
January 19, 2020
32 Natural Ways to Increase Testosterone – A Lecture from Ben Greenfield on The Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast
Check out the Ben Greenfield Fitness Episode Page & Show Notes
Key Takeaways (And Products Mentioned)
- Workout & Exercise Strategies to Raise Testosterone
- Do brief sprints
- Lift heavy weights
- Take longer rest periods when weight training
- Do forced reps (assisted reps after you’ve reached failure)
- Never skip leg day
- Avoid chronic cardio
- Nutrient Strategies for Increasing Testosterone | Supplement With (Or Make Sure You’re Getting Adequate Amounts Of):
- Magnesium & Zinc
- Black ant extract is particularly high in zinc
- Vitamin D3 and K2
- DHEA
- Boron
- Magnesium & Zinc
- The Optimal Diet (Macronutrient Ratio) for Increasing Testosterone
- 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
- Herbal Supplements for Increasing Testosterone & Libido
- Maca Powder
- Cacao Powder
- Most mornings, Ben will drink cacao tea (which he says is an excellent replacement for coffee). His recipe: Blended MiCacao, ghee (or coconut oil), salt, butterscotch toffee stevia, and Four Sigmatic Chaga Elixir.
- Eurycoma Longifolia (AKA Longjack)
- Pycnogenol
- Tribulus Terrestris
- Biohacks for Increasing Testosterone
- Electrical Muscle Stimulation (on the legs)
- Red Light Therapy (directed at the testicles)
- Cold Therapy (applied to the testicles)
- Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy
- Mistakes That Lower Testosterone & Fertility
- Under-estimating the harmfulness of plastics
- Being too sedentary
- Eating too often
- Think you’re immune to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) (frequent exposure to EMFs lowers testosterone)
- Ejaculating too frequently
- Ignoring the power of sex
Books Mentioned
- Body By Science by John Little
- The Magnesium Miracle by Dr. Carolyn Dean
- The Multi-Orgasmic Man: Sexual Secrets Every Man Should Know by Mantak Chia and Douglas Abrams
- Ben says this is required reading for every man
- Read Estrogeneration by Anthony Gay to learn more about the dangerous effects of plastics on hormones
- Vitamin K2 And The Calcium Paradox by Kate Rheaume-Bleau is an excellent resource for learning about why taking vitamin k2 in conjunction with vitamin d is necessary
Intro
- This is a solo episode from Ben Greenfield (@bengreenfield) about how to naturally raise testosterone
- Ben has a new book coming out January 21st – Boundless: Upgrade Your Brain, Optimize Your Body & Defy Aging
Microdosing Testosterone?
- Ben has been experimenting with microdosing a transdermal testosterone cream in both the morning and evening (linked is the brand from Ben’s show notes)
- Why the morning and evening? – It mimics the diurnal variation in testosterone that occurs daily (compared to an unnatural surge in testosterone you’d get with an injection)
- Where does Be apply the cream? – His scrotum
Workout & Exercise Strategies to Raise Testosterone
- Do Brief Sprints
- This up-regulates androgen receptors (which bind to testosterone), testosterone itself, and growth hormone
- Whether on a bike, rowing machine, or with running – all it takes is 6 seconds
- A perfect protocol: 4-6 6-second sprints with 30-36 second breaks in between
- Lift Heavy Stuff
- This up-regulates androgen receptors
- Great exercises: Hex bar deadlifts, squats, and the bench press
- Ben keeps a hex bar loaded with weights near his desk and makes sure to deadlift throughout the day
- Take Long Rest Periods When Weight Training
- “This idea of concurrent strength and endurance training, CrossFit, Spartan training—most of that flies in the face of building testosterone” – Ben Greenfield
- How long? – At least 120 seconds after a weight lifting set
- Do Forced Reps
- The idea: Do a weight lifting set, but towards the last 2-4 reps, get a partner to assist you through the movement (after you’ve reached failure, even if you only move through a partial range of the motion)
- Use Your Legs
- “Any type of leg day is incredibly beneficial for testosterone” – Ben Greenfield
- Avoid Chronic Cardio
- “I competed in Iron Mans for ten years, and that was the lowest that my testosterone ever was. I saw a steep rise in my own blood testosterone values after I quit racing Iron Mans.” – Ben Greenfield
- Why does chronic cardio lower testosterone?
