Increasing Your Test Levels
Pharma Grade Test activator https://advancedmolecularlabs.com/collections/all-products/products/testosterone-booster
Based on the Latest Scientific Research
For decades, supplement companies have been making profits hand over fist selling consumers grossly overpriced, underdosed products. No, it’s not the pixie-dusted, “ultra” concentrated pre workouts you’re probably thinking of that were nothing more than glorified caffeine bombs.
The bogus products that have been draining your wallet and fattening the bank accounts of supplement companies are the so-called “natural testosterone boosters.” Billed as the saving grace to your low testosterone levels, poor body composition, and pitiful strength levels, natty test boosters were viewed by consumers as the answer to everything that was wrong.
The sad truth, is that these purported testosterone support products were completely and utterly useless. They did absolutely nothing for testosterone production due to the simple fact that they didn’t contain any ingredients shown in human research trials to actually support testosterone production. Sure, they included all sorts of ancient herbs and ingredient that worked well in rats, but nary a compound that would actually benefit a real live human being.
DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone)
DHEA can enhance health, vitality, fat loss and improve “free testosterone” levels when taken before high-intensity exercise. DHEA is a steroid hormone naturally produced in the body mainly in the adrenal glands, gonads and brain. DHEA is a prohormone as a precursor to testosterone. Natural DHEA levels peak in early adulthood and then slowly fall as you age. DHEA has gained popularity as an anti-aging supplement and often referred to as the “Fountain of Youth hormone.”
Many older adults take DHEA supplements to slow the aging process, maintain muscle mass and strength and promote sexual performance. A review of literature by Polish researchers concluded that DHEA supplements provide many benefits during aging. Well-controlled studies found that DHEA antagonizes the stress hormone cortisol, strengthens the immune system, reduces fat accumulation, strengthens the skin, reduces cholesterol, improves mood, cognition and well-being. DHEA also improves energy levels, enhances insulin sensitivity and strengthens bones. Low levels of DHEA increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. DHEA supplementation (50 mg per day) also enhances effects of weight training on muscle mass and strength in elderly women and men. (2006, Am. J Physiol Encronol Metab 291.) DHEA replacement increases IGF-1. Also, DHEA replacement might potentiate the increase in IGF-1 isoform mechano-growth factor (MGF) which has a powerful anabolic effect on muscle.
Low levels of DHEA have also been correlated with accumulation of abdominal fat! A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA, 2004) showed that DHEA (50 mg) per day prevented abdominal fat and improved insulin action. DHEA replacement could play a role in the prevention and treatment of the metabolic syndrome associated with abdominal obesity. The primary finding of the six-month study (56 adults) was a significant decrease in subcutaneous and visceral fat. Abdominal fat was measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and insulin response to an oral glucose tolerance test.
A review of the literature by Italian researchers published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism concluded that DHEA decreased fat mass in adults. They examined 25 studies involving more than 1,300 older men. DHEA appears to have several effects on fat tissue including inhibition of fat cell growth, increased metabolic rate and lowering cortisol. Cortisol is a catabolic stress hormone that could also suppress brown fat tissue function in humans, which can lower energy expenditure and enhance abdominal fat storage. DHEA is a cortisol antagonist. DHEA levels fall during overtraining and physical stress, as cortisol rise, which can increase fat storage and decrease lean body mass. DHEA can combat cortisol, boost free testosterone and help prevent muscle loss and overtraining. 50 mg of DHEA before exercise can improve free testosterone levels and improve testosterone/cortisol ratio.
DHEA can increase free testosterone after exercise! There are two types of testosterone in the body: free testosterone and bound testosterone. Free testosterone is the most biologically active form of testosterone! Testosterone bound to serum hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is biologically inactive. For the body to use testosterone it must unbind the testosterone, making it free and useable. DHEA can do this! High-intensity-interval training (HIIT; repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise followed by short rest intervals) increases fitness rapidly but suppresses testosterone, which could increase the susceptibility to overtraining. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study was conducted with oral DHEA supplements (50 mg) and found increased circulating DHEA and free testosterone above baseline in the middle-aged group, and levels were prevented from declining during HIIT. DHEA supplements may have significant benefits related to HIIT adaptation. These results demonstrate acute oral DHEA supplements can elevate free testosterone in middle-aged men as reported by European Journal of Applied Physiology,2013.
