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If you were asked to name male sex hormones, you’d probably stop at testosterone, right? It’s the main one, after all.
But while testosterone is the main hormone that impacts male biology, there are a few more that also play a vital role in how well your body functions for things like muscle building, weight loss, sex drive, reproduction, hair loss, and everything else that affects who we are as men.
These male sex hormones are known as androgens—and they all matter.
Low levels of any androgen can have negative impacts on your fitness and wellbeing. So knowing what they are and how to boost them is important for keeping yourself in optimal physical and sexual health.
But how do you actually do that?
Let’s take a look at the different male sex hormones, the implications of low levels, and how to increase testosterone naturally.
What are male sex hormones?
Male sex hormones are responsible for maintaining good sexual health as well as a host of other vital bodily functions.
Let’s start with the main one…testosterone.
Testosterone
This is the big one, the one we all know about. It’s what we’re told makes you a, well…‘man.’
This is because your sexual characteristics that develop throughout puberty are mostly driven by the effects of increased testosterone.
But, it’s worth noting that testosterone is not solely a male hormone—females produce it too—just at much lower levels than men.
Likewise, males also produce oestrogen in their bodies, but in much smaller quantities than women.
These higher levels of testosterone in men are what leads to increased muscle mass, deeper voices, patches of body hair, and other secondary sexual characteristics.
It’s also crucial for reproduction, as testosterone plays a key role in sperm production (and sperm health), as well as libido, and virility.
Other androgens
So what are the other male sex hormones? Well, you’ve got…
Most of these are weaker androgens than testosterone. But they are all still essential, particularly as there are interaction effects between and across them.
A5 is a precursor to testosterone, for example, so if levels of A5 are low, this can impact how much testosterone is then produced and used effectively by your body.
So while it may be tempting to look at how you can raise levels of each androgen individually, the reality is that they are so interlinked that raising testosterone levels should increase them all somewhat.
And as testosterone is the daddy of the androgens, this is the one that we will focus on here, as we look at ways to boost your production of this key sex hormone, avoiding the negative health implications of low or reduced levels in the process.
What are the symptoms of low testosterone levels?
If your testosterone levels are too low, they can play havoc with your body. Some of the main symptoms that can signify decreased testosterone production include…
But, if your testosterone levels are low, it doesn’t mean you’ll automatically experience all of these symptoms.
Similarly, you may experience some of these issues without decreased testosterone levels.
But a drop in testosterone production can lead to any and all of the above—so it can be a sensible idea to check in with your doctor to assess your situation, should you experience any of those symptoms.
And if it turns out that your testosterone levels are low, what can you do about them?
How to boost testosterone levels naturally: top tips
If your testosterone levels have dropped dangerously low, you may need medical intervention.
But, fortunately, for most of us who experience a testosterone drop off, it’s typically reversible or manageable through some simple and natural lifestyle changes.
Let’s explore.
Lift some weights
Lifting weights builds muscle, and muscle growth increases testosterone.
So besides being generally great for your general health and fitness (particularly as you get older), resistance training will give a boost to your production of testosterone—both in the short term and over time. Bonus.
You’ll become stronger, fitter, and shed harmful belly fat. Which brings us onto our next point…
Lose weight
If strength training isn't your kind of thing, then any sort of exercise will be beneficial.
Running, swimming, climbing, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts, sports – all of these can help you lose body fat. Just get more active in whatever way you prefer.
This will have an impact on healthy testosterone levels as an increase in fat mass (particularly belly fat) brings with it an increase in your oestrogen levels.
So dropping a few pounds can help bring your testosterone levels back up by replacing the excess oestrogen you’ve been carrying around with you.
Read: Our epic guide to essential testosterone-boosting exercises for top fitness tips and inspiration.
Eat the right foods
Something else that will help boost testosterone naturally (as well as help you lose weight) is to change up what you eat.
Diet is quite a broad topic, and there is a lot you can do to make positive progress. But we’ll stick with a few simple and basic changes you could focus on to kick things off.
A real game-changer for your testosterone levels and your body weight is to cut back on sugar.
Too much glucose in your body can play havoc with your testosterone. Research suggests that just 75g of sugar can cause a 25% reduction in testosterone levels.
So, make sure to avoid sugar-filled sodas, candy, and other processed foods as much as possible.
Along with limiting your sugar intake, you should also think about consuming fewer simple carbs, as these contain sugars as well.
Stick to complex carbohydrates instead, alongside plenty of protein and vegetables, to ensure you maintain a healthy and balanced diet.
Finally, avoid overeating in general, as an expanding waistline leads to further testosterone deficiencies (as we saw in the previous point above).