- Think about it evolutionarily: If you’re constantly running from a lion, the body wants to down-regulate fertility (why would you want to bring children into the world during times of stress?)
Nutrient Strategies for Increasing Testosterone- Supplement With (Or Make Sure You’re Getting Adequate Amounts Of):
- Magnesium & Zinc
- Caveat: Most of the studies show these micronutrients only increase testosterone in men who exercise frequently and sweat often
- Black ant extract is particularly high in zinc
- Taking it pre-sex, Ben finds, boosts his libido
- Shellfish are also high in zinc (clams, oysters, etc.)
- Vitamin D3 and K2
- “In smaller amounts, Vitamin D3 has been shown to up-regulate androgen receptors and cause a favorable hormone response.” – Ben Greenfield
- Note: It’s best to take vitamin D3 with vitamin K2 for optimal absorption and to reduce the risk of arterial calcification
- For more on this, check out the book, Vitamin K2 And The Calcium Paradox
- Your vitamin D3 needs will vary based on sun exposure, but the general rule is that 1,000 IU increases your blood levels by 5 ng/dL
- Aim to get 100-200 micrograms of vitamin k2 with your vitamin D
- Ben’s preferred vitamin D supplement: Thorne Vitamin D/K2
- DHEA
- Although banned by most international sports sanctioning bodies, DHEA is something you can pick up at any pharmacy
- The optimal dose for increasing testosterone: 25-50 mg/day
- 🎧 Creatine Monohydrate
- “Creatine is one of the most studied, safe supplements known to man for staving off sarcopenia. It’s a known nootropic.” – Ben Greenfield
- The optimal dose: 5 mg/day
- Your body can only absorb 1.5-2 grams at a time, so space out your doses throughout the day
- Creatine is best absorbed when taken with warm water
- “There’s no loading that’s required. That’s a myth from the bodybuilding industry.” – Ben Greenfield
- Boron
- The optimal dose: ~10 mg/day
- You can supplement, but boron can also be found in raisins, nuts, fish, and dairy products
The Optimal Diet (Macronutrient Ratios) for Increasing Testosterone
- On average, you need 0.55-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight
- On active days, make sure you’re getting more. On rest days, you need less protein.
- 30-40% of your calorie intake should come from fat
- The rest, fill in with carbs
Herbal Supplements for Increasing Testosterone & Libido
- Maca Powder
- It’s been shown to increase androgen receptor density, reduce the risk of prostate cancer, and raise both testosterone & libido
- Cacao Powder
- (Or just eat more dark chocolate)
- This won’t increase testosterone much organically, but it will increase nitric oxide and thus enhance libido
- Most mornings, Ben will drink cacao tea (which he says is an excellent replacement for coffee):
- His recipe: Blended MiCacao, ghee (or coconut oil), salt, butterscotch toffee stevia, and Four Sigmatic Chaga Elixir
- On the above: “If you want to have Christmas in a cup every single day that’s amazing for your nitric oxide levels… I’m addicted.” – Ben Greenfield
- Eurycoma Longifolia (AKA Longjack)
- This specifically enhances libido (and once you enhance libido and have more sex, your testosterone also increases)
- Fenugreek
- Fenugreek is another libido enhancer
- A weird side fact: Ben says fenugreek makes your semen taste like maple syrup
- Pycnogenol
- This acts similar to cacao in the way it enhances nitric oxide
- Tribulus Terrestris
- This herb “significantly enhances sexual drive”
Biohacks for Increasing Testosterone
- Electrical Muscle Stimulation
- Where? – On the legs (where there’s a high androgen receptor density)
- There are a few electrical muscle simulators you can buy, but Ben’s favorite is the Neu.fit
- His protocol: 2x a month Ben will attach the Neu.fit to his legs and go through a series of squats and lunges
- Red Light Therapy
- To learn more about the benefits of red light therapy, check out these Podcast Notes
- (Specifically light in the wavelength range of 600-700 nm)