Another study found that 50 mg of oral DHEA given to men and women aged 40-70 for three months saw an increase in androstenedione and a significant increase in the anabolic hormone IGF-1! There was no change in circulating levels of sex hormone-binding globulin, estrogen (estrone or estradiol) in either gender. DHEA levels were restored to youthful levels within two weeks of DHEA supplementation. The research stated 50 milligrams of DHEA daily was “associated with a remarkable increase in perceived physical of psychological well-being for both men (67%) and women (84%!)”
The research shows that 50 mg of DHEA daily can maintain free testosterone after exercise, lower the catabolic hormone cortisol and increase IGF-1. More is not better when it comes to DHEA! The research does not show that taking higher doses of DHEA would provide more effective results! Also, higher dosages of DHEA might be putting yourself at risk of side-effects.
BORON
Boron is an ultra-trace element found in humans. Boron was introduced in the 1980s as a testosterone booster. Bodybuilders experience no benefit at 3 mg per day. Later studies reported that when dosed at 10 mg per day, boron increased testosterone. One study showed that 10 mg of boron per day for seven days increased free testosterone by 28% and decreased estrogen levels by 39%. Iranian scientists reported in the Journal of Trace Elements Medicine and Biology that supplementing 10 mg of boron per day in healthy young males ages 29-50 for a week decreased levels of sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and significantly increased levels of free testosterone, which makes the hormone more biologically active. For the body to use testosterone it must unbind the testosterone, making it free and usable. It does this by blocking the sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) from binding testosterone, making it unusable by the body. Boron supplements also decreased biomarkers of inflammation such as c-reactive proteins (CRP). Lowering the level of CRPs has been shown to lower the level of heart disease. This is the first human study to report an increase in free testosterone after a boron supplement. This is also the first human study with boron that increased testosterone and decreased estrogen (estradiol); serum (blood) cortisol levels were also lower as well. Based on this study, for any potential free testosterone boosting-effect, a daily dose of 10 mg of boron is recommended. Boron citrate is a highly bioavailable form of boron.
FENUGREEK SEED EXTRACT
(Trigonella Foenum-Graecum)
Studies have shown that fenugreek has anti-diabetic and cholesterol-lowering properties. It contains the amino acid 4-hydroxyisoleucine that can enhance insulin function and insulin sensitivity. It also contains glycosides and steroidal saponins. Saponins are a group of naturally occurring plant glycosides; steroidal glycosides are naturally occurring sugar conjugates of C 27 steroidal compounds. The aglycone of a steroid saponin is usually spirostanol or a furostanol.
Studies have shown that fenugreek steroidal glycosides and saponins can boost free testosterone and inhibit aromatase. A portion of testosterone is converted to estrogen through a process called aromatization, which increases estrogen levels and decreases testosterone. Aromatase inhibitors prevent the conversion. Aromatase inhibitors prevent the conversion of testosterone to estrogen, reduce estrogen levels and increases testosterone. They are often used in patients receiving testosterone or anabolic steroids. Bodybuilders often take aromatase inhibitors to prevent gynecomastia – the development of female-like breast tissue. Many bodybuilders take Nolvadex and aromatase inhibitors to prevent estrogen-induced side effects such as gynecomastia. Fenugreek steroidal glycosides and saponins might have the same effect. Some bodybuilders believe that preventing testosterone conversion might have an anabolic effect.
Researchers from Baylor University published in the International Journal Sports Nutrition Exercise Metabolism (2010) their findings that a fenugreek standardized extract decreased body fat and increased total and biologically available testosterone (compared to a placebo). Subjects trained with weights four days per week and took 500 mg of standardized fenugreek extract daily. The researchers concluded that fenugreek standardized extract “incompletely inhibited aromatase and 5-alpha-reductase activity while significantly increasing total and bioavailable testosterone levels, as well as decreasing percent body fat in conjunction with a resistance-training program.”
