causing heart disease is a bunch of rubbish.11
7. Eat a serving of animal protein. Vegetarian diets have been proven to lower your T levels.12 So go ahead and have that steak. (This might be the easiest day of the challenge yet!) There’s no need to overdo it though; a diet with a carb to protein ratio of 2:1 is ideal for testosterone production.
8. Eat a serving of cruciferous vegetables. Veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, turnips, cabbage and brussel sprouts contain Diindolylmethane which helps balance your estrogen and testosterone levels and increases the amount of free circulating T in your body.
9. Have morning sex (if you partner is willing, of course). Just having an erection increases your testosterone. And you already get a surge of T when you wake up, so this will bump it up even further.
Which 3 did you pick? Share your Day 4 results with us in the Community.
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WGC-4KPP4H5-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=375ea0b05acf6eb2afabf305fe055bbd [↩]
- http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2004/nia-26.htm [↩]
- http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1048357/testosterone_levels_declining_in_men_at_younger_ages_zrt_laboratory/index.html [↩]
- http://www.sono.org.br/pdf/2008_Andersen_Sleep_Med_Rev.pdf [↩]
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10798211 [↩]
- http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/617728.html?chan=top+news_top+news+index_lifestyle [↩]
- http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/nutrition-news/low-fat/ [↩]
- http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/42/1/127 [↩]
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2154652?dopt=Abstract [↩]
- http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/82/1/49 [↩]
- http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=health&category=heart.disease&conitem=a03ddd2eaab85110VgnVCM10000013281eac____ [↩]
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/159772 [↩]
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Sources cited (with pubmed!). Well done sir.
Wow, I learned a lot. And no one can say you didn’t cite your sources this time!
I’ve never run into any negative effects for not eating meat (This being said, I’m not one to often eat soy products). I won’t rule out that an increase of testosterone can come about from animal protein, but I think the other items listed are far more useful.
Great timing on this post, myself and some of my coworkers were feeling like less of a man after catching this commercial on TV for testosterone therapy at http://www.isitlowt.com which seems guarenteed to make you question your manliness.
@Barrett-
That’s interesting. Better to try natural solutions first, I’d say.
I note that the web article linked to for “low-fat diets have been widely debunked” is not for just a low-fat diet, but a low-fat high-carb diet, which is not the same thing; and the group studied was all female.
We should be careful of piling on the fat until we’re sure.
wow.
I eat soy alot.
thanx for opening my eyes.
Nice to see an article on men’s health that isn’t reliant on drugs or rigid diet and exercise schemes. I would only add to the list, seeing your doctor for a thorough check up, to rule out other causes for some of the symptoms you list ie: high blood pressure or cholestrol, diabetes etc…
I’m going to pass this onto my hubster too!
10 Great sex tips for Impotence sufferers
Whilst men struggling with impotence may not immediately see the benefit of advice and reminders on how to enjoy a good sex life. Especially as it may be some time since they last saw any real action in the trouser department. Well, TAKE NOTE- A recent clinical trial of a little known herb called Butea Superba has improved the sexual performance of over 84% of all the men who are taking it. The results of these trials can be viewed on the HealthyED.co.uk website. So if you need to address you personal peformance or just want better erectile performance go to the HealthyED website.
Naturally, everyone wants to be a better lover and have better sex. Many people are self-conscious about their skills as a lover or a sex partner, this can hinder having a satisfying sex life. Always remember to relax, be communicative, use protection and ultimately have fun. As with every other skill, there are several tips that you can follow to aid you in your sexual endeavors.
1. Be communicative: When engaging in intercourse, tell your partner your sexual likes and dislikes, and encourage them to tell you theirs. This not only strokes your partner’s ego and gets them in the mood, but it will also inform your lover as to what turns you on and what satisfies you sexually. Sharing the sex tips that you have learned in the past can sometimes benefit your current relationship. Learning to discuss sexual matters openly is imperative to a good sex life. As many ipotence sufferers will know,having someone to talk takes away some of the pressure and in turn can improve performance.
2. Share your fantasies: Discussing your sexual fantasies with your lover can be fun and will bring you both to a new level of intimacy.
This is important for some men and ensures arousal.
3. Engage in foreplay: Foreplay is a great way to excite your mate and build up anticipation for the big event, which ultimately makes for a more powerful climax during intercourse. Having your partner fully understand the best way to getting you hard is essential.
4. Try different positions: One of the oldest sex tips in the book is literally in a book. If the same old positions are getting boring, invest in a copy of the Kama Sutra, an ancient literary gem that outlines a great variety of sex positions and breathing exercises to prolong climax. Trying different positions is also valuable when looking to maintain firmness.
