Testosterone And Muscle Mass

Does Boosting Your Testosterone Increase Your Muscle Mass?

We are all led to believe that testosterone builds muscle mass, but what are the real facts? This article looks at the links between testosterone and our muscles.

Is it really that crucial?

There is a great deal of information out there, so much so, that it can be rather confusing.

So what are the facts about testosterone? is it really responsible for our muscle mass, sexual responses, longevity and strength? 

Lets uncover the facts….

Testosterone

Testosterone is a steroid hormone that is found in both sexes.

it is men who have far greater levels of it in their blood, it is responsible for their development into men during puberty.

Testosterone is also essential for the maintenance and upkeep of their masculine attributes throughout their lives

Produced in the Leidig cells that are in the testes, testosterone is a result of a complex series of hormonal events that starts in the hypothalamus in the brain. 

Testosterone controls and regulates fertility, muscle tone, strength, energy levels and of course our sexual responses.

It also regulates the distribution of body fat.

Testosterone And Physical Activity

Testosterone controls virtually all aspects of physical activity, without testosterone you would be unable to exercise or build muscle mass.

Testosterone production is at its peak during puberty and our twenties.

As we start to get that little bit older our natural testosterone production starts to decline.

Experts tell us that its a slow gradual process, usually by between 1 and 2% per year.

As it reduces, we start to experience reduced muscle tone and strength.

Our sex drive also reduces and we can start to gain weight.

When your levels drop sufficiently, your doctor might suggest a course of TRT (Testosterone replacement therapy).

These treatments can come in various forms, with creams, gels, ills and injections being the most common.

The Importance Of Testosterone And Your Muscle Mass

It is absolutely paramount to ensure that you maintain maximum testosterone levels, without it you will not be able to build muscles.

AS ‘normal’ testosterone levels vary from person to person its often necessary to boost your testosterone levels to achieve desired results.

When we are younger – in our teens and through our twenties, most of us have enough testosterone to build and keep muscle mass and strength.

It also provides us with our youthful energy levels and sex drive.

AS we reach our thirties and beyond our ability to build muscles and boost strength reduces along with our declining testosterone levels.

By the time we reach our 40’s ur natural testosterone production can be as much as 40% lower than it was at its peak.

“Normal” testosterone levels range between 300ng.dl and 1000ng.dl. 

Should your levels drop below this you are technically classed as having low testosterone (hypogonadism).

“Avoiding Stress Is Another Factor”

This is the main reason why, as you start to get that little bit older that you carefully asses your lifestyle.

You need to make changes as necessary to ensure that you eat a good diet and exercise regularly. 

Another area to focus on is your stress levels, known as the testosterone killer, being subjected to stress in your life can cause the release of a hormone called cortisol into the blood stream.

This has a marked effect on testosterone, effectively blocking it from doing its work.

So Does Testosterone Actually Build Muscle Mass?

The answer to this is actually confusing… Yes AND No is the honest answer.

Clinical research has looked into this matter and the simple answer to this question is as follows:

If you have lower levels of testosterone in your blood (300-400ng.dl, then boosting your testosterone levels will certainly help boost your muscle building efforts.

On the flip side, if you testosterone levels are high ( around 1000ng.dl,) then boosting your levels further probably will not make much difference.

This is not the whole story though..

If you consider the effects of testosterone on body fat, the answer is totally different

The greater the levels of testosterone in your body, generally the less amount of body fat will be stored in your body.

This is where boosting testosterone can improve muscle tone and definition.

You will have less body fat and will look more defined and muscular.

Boosting Your Testosterone Naturally

If you do have lower than ideal testosterone production, you could definitely benefit from boosting its levels. 

With all the highlighted risks linked to both anabolic steroids and drug based TRT treatments its a good decision to consider boosting your testosterone naturally.

There Are Some Highly Effective Ways Of Boosting Testosterone Naturally

Try to lower the stress in your life – when subjected to stress, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol.

This has a very negative and direct effect on testosterone levels.

The key is to try and reduce the stress levels in your life – taking regular exercise is a great way to reduce stress.

Get some sleep – Poor sleep quality is almost as bad at lowering testosterone as stress.

Lack of sleep can cause weight gain, poor moods, lack of motivation and reduced muscle tone. 

Ideally you need around 7 hours per night.

There are tricks to help you sleep, turn off all social media, phone and computers at least an hour before going to bed, take a bath, drink a warm drink

Eat a good diet – make sure that you eat a good mix of proteins, good fats and complex carbohydrates.

Excessive amounts of unsaturated fats and processed foods are proven to lower testosterone.

Watch that body fat – try to keep body fat levels in check, eat well and taking regular exercise will help keep your body in fat burning mode.

This will help you remain leaner, and as we known that lean muscle mass helps boost testosterone.

Other Things You Can Do

Perform the correct exercises – Lifting weights are a sure fire way of boosting testosterone. 

The main compound exercises are without any doubt the best – deadlifts, shoulder and chest presses in particular). 

You must get the balance right however, by adding in a good mix of aerobic exercise too (such as walking, swimming or cycling) to get and keep your heart fit.

This also helps maintain your body weight.

Take a natural testosterone booster – A good natural testosterone boosting supplement will help your body increase production of its own testosterone. 

The other benefit of natural testosterone boosters is that unlike anabolic steroids and drug based TRT that force artificial testosterone into your body.

In this situation, the testosterone being produced as a result is genetically matched to your body, and became of this provides all the benefits without the inherent risks and side effects.

Ingredients To Look For In A Good T-Booster

• Vitamin D3
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Vitamin B6
• D-Aspartic Acid
• Ginseng
• Boron
• Ashwagandha

Others to look to for include Luteolin, Fenugreek, Nettle extract and Oyster extract.

Just one other note – many T-boosters use Tribulus Terrestris in their formulas –

The hard clinical facts are that it does not work to boost testosterone.

It might help boost a flagging libido, but in clinical trials it has failed to provide any boost of testosterone.

My advice is that if you are serious about boosting testosterone to build your muscle mass.

That you avoid any product that contains Tribulus Terrestris.. 

If libido is a major concern, then perhaps its worth considering as long as the supplement contains some of the other ingredients mentioned above.