Biologically speaking, testosterone plays a HUGE part in making you a man. It's the hormone that created your male sex organs during fetal development, the hormone that developed your androgenic features during puberty, and the hormone that bodybuilders leverage to increase these androgenic features post-puberty.

Yes, testosterone is pretty powerful stuff, playing a vital role in the human body. It regulates your sex drive, bone mass, muscle mass, fat distribution, strength, and the production of your red blood cells and sperm. This is why we do everything we can to keep it.

Besides low sex drive and erectile dysfunction, suboptimal testosterone can manifest in:

• Depression
• Diabetes and insulin resistance
• Metabolic dysfunction
• Infertility
• Weight gain
• Chronic inflammation
• Poor exercise recovery

As we get older, the body's natural testosterone production gradually drops. Unfortunately, that's normal human biology — something to just accept with grace. But other factors can accelerate the decrease in testosterone, and these are things we can control. Certain lifestyles and diets, for example, can diminish testosterone and increase estrogen, the female sex hormone (which could lead to moobs, or man boobs).

There are three solid rules for making sure your diet isn't hindering your testosterone levels:

#1. Severely limit or completely cut out processed foods.

Processed foods, frozen foods, or pre-packed lunches contain trans fats, which are harmful to all humans regardless of their sex. Studies showed that the abundance of trans fats in your diet provokes a drop in testosterone level and sex performance.

#2. Severely limit or completely cut out alcohol, smoking, and any other substance.

No revelations here. We all know smoking and alcohol aren't helping us become the best version of ourselves and depress our immunity. In regards to testosterone, a conducted research has found that the hormone decreases right away, just 30 minutes after that cocktail.

#3. Follow the high-fat diet

As far as testosterone levels and hormonal health are concerned, a diet rich in fat is hard to beat. Fat intake has been shown to influence testicular function, while a decrease in dietary fat has been shown to reduce the serum concentration of male sex hormones. Some studies even suggest that low-fat diets genuinely reduce testosterone levels in men.

#4. Control the macros ratio

Here is the optimal protein-fat-carb ratio to follow in your everyday diet:

• O.55-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight
• 30-40% of your calorie intake should come from fat
• The rest, fill in with carbs

Get your personal meal plan here

#1. Sprint training or HIIT

HIIT or high-intensity interval training has shown outstanding results in increasing testosterone levels. Sprints as short as 6 seconds have a profound effect not only on the T-levels but also on the overall body performance. Workout idea: 4 rounds of sprints with 90 seconds rest between rounds. Sprint for 400 meters or less, and rest between sets.

#2. Leg Days

"Never miss a leg day" is a real thing. Your legs create most testosterone in response to exercise. It might be the reason why leg strength most correlates with better health in seniors, too. Squats anyone?

#3. Heavy weightlifting

Emphasis on heavy. Resistance training, like weightlifting, appears to be an excellent type of exercise to boost testosterone — just one 30-minute-long weightlifting session can increase testosterone levels by 21.6%.

Get 150+ weightlifting workouts focused on growing muscle mass and boosting testosterone here

#1. Vitamin D

Multiple studies have linked vitamin D deficiency with low testosterone. Increasing vitamin D boosts testosterone and improves other related health measures, such as sperm quality and erectile function. So get your supplementation and don't forget to spend some time outside. Sunlight is the number one way to optimize vitamin D, and by extension, testosterone.

#2. Magnesium

Magnesium is one of the main elements supporting muscle, nerve function, and energy production. Some studies have shown that magnesium supplementation increases testosterone levels in men. It is recommended to have at least 400–420 mg per day from food or a combination of food and supplements.

#3. Zinc

For an adult male, 11 milligrams of zinc per day is considered the right amount to consume. A high-protein diet will usually contain enough zinc, but if you're a vegetarian or zinc-deficient, consider adding this supplementation to your diet.

Learn what other supplements help boost testosterone naturally here.

Testosterone and the growth hormone rise during your sleep. Your body is actively using those to detoxify, repair muscle tissue, repair your adrenal glands tied to your stress level, and repair your immune system. Without enough sleep, no matter what you eat and how many times a week you're hitting the gym, any efforts are useless. When sleep is permanently disturbed, active testosterone levels could drop by up to 20%.

The crunch: you need to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night to support the t-hormone. Full stop.

Struggling to sleep? Get sleep-hacking techniques from the world-leading experts here.

Cortisol, the stress hormone, together with inflammation, causes much damage to your hormones. Testosterone is no exception. It simply blunts its production. That's why the constant stress factor has such a massive impact on your overall health. While we can't often say no to a stressful work-related scenario, there are ways to balance it all out with simple yet effective stress-relieving techniques:

#1. Practice meditations

Meditations help calm the monkey mind and reduce cortisol levels. Just a 10-min session a day can significantly improve your mental and physical wellbeing and reduce stress damage.

#2. Breathe

A simple 5-min breathing technique can instantly lower your stress level, too. Try box breathing! It means exhaling to a count of four, holding your lungs empty for a four-count, inhaling at the same pace, and keeping the air in your lungs for a count of four before exhaling and starting again. It does wonders instantly and free of charge.

The term biohacking is widely used nowadays. There you have it, hacks and tools to help improve your testosterone levels:

#1. Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS)

EMS is the elicitation of muscle contraction using electric impulses. It is used on areas, such as legs, where high androgen receptors are located. The data shows that EMS is a very successful tool in boosting testosterone levels and stimulating weight loss.

#2. Red Light Therapy

Red Light Therapy has been a trend for a while now. It exposes you to low red or near-infrared light levels that you can't see but can definitely feel. The therapy has a wide range of proven benefits, and a testosterone boost is one of them.

#3. Cold Therapy

Ever heard of Wim Hof? If not, go read it here ASAP. (тут можно ссылку на нашу статью про Хофа)

Long story short, taking ice baths or cold showers lifts fertility, brightens the mood, and boosts immunity.

Check out our cold therapy guide if you're new to the practice and don't know where to start. (тут можно тоже ссыль)

#4. Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEF)

Many people carry their gadgets in their pockets near their testicles. The radiation from those negatively affects sexual activity and lowers testosterone. PEF helps to neutralize this damage by using low-frequency electromagnetic waves for just 10 minutes a day.

There's also compelling evidence of widespread contamination of mineral water from compounds leaching from the plastic packaging material. So get a hydro flask, swap your Tupperware for silicone or metal food containers, and try to avoid food and produce that came in contact with any plastic.