5. Play with toys: If it is something you are comfortable with, head to an erotic boutique with your lover to see what you can purchase to liven up the action in the bedroom. There are several sex toys on the market such as vibrators, velvet-lined handcuffs, lubricants and swings that can help increase sexual pleasure for both men and women. Remember that lubes can play an important role in sustaining the big fella in the bedroom.
6. Engage in role play: As one of the most amusing sex tips, role playing will definitely spice up intercourse. Everyone has a specific sexual scenario that they are curious about and would like to try out. As long as both participants are willing and comfortable with the scenario, dress-up and have fun.
7. Experience a daring place: Although it can be risky; many people claim that having intercourse in a somewhat public spot can be very arousing. The thrill of getting caught gets the adrenaline flowing and increases sexual pleasure.
8. Catch a flick: Watching a pornographic film together or flipping through a pornographic magazine is an entertaining activity that will not only awaken your senses, but will also provide suggestions on new positions or scenarios to try with your partner.
9. Talk dirty talk: Many people get sexually aroused when their lover talks dirty to them. It builds anticipation and triggers a person’s primal instincts. Talking dirty involves letting go of your self-consciousness and allowing your imagination to run wild. Words are very powerful, even more so during intercourse for Ed sufferers.
10. Lights, Camera, Action: Just because sex is usually performed in a bedroom does not mean that it has to be lights off. Many men and women get turned on by looking at their partner while engaged in intercourse.
For more information on the how, the why and the where see http://www.healthyED.co.uk for details.
Brett,
The soy thing isn’t very significant.
The study of Japanese men states in the abstract that, “total and free testosterone concentrations were inversely correlated with soy product intake…but these correlations were of border line significance.”
The Business Week article focuses mostly on obese men who are already experiencing increased levels of estrogen as a result of their obesity. Further, the study is more useful as an exploration of how applicable animal studies are to people, and “it’s not time to worry about whether you’re eating too much soy. There’s not enough information to conclusively say that.”
Keep eating soy, folks. It’s good for you. There are far more significant factors affecting testosterone levels.
Soy isn’t as bad as your source would lead people to believe.
http://www.jissn.com/content/4/1/4
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_nutrition/soy_whats_the_big_deal
Although I applaud your efforts to cite sources, I can’t believe you would make such a bold statement about saturated fats not causing heart disease or raising cholesterol with a source as flimsy as the Men’s Health website.
Research published in scientific journals go through a rigorous peer-review process in which other scientists in the field ensure that proper scientific method was followed and that proper sources were cited. This is to ensure that unsubstantiated claims are not published as fact.
This is very different from an article on a magazine website co-authored by a dietitian with a PhD (the field is not specified and may not even be in science, for all we know) containing no sources for the claims that are being made. One thing that particular jumps out at me is that the studies to which the authors refer are from more than 40 years ago. I would like to think that there have been some advances in science since then.
In the future, I would request that if you are going to give scientific/medical information, please use a more reliable scientific source. It is very misleading an inaccurate to do otherwise.
Thank you.
After a blood test to determine my T level, it was determined to be way below other guys my age.
I was given a set of instructions, that pretty much follows the nine steps listed here, except for the one about soy, and the one about resistance training. Oh, and they didn’t list number 9. I was started on HRT, at a minimum daily dose of 5g. That was 6 weeks ago. I am a changed man now. I have lots of energy, a better outlook on life, I’ve lost weight, and let’s just say, that number 9, has turned about to be my favorite number!
If you guys are suffering from these symptoms: fatigue, weight around the waist, depression, ED, and loss of libido, you may need to have your T level checked. They can do it while checking your cholesterol, or any blood work for that matter, and the prescription is like $35/month. A small price to pay to feel like a man again!
@Kelly-
This is the Art of Manliness, not a scientific journal. Sometimes I think it’s helpful for men to read a more accessible overview of a topic as opposed to a tiny abstract on a scientific study. These AoM articles are not designed to prove points about nutrition and health; they’re just jumping off points for our daily tasks. I would certainly hope that someone would have the wisdom to simply google a subject if they wished to know more about it.
This is especially true on a subject like the connection between cholesterol and saturated fat, which is actually quite complicated, could warrant an incredibly lengthy blog post all on its own, and does very critically involve the studies of the past. It’s not so much that someone can point to X study and say, “that proves it!” It’s a matter at looking at dozens of studies and drawing conclusions.
If someone is really interested in the topic, I would recommend Gary Taubes’ book “Good Calories, Bad Calories.” It’s perhaps the most well-researched book on the subject and incorporates the findings of dozens of studies. It also addresses the concern that Will voiced above, in that it adds great creedence to the claim that low fat diets are not best for our health.
@A. Kurtz-
Here’s another study on rats and soy’s affect on testosterone:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T3G-3V8D77M-13&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=ac73d7562f86875620f7cf460a289adb
And on its affect on rat fetuses:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/4753/should_pregnant_women_eat_soy/
“A new study raises questions about whether eating soy during pregnancy could cause abnormal reproductive organs and sexual dysfunction among male babies.
