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Causes of Low T and Choices to Increase Your Testosterone
Testosterone is a hormone
with common benefits but unique challenges. Your strength, endurance and sexual
energy are all closely tied to testosterone. Hormone imbalances that include
low T can take an emotional toll, as well.
Meanwhile, factors such as
age, disease and stress can all lower testosterone. Understanding symptoms of
low T helps you be proactive in managing hormone levels. Signs of low T have mind and body effects,
so being mindful of several indicators is helpful.
Here are common causes of
low T and some possible solutions:
Age:
Hormone changes often
accelerate past the age of 40 for men and women. ‘Manopause’ is a term coined
to note the depression and low libido that stem from hormone imbalances. Men
with low T may realize few results from previously effective workouts.
Solutions
Testosterone boosters with maca root or gamma oryzanol help improve
mood, while also balancing hormones. Other options to offset age related loss of T include diet and exercise.
(See below)
Diet:
Cholesterol is what mostly
fuels testosterone production. Diets that lack essential
fatty acids (EFAs) and cholesterol may restrict your body from making
testosterone.
EFAs are not produced by
the body and must be consumed. Blood cholesterol consists of HDL (good) and LDL
(bad) varieties. HDL helps clean the arteries of plaque buildup to improve
heart health. Your testosterone and HDL levels are highly correlated.
Options: Nuts, eggs and fatty oils each have
essential fats to help boost testosterone.
Consider snacking on a palm full of almonds throughout the day. Brazil
nuts add a crunch to a salad drizzled with olive oil.
Scrambled eggs providecholesterol that is converted to T and are packed with protein. Adding fatty
fish such as salmon or mackerel is another source.
Exercise:
Our bodies produce
testosterone under duress. Workouts that force muscle recovery require more
testosterone to handle the strain. Your
body can become too familiar with the same exercises and weights to make
testosterone.
Choices to consider
Workout varietyand intensity can influence testosterone. Doing incline bench press
before flats strains your pecs in a different sequence. You may consider mixing
dumbbells and barbells between workout days.
High Intensity Interval
Training (HIIT) provides intense bursts that can spike testosterone. Consider
HIIT for your cardio, as well. Instead of a long jog, mix in 30 second bursts
of sprints.
Choosing compound
movements that work several body parts can raise T levels. Bench press, squats
and bent over rows are examples that challenge our bodies to produce
testosterone.
Disease and Injury:
Diseases such as mumps
gain strength by feeding on hormones.
In these cases, hormone depletion may be needed to slow the progress. Since testosterone is made in the testes,
injuries to testicles can inhibit T production.
How to Cope: Working with a medical professional is often required. Hormone
replacement therapy could be prescribed.
Genital injuries are not
always obvious. If your diet, lifestyle and age do not indicate low T; a subtle
injury to the testes may be a culprit.
Stress:
Managing your stress is
critical to hormone balance. The stress hormone cortisol is produced in excess
when you have extended periods of anxiety.
Cortisol can crowd out testosterone to cause low T.
Solutions: Setting aside a block of time each day to close your eyes is invaluable. You
can use the time to reflect, plan and visualize success in many areas of life.
Make it a point to take a deep breath and focus on your goals each day.
Basic mediation and yoga
may be options to consider. Yoga classes will keep you limber and have social
benefits.
Your Health and Hormones are Closely Related:
Knowing how your age,
lifestyle and history may change hormones is important. By recognizing signs of
low T, you can take steps to improve overall health.
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