A more recent study published in the Journal of Sports and Health Science (2015) reported that an eight-week treatment containing a standardized fenugreek extract (600 mg daily) offered beneficial effects in terms of repetition to failure in leg press and increased free testosterone levels compared to placebo. This study was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled human clinical study consisting of 60 male subjects. The fenugreek extract demonstrated significant anabolic and androgenic activity as compared with placebo. Subject also showed significant improvements in body fat without a reduction in muscle strength or repetitions to failure. Supplementation showed beneficial effects in male subjects during resistance training without any clinical side effects.
TONGKAT ALI
(Eurycoma Longifolia)
Tongkat ali is a Malaysian plant used throughout Asia as an aphrodisiac. Tongkat ali is an extract from the root of the small tree Eurycoma Longifolia, which is consumed as a beverage in Southeast Asia.
A study from the National Research Institute of Scientific Medicine in Taipei, Taiwan found that tongkat ali promoted erection and delayed ejaculations in rats. The supplement promoted penile blood flow while reducing stimulation of smooth muscle in the penis – which enhanced erections without overstimulation that would lead to premature ejaculation. This plant extract might help men with two of the most common sexual disabilities: erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation (Journal of Sexual Medicine, May 2011).
Tongkat ali has been shown to increase testosterone concentrations, muscle mass and strength in men and women. Studies in humans have demonstrated that 100 milligrams of tongkat ali extract increased strength and muscle circumference. Treatment with 200 mg and 400 mg of tongkat ali increased total and free testosterone concentration.
Tongkat ali is often referred to as “Malaysian ginseng” and an adaptogen. Tongkat ali extract has anti-stress properties and restores hormonal balance by improving testosterone/cortisol ratio. Tongkat ali extract increases free testosterone by inhibiting sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Supplementation with tongkat ali root extract (200 mg/day) improves stress hormone profile (lower cortisol, higher testosterone) as a result of stresses such as dieting for weight loss, sleep deprivation and intense exercise training.
In two other studies, tongkat ali supplementation (100 mg/day) improved lean body mass, 1-RM strength and arm circumference to a significantly greater degree compared to placebo. In men with low testosterone (average age 51), one month of daily supplementation with tongkat ali extract (200 mg/day) resulted in significantly improved serum testosterone levels. Another study of healthy adult males (average age 25) demonstrated that 100 mg/day of tongkat ali extract added to an intense strength training program (every other day for 8 weeks) improved lean body mass and arm size compared to placebo group. The results demonstrate that tongkat ali extract can enhance muscle mass and strength and enhance fat loss in healthy exercises.
In middle-aged women (aged 45-59) researchers found that 200 mg of tongkat ali daily for 12 weeks enhanced lean body mass during a strength training program compared to placebo. Additional studies showed that 50-100 mg/day of tongkat ali extract helped improve normal testosterone levels in supplemental dieters (compared to a drop in testosterone among non-supplemental dieters). For many dieters, it would be expected for cortisol to rise and testosterone to fall following several weeks of dieting. Also, in one trial, endurance cyclists’ cortisol levels were 32% lower and testosterone levels were 16% higher in supplemental subjects compared to placebo creating an anabolic state. So far, this makes tongkat ali a very effective compound that has been shown to increase total and free testosterone concentrations, muscle mass and strength in men and women!
RED WINE POLYPHENOLS
Red wine is a rich source of polyphenols. Polyphenols are bioflavonoids that are potent antioxidants. Red wine polyphenols may help prevent many health problems such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases.
The polyphenols, anthocyanins and procyanidins in red wine, provides the most cardiovascular health benefits. Red wine from southwest France and from Sardinia, Italy have very high amounts of procyanidin. A polyphenol called resveratrol also has many health benefits. Currently, we don’t know which polyphenols are best. So, it’s good to take a mixture found in red wine.
Research studies have shown that red wine polyphenols are potent, natural aromatase inhibitors; decrease estrogen and increase testosterone levels. Red wine polyphenols are also potent nitric-oxide boosters that enhance vasodilation and blood flow.
Red wine polyphenols can also raise free-testosterone by reducing sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) a carrier protein that protects testosterone from being metabolized while in the blood stream.