Male rats born to mothers whose diet during pregnancy included genistein, a chemical found in soybeans, never ejaculated while trying to mate with females, the Johns Hopkins researchers found.
The male rats whose mothers ate genistein during pregnancy also had lower testosterone levels and a larger prostate as adults and, at puberty, smaller testes, compared with rats whose mothers had none of the chemical in their diets, the study says.
Hopkins researchers stressed the findings do not indicate genistein has a similar effect in humans, but say they plan further research they hope will answer that question.
“We found that these males were de-masculinized,” says researcher Sabra L. Klein. “This raises questions as to the effects that [genistein] can have on the developing fetus.”
While these studies obviously don’t prove that something similar happens in humans, it’s certainly enough to convince me to avoid something that’s completely unnecessary for my health and the “good for you” health benefits of which are entirely unproven:
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20050825/jury-still-out-on-soy-health
“Soy is widely considered to be something of a medicinal super food, touted as helping to prevent conditions as diverse as heart disease, hot flashes, osteoporosis, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and even cancer.
But a new government-sponsored review of soy research shows little to justify the hype.
An analysis of close to 200 soy studies conducted over the past two decades showed only limited evidence of specific health benefits associated with eating soy products or taking soy supplements.
Eating tofu and other soy-based products was associated with a small reduction in low-density lipoprotein, also known as LDL “bad” cholesterol. And taking soy supplements was found to reduce the frequency of hot flashes in postmenopausal women.
But the analysts concluded that the studies are not convincing enough to recommend including more soy in your diet to lower heart disease risk or treat symptoms associated with menopause.
And the research to date fails to prove a protective benefit from soy against a wide range of other medical conditions, including osteoporosis, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease, thyroid disease, diabetes, and cancer.”
Brett,
The point is that it’s usually better to get the advice of your doctor or another medical or science professional instead of taking the results of a preliminary study on rats as gospel for human health.
I will admit that this goes both ways, in that soy is possibly hyped up to be something it’s not.
And I understand that AoM is not a scientific journal, but as such it’s kind of silly to say “stop eating all products with soy in it.” It’s the same process that leads people to self-diagnose sickness instead of seeing their doctor, except in this case we’re advocating people avoid all foods with trace amounts of soy.
A. Kurtz-
I actually wouldn’t tell people to avoid all trace amounts of soy in general. I just thought it made for a good exercise today in order to raise awareness about soy. But I can see that I definitely painted it in way that implies avoiding all soy forever and ever.
Brett,
It’s good to be informed and to take moments to thoughtfully consider what we put in our bodies. I can’t fault you for that. I do like this article overall
@A. Kurtz:
The difference is that Japanese men are probably eating fermented soy foods like miso and probably raw green soy beans (which are both healthy), unlike in America and I’m sure elsewhere in the world that has been gripped by the “all soy is miraclefood” fanaticism where you can find basically any processed food with soy substituted for dairy ingredients.
Good article, Brett, but you’ll find that most who follow a vegetarian diet (and even more so in the case of vegan diets) will not start consuming animal flesh for testosterone – so I think it’s a pretty strange point to make. I also take the soy bit with a grain of salt. Over-consumption of soy is probably bad, but this applies to most things. A bit of soy milk on my cold cereal, occasional desserts based on soy and tofu as part of a main course every once in a while doesn’t strike me as dangerous for my testosterone levels. It is worth a look, though. One day, I’ll check up with my doctor and have both a testosterone check and a sperm count, then cut down on all soy intake for a few weeks and see if there is any difference. I’ll check back in with you once I have my results.
I will follow your advice on the other points – I’ve been intending to start some exercise and meditation for a while now, and this is nice motivation to get to work on it. I eat lots of healthy fat already, and I don’t smoke, so I guess I should be fine.
Thanks for the article, it was quite interesting.
Great article! However, I’d like to point out something the article got wrong: men’s IQ scores are, on average, 5 points above women’s, precisely because men’s brains are, on average, larger than women’s.
I know I’m preaching to the choir, but men and women are different in so many ways, and physical size has its effects as well.
Nothing increases your testosterone like boxing.
Wow great article! Really appreciate citing those sources!
@Brett I can’t have sex in the morning with my partner, would watching porn with an erection for 30 – 45 be a reasonable substitute?
@Julian – Mate, not sure if you gain any testosterone, but you will surely do yourself much more harm by watching porn. This was discussed here already – http://artofmanliness.com/2009/05/11/the-problem-with-porn/
One of the best books on hormone production and fat in your diet is “The Stubborn Fat Fix” by Keith and Valerie Berkowitz. They cite peer-reviewed scientific journals directly, but present an easy to understand diet program.