- The protocol: Use something like a Joov and direct the light on your testes for 10-20 minutes a day
- Cold Therapy
- This is an old powerlifting/bodybuilding strategy used for increasing testosterone and growth hormone
- The easiest way? – By icing your testicles
- This is an old powerlifting/bodybuilding strategy used for increasing testosterone and growth hormone
- Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy
- First, know that cell phones kept in front pockets have been shown to reduce sperm count and quality (frequently using your laptop on your lap or continually being around Wi-Fi routers can also have a similar effect)
- But, exposing the body to low-intensity/low-frequency/long-wavelength pulsed electromagnetic fields can reverse some of this damage
- Products:
- First, know that cell phones kept in front pockets have been shown to reduce sperm count and quality (frequently using your laptop on your lap or continually being around Wi-Fi routers can also have a similar effect)
- Other methods:
- Platelet-rich plasma injections
- Stem cell injections
Mistakes That Lower Testosterone & Fertility
- Under-Estimating the Harmfulness of Plastics
- Perhaps the best book on this topic: Estrogeneration by Anthony Gay
- Parabens, phthalates, and PCBs found in shampoos and conditioners are easily absorbed into the body and unfavorably affect testosterone/estrogen ratios
- Easy tip: Avoid drinking bottled water
- Being Too Sedentary
- You know the type: The guy that sits for 10 hours at work, 2 hours on his commute home, and for another 3 hours while he watches TV at night
- MOVE throughout the day
- Sitting too often raises the temperature of your testicles, which is harmful to testosterone production
- Eating Too Often
- During longer fasts, testosterone and growth hormone levels drop. But, after re-feeding, they rise significantly (above normal levels).
- Intermittent fasting (and then re-feeding) also has a similar effect
- During longer fasts, testosterone and growth hormone levels drop. But, after re-feeding, they rise significantly (above normal levels).
- Thinking Your Immune to Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs)
- To learn more about the dangers of EMFs, check out these Podcast Notes
- As mentioned above, frequent exposure to EMFs lowers testosterone
- Easy hacks:
- Use a DefenderShield case on your phone
- Don’t keep your cell phone in your pocket
- Avoid using your laptop on your lap
- Avoid frequent Wi-Fi router exposure
- Ejaculating Too Much
- In general, as you age, you should reduce your ejaculation frequency – the rule of thumb:
- In your 30s: 3-4x a week
- In your 40s: 2-3x a week
- In your 50s: 1-2x a week
- For more on this, give The Multi-Orgasmic Man: Sexual Secrets Every Man Should Know a read
- Ben says this is a must-read for men
- In general, as you age, you should reduce your ejaculation frequency – the rule of thumb:
- Ignoring the Power of Sex
- It’s a positive feedback loop: More sex increase libido and testosterone
- Ben’s advice: Block off time for sex, just like you’d do so for a workout
The Best Ways to Measure Testosterone
- With a blood test
- The con: It’s a snapshot in time (and hormone levels fluctuate throughout the day)
- With a salivary panel
- The pro: This is superior to a blood test as it involves multiple readings throughout the day
- The con: It doesn’t provide the downstream metabolites (AKA what testosterone is getting broken down into)
- With a urine panel
- The pros: It involves multiple readings AND provides data about downstream metabolites
Additional Notes
- 🎧 “We forget about the low-hanging fruit… Everybody’s interested in their MDMA, going on their 38th ayahuasca retreat, and microdosing with psilocybin… I think everyone who wants to go off and do a deep plant medicine journey should go fast and isolate themselves camping in the wilderness for 3 or 4 days. I bet they would probably discover themselves in a very similar way had they gone out and done plant medicine.” – Ben Greenfield