Also, researchers from London’s Kingston University, a team led by Professor Declam Naughton, from the University School of Life Sciences, found that red wine polyphenols might reduce the amount of testosterone excreted by the body which can distort finding of drug tests taken from urine samples and allow them to beat anti-doping tests. Professor Naughton said that so far research has only been done in test tube experiments not humans. “A full clinical study would be needed to determine the effects on people but, if the same results were found it would confirm that compounds in red wine can reduce the amount of testosterone in urine and give a boost to testosterone levels,” he explained.
VITAMIN D
Low levels of vitamin D are linked to low blood testosterone. An Austrian study showed that supplementation with vitamin D (3,332 IU) daily for one-year increase testosterone by 20 percent and the biologically active free testosterone by 17 percent by lowering sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Vitamin D also decreases the breakdown of testosterone into estrogen by reducing the expression of aromatase enzyme. Vitamin D also has been shown to raise IGF-1 levels. Vitamin D is produced by the body via reaction involving sunlight and is consumed in the diet. It is critical for bone health but also important for immune system function. The increased incidence of colds and flu during the winter may be due to reduced levels of vitamin D. Several studies also found a link between low vitamin D levels and an increased risk of cancer. Testosterone is critical for muscle hypertrophy, so anyone interested in building muscle will probably benefit by taking 3,332 IU of vitamin D daily.
A Dutch study showed that vitamin D and nandrolone, an anabolic steroid with tissue-building properties, used unlawfully to enhance performance in sport, increased androgen receptor activity in muscle tissue independently, and in combination. The study used laboratory cultured muscle cells. Researchers showed that the supplements were effective in young and old muscle. Supplements taken also increased the growth of satellite cells, which are critical for muscle regeneration after exercise and for promoting muscle hypertrophy.
The study showed that vitamin D supplements made nandrolone more effective for promoting muscle hypertrophy. These results have important implications for preventing muscle deterioration with aging, and for bodybuilders who use anabolic steroids.
Vitamin D can also increase muscle strength. Vitamin D (4000 IU per day) increased upper and lower strength based on a review of seven trials and published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. The review included 310 adults average aged of 21-31. The authors wrote, “This review has found that vitamin D3 supplementation improves upper and lower muscle strength in a healthy adult, athletic and non-athletic population between ages of 18 and 40.” This was the first finding that Vitamin D can increase muscle strength in young, healthy adults.
Vitamin D supplementation can also cut body fat! Vitamin D supplements combined with 12 weeks of weight training improved and increased power output in overweight young adults – according to a study led by Andres Carrillo from Purdue University. Researchers supplemented 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day. They found improvements in peak power output and waist-to-hip ratio.
WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN’T!
D-Aspartic acid, Tribulus terrestris, stinging nettle, saw palmetto, maca root extract, damiana leaf extract, indole 3-carbinol and 3,3-diindolylmethane (DIM) are not reviewed in the report because of lack of published, scientific human research supporting increased free or total testosterone in humans. Also, purified supplements of indole-3-carbinol and DIM are shown to be phytoestrogens, anti-androgens (blocking androgen receptors) and endocrine disruptors. They shouldn’t be taken as dietary supplements if you want to maximize testosterone function! If you want to get your health benefits from these compounds, then play it safe and eat your cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, or asparagus.
For example, the latest research has shown that D-aspartic acid decreases testosterone! Australian scientists from the University of Western Sydney led by Geoffrey Melville, found that daily supplementation of either 3 or 6 grams of D-aspartic acid decreased total and free testosterone in resistance-trained men and had no effect on related hormones such as estrogen or sex-hormone binding globulin (Nutrition Research, 2013 & Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2015.)
Another example is Tribulus terrestris, often recommended for increasing testosterone. Tribulus terrestris is an herb that was fist cultivated on the Steppes of Georgia (the country, not the state). East Bloc athletes used it to boost testosterone production and improve performance. Russian scientists theorized that the herb acts like the pituitary hormone (LH) to stimulate testosterone release in the testes. The supplement has been extremely popular with bodybuilders and powerlifters for increasing performance and non-athletic men for improving sexual performance, even though little research supports its effectiveness. Well-controlled studies have found that tribulus has no effect on strength, body composition, or testosterone! (Journal of Human Kinetics, 2014).