It amazed me to discover how much your diet affects your hormones!
If you want to use the above mentioned two methods, please take note that not all products on the market are of the same standard. You will need to do some research yourself so that you don’t get cheated of your hard earned money. But it will surely be worth your while as you will finally realize your dream of owning a bigger, more massive manhood.
I do 2, 3 and 5 every day. Working hard for the 8hrs of sleep and the morning sex.
I always knew sex in the morning (bad breath or not) was good!
Good thing my girlfriend is always willing to do it.
Or you could just supplement what’s missing by directly taking testosterone. Although lifestyle changes will help increase testosterone levels, they will be modest at best.
Everything sounds good, but I want even more. I’m thinking of taking some ZMA and Tribulus Terrestris (I may have spelled this wrong). What else could I take?
Vitamin C has been found to lower cortisol levels as well (3000 a day).
Also, regarding the strong lifts 5×5, I would suggest the Starting Strength workout prior to that to give someone a solid strength core base before branching out to more difficult weights. When you do compound lifting (as you should) as opposed to all the silly tricep pushdowns, bicep curls, dumbbell flys, etc., you have to have good FORM first!!! Squat, bench press, overhead press, deadlift, pullups, and chinups are all anyone needs to gain the uber muscle. All that other fluff is just that.
For information on Saturated fats being healthy check here:
http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/04/17/no-evidence-that-saturated-fat-causes-heart-disease-its-official/
and here:
http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/02/06/more-healthy-eating-advice-from-the-uk-government-that-is-unlikely-to-do-any-good-at-all/
and here:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com
LOL this site is awesome and funny, its revelation meets revolution. Play on men, play on.
Your saluter, Nathanator (my a.k.a. name, by the women)
I think it’s a great conversation. Just thought I’d mention that there is some pretty convincing long term evidence consistently provided by Dr. Dean Ornish that low fat diets have be able to prevent and in some instances arrest or reverse inoperable prostate cancer. I followed low fat (sub 10%) for years. I now choose to let this go closer to 20%, but still believe that lower is better, albeit harder.
Non-Animal based irons have shown to be a greater evil for the prostate. In real life, Popeye never would have know what hit him with all that spinach. Great job on this article, Brett & Kate. And despite some of the comments found herein, there is plenty of scientific evidence to support the Men’s Health article. I would highly recommend “The Protein Power Lifeplan” by Drs. Michael and Mary Eades. It’s an easy read which is not only a diet plan, but also a road map for overall good health and well being. It also lays out all the science and explains it in terms anyone can understand.
Sorry- The Protein Power Lifeplan
I just wanted to throw out that meat isn’t the only source of animal proteins; meat, cheese and eggs have it too, and many vegetarians do not abstain from those.
Also, holding babies (and just being married) decreases testosterone:
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2002/09.19/01-testosterone.html
From the article: “A man’s testosterone levels drop significantly when he holds an infant. Even holding a baby doll can decrease levels of the male virility hormone.”
“It makes sense,” notes Peter Ellison, professor of anthropology. “Lower levels of testosterone may increase the likelihood that men will stay home and care for their wives and kids, while decreasing the likelihood they will go out drinking with the guys and chase other women.”
Wow. Instead of the meditation I decided to do some Tai Chi I learned at my local community college (yesterday was my first day of class) and it felt GREAT.
Everyone commenting here needs to read “The China Study”. Clearly.
@Kelly
One thing that should be taken into account is that citing Men’s Health does not immediately cause something to be unscientific. In following on with some of Brett’s points, there are some people incredibly experienced in their fields who contribute heavily to Men’s Health. A good example is Jeff Volek, a PhD at the University of Connecticut and probably the most published authority alive on dietary fats and low carbohydrate diets (he also wrote the TNT Diet book, which is very good). In his TNT book, he goes into a lot of detail on the myth of saturated fats as always being inherently bad for you using his own extensive research.
And the TNT Diet book is also a Men’s Health book. Just something to think about in that case…
Oh and one of the healthier fats out there (coconut oil) is 100% saturated fat, but absolutely great for your health.
Since I freed myself from the constraints of a bad woman (not to generalize, but this one was a bad one) I have been getting more sleep (at least 8 hours), eating better (fish, carbs, veggies, cooked in olive oil), started playing rugby again, going to church again, and generally being stress free. The change lines up perfectly with this plan. I feel like a million bucks and I recommend it to anyone. Make sure that YOU are taking care of you. You can feel your testosterone decreasing and you can fix it. GO!
The evidence seems to contradict your assertion that soy lowers testosterone. In fact, a recent meta-analysis of 15 studies showed NO effect of soy intake on testosterone levels:
http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/Review-finds-no-effect-of-soy-on-testosterone