Read: Our rundown of foods that will boost your testosterone and level up your health game.
Avoid alcohol
Another thing that you are better off ditching from your diet is alcohol.
Most of us love the occasional beer or glass of wine, but there can be too much of a good thing—especially when it comes to drinking.
We all know about the weight gain and the hangovers that can go hand-in-hand with a few drinks too many, but alcohol also has a detrimental effect on your hormones.
As alcohol disrupts how your brain functions, it should come as no surprise to learn that this includes the production of your sex hormones, with testosterone levels being impacted both in the short term and over time.
Cut down on your alcohol consumption and you’ll get those hormones back up and your body in better shape too. The same goes for nicotine and other drugs as well —steer well clear to improve your fitness, virility, and overall physical, mental, and sexual health. You’ve got this.
Go to sleep
Finally, something simple.
You’ve cut out sugar, reduced how much alcohol you drink, and have been putting in the effort with the weights. Now you can reward yourself with some well-earned rest.
While your body may be at ease during the night, your brain is still pretty busy. One of the many tasks it takes on as you sleep is hormone regulation—which includes testosterone production.
This means that the less quality sleep you get, the harder it becomes for your brain to produce more testosterone.
Getting just five hours instead of seven hours of sleep per night can lead to a 10 to 15% decline in your testosterone levels.
Reduce stress
As your stress levels go up—your hormone production abilities go down.
When your cortisol (the stress hormone) levels are raised, a negative feedback loop is created that prevents the release of sex hormones in your hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis), as well as affecting the production of testosterone in your testes.
Stress is an important state for your body to deal with, so it will prioritise this while putting other functions on hold.
In the short term, elevated cortisol isn’t too troubling, but if you experience chronic stress, you may well find your healthy testosterone levels start to naturally decline.
Avoid toxic packaging
Something that not many of us would necessarily think of as affecting our hormone levels and overall health is the packaging that foods are sold and stored in.
But much of the plastic (along with cans and some kinds of paper) that contain our foods and drinks are full of a chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA).
The molecular structure of BPA is somewhat similar to oestrogen, which confuses the body and leads to a lack of testosterone in men.
The same goes for the bottles, tubes, and tubs that hold cosmetics, toiletries, and cleaning products—particularly if any of the ingredients on the label end in ‘paraben.’
Try to avoid these toxins by swapping out plastic packaging for more sustainable and reusable alternatives.
Top Tip: Drinking water from steel bottles or glasses instead of plastic vessels will help you steer clear of any potentially T-sapping toxins.
Avoid vitamin D deficiency
Vitamin D levels are closely linked to testosterone production. So making sure you’re getting enough is crucial for your hormone levels.
Getting outside for some exposure to the sun for 10 to 15 minutes each day is all you need to up those low vitamin D levels—which has a further impact on testosterone levels.
You can also obtain vitamin D through your diet (oily fish like salmon and mackerel are great sources, as are eggs, mushrooms, and plant-based milks) or through supplements (either from cod liver oil or vitamin D supplementation).
Have sex
There are some suggestions that having regular sexual intercourse can raise your testosterone.
Thankfully though, this doesn’t mean a lack of sex will decrease testosterone levels.
This isn’t a clear-cut way to boost low T levels though, as more evidence is needed to definitively confirm this one.
But in the meantime, it’s surely worth a try.
Take testosterone supplements
Our final tip for increasing your male sex hormone levels is to add a testosterone-boosting supplement into your daily routine.
There are some really solid ingredients for raising your testosterone levels that are hard to come by through a nutritious diet alone, but are included in strong quantities in herbal supplements.
Ingredients like Panax ginseng and ashwagandha have been repeatedly shown to positively affect testosterone production and boost libido.
Likewise, D-aspartic acid (DAA) and fenugreek can support hormone function, enhance sex drive, and improve the health of your sperm.
Supplements that contain these ingredients are the ones to look out for —and they’re such a safe and easy way to bring your testosterone back up to strong levels.
How to keep your testosterone levels in the green
Once you’ve increased your testosterone, you’ll want to keep them elevated so that you don’t revert back to lower testosterone levels and re-experience those negative effects like weight gain and low libido.
The key to this is to keep doing what you did to elevate your hormone levels in the first place. And the easiest way to do that over the long term is with a testosterone booster.
A supplement like TestoPrime can be used for months on end to raise your testosterone levels effectively—and all you need to do is take a couple of capsules a day with water.
It’s the easiest way to take control of your overall health and virility by pumping up those testosterone levels for improved fitness, strength, and libido. Go get some.