According to Halis Akturk and Todd Nippoldt from the Mayo Clinic (JAMA, 2016), “The symptoms linked to low testosterone levels can often be improved through exercise, fat loss, improved diet, reduced stress and better sleep habits.”
When it comes to diet, low-fat diets lower testosterone levels. Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids have been shown to directly and systematically boost testosterone while polyunsaturated fats by and large inhibit testosterone production. Arachidonic acid an omega-6 derived polyunsaturated fatty acid does support testosterone production, but I do not recommend it as a dietary supplement because it is a substrate for the inflammatory cascade and inflammation in the body. You get all the arachidonic acid you need from the diet. No need to take supplemental arachidonic acid, as it may increase inflammation and the risk of heart disease and other degenerative diseases. The best and healthiest fats for boosting testosterone are monounsaturated fats (not saturated fats which can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease) which are found in preferably extra-virgin olive oil, avocados and nuts. Nuts are high in zinc and magnesium. Diets deficient in zinc can lower testosterone levels. Zinc supplements have also been shown to increase testosterone in zinc deficient adults. Also, oral zinc supplements increase total and free testosterone levels in elite athletes after exhaustion exercise. (Neuro Endocrin, 2006.)
Studies have shown that oleuropein, a polyphenol in olive oil, has aromatase inhibiting properties, which might enhance testosterone levels. Also, the polyphenols found in red wine are natural aromatase inhibitors that decrease serum estrogen levels. Don’t overdo the red wine – it contains alcohol, which can lower testosterone and increase aromatase and estrogen levels! Red wine polyphenol supplements might be an alcohol-free alternative. Alcohol can act as an aromatase stimulator and increase estrogen levels. I have personally found that moderate consumption, one to two glasses per day of red wine, has a favorable effect on testosterone, unlike other alcoholic beverages, because of its polyphenol content.
The polyphenol content is one of the reasons why I’m a big advocate of the Mediterranean Diet. A breakthrough study in the American Heart Association journal Circulation conducted at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Harvard University, compared body fat. Researchers compared a low-fat diet to a low-carb Mediterranean Diet. The low-carb Mediterranean Diet is more effective for reducing body fat, particularly visceral (abdominal) body fat. The diets study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology for the first time measuring changes in body fat and organ fat during 18 months on a Mediterranean low-carb diet with moderate physical exercise. This is the best approach to date for measuring body fat compared to weighing people, as opposed to diet and exercise.
The scale, skinfold calipers and underwater weighing aren’t giving you the whole picture! The Mediterranean Diet is significantly superior to a low-fat diet in decreasing fat storage including visceral (deep abdominal) liver and heart fat. High visceral fat has been shown to increase metabolic syndrome, inflammation, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Losing deep subcutaneous visceral fat as well as hepatic (liver) fat was shown to improve lipid sensitivity and lipid profiles.
The low-carb Mediterranean diet is higher in monounsaturated fats from olive oil that can raise testosterone, while low-fat diets lower testosterone production. So not only is the low-carb Mediterranean Diet ideal for weight loss, but you get healthier fats from monounsaturated fats such as olive oil and nuts, which can boost testosterone.
So, if you want to boost testosterone and enhance fat loss, follow the low-carb Mediterranean Diet. Recently, a study published in JAMA on April 25, 2018 found that the Mediterranean diet fights against frailty! It’s just another study that supports the Mediterranean diet to preserve lean body mass and health during aging. It’s also especially important to follow a high intensity resistance training program for maintaining testosterone and enhancing lean body mass. Don’t overdo long periods of cardiovascular, aerobic exercise as it can lower testosterone and encourage overtraining. Overtraining can lower testosterone and raise cortisol! Rest and recovery are important in maintaining normal, healthy testosterone levels.
Coffee is also good for boosting testosterone. A Harvard University study led by Nichole Wedick showed that men who drink caffeinated coffee showed increases in total testosterone and decreases in free-estradiol (estrogen). Coffee is loaded with phenolic antioxidants that act as natural aromatase inhibitors, which prevent the conversion of testosterone to estrogen (Nutrition Journal, 2012). Among men, consumption of caffeinated coffee has been shown to raise testosterone levels and decrease total estrogen and estradiol levels.
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