Being a natural athlete I've always sought to find more ways to increase testosterone levels naturally. The question I've always asked myself was what are the variables, which determine how much testosterone is bioavailable.I've read articles before, giving some advice on what in my every day life causes my test levels to go up and what causes them to go down. But after an extensive research I couldn't find an article, explaining in detail how and actually what exactly I should manipulate directly in my system to achieve the effects I desired - namely not only higher levels of circulating testosterone but also how much of it will be available to the corresponding receptors in the cell walls. Moreover, I wanted to know all this in regards to natural bodybuilding.
So, I decided to do some good digging and reading and then if I manage to put things together, to lay that in writing form so that others can benefit as well. Without wasting even a minute more I will start this off by describing what testosterone is and what it does in the human body. Testosterone is a steroid hormone with anabolic and androgenic properties. It is the main hormone, responsible for the increase in lean muscle tissue, increased libido, energy, bone formation, and immune function.Testosterone is secreted in the testes in men and in the ovaries in women. Small amounts are also secreted in the adrenal glands. Testosterone is derived from cholesterol. The levels of testosterone in men range between 350 and 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl). Sex Hormone Binding Globulin or SHBG is the one that concerns us the greatest. Why? Because this is the main reason why testosterone might not be available to reach the cell receptor. When testosterone gets attached to SHBG, it is no longer able to perform its anabolic functions.What elevates SHGB: Anorexia nervosa, Hyperthyroidism, Hypogonadism (males), Androgen insensitivity/deficiency, Alcoholic hepatic cirrhosis (males), Primary biliary cirrhosis (females).What suppresses SHGB: Obesity, Hypothyroidism, Hirsutism (females), Acne vulgaris, Polycystic ovarian disease, Acromegaly, Androgen-secreting ovarian tumors Less than 1% of the circulating testosterone is in a free form in males (less that 3% in females). Only when in a free form this hormone can exhibit its properties by connecting to the androgen receptors on the cell walls. Based on a study 14 to 50 per cent of the testosterone is bound to SHBG in males and 37 to 75 in females. It is worth mentioning that SHGB poses very high affinity for binding to testosterone. Therefore, changes in the SHGB levels noticeably influence the level of bioavailable testosterone.Let's discuss for a moment what exactly a testosterone bioavailability is. Other than SHGB there are two more testosterone-binding proteins, also called carriers. One of them is albumin. It is a low-affinity binding protein, thus testosterone bound to it is considered "bioavailable". Albumin binds to testosterone in the range 45 to 85 per cent in men (25 - 65 in women). The third carrier is the cortisol binding globulin, which binds also with low-affinity to less that 1 % of the testosterone in circulation.
Some research concerning having a vasectomy and testosterone levels shows no change in hormone level in the blood.A link between prostate cancer and the amount of testosterone in the blood sheds light on the subject. The association between prostate cancer, and vasectomy and testosterone production research is sketchy.
If you're regularly using drugs, and think they're not effecting your sex drive, think twice. Even common aspirin reduces testosterone levels in men.Here are a few of the worst offenders.Antidepressant psychiatric medications, including Elavil, Valium, and Prozac. Antihypertensive and diuretics.Antihistamines including, Dramamine, Antivert, and Benadryl.Opiate analgesics (painkillers) such as Demerol, Oxycontin, and Codeine.And a few more for good measure, including,Propecia, Tagamet, Zantac, Pepcid AC, and Ibuprofen.
Obesity. Based on the way the testosterone-estrogen mechanism works, increased levels of estrogen will ultimately decrease the circulating testosterone. Excess fat causes more estrogen production due to the fact that fat cells are those, which manufacture estrogen. So, the more fat cells, the more estrogen in the blood and the less testosterone.Drug and alcohol abuse. Alcohol has the property to inhibit your ability to remove estrogen from the blood stream by acting as a central nervous system depressant and also by decreasing zinc levels.Stress elevates corticosteroid levels in the blood steam, which causes the testosterone levels to decrease.Medications. Some medications, including estrogen and progesterone, lower the lutenizing hormone (LH) levels. LH is the hormone, responsible for the steroid hormones production.Diabetes. Studies suggest that there is a link between type 2 diabetes and lower testosterone levels.Hypertension and high cholesterol levels. These both cause the arteries to harden, this way decreasing the blood flow to the sex hormone producing organs. That of course leads to low sex hormone levels. Fact is after the age of 40 test levels drops by roughly one per cent per year. We can't do too much about that. The clock keeps ticking for all of us. However, we can try to manipulate testosterone levels in any other possible way.Low fat diet. Low fat consumption causes increase of the SHGB, which means one thing less free testosterone. It is considered that monounsaturated fats play an important role in testosterone levels and bioavailability.Overtraining can contribute to as much as 40 per cent drop in testosterone levels. That is why it's important to notice early the signs of overtraining and give the body a week or two well-deserved rest.Not enough sleep. If you are not getting enough sleep the body is not recuperating well, which causes less testosterone and more corticosteroids to be released. Just to mention corticosteroids like cortisol are in fact catabolic hormones meaning they use up muscle tissue to provide the brain and the heart with energy.
One possible solution lies from using a natural herb called tribulus terrestris. Tribulus terrestris is an herb that has been used by many cultures for at least a thousand years to remedy both sexual and also non-sexual problems.Tribulus terrestris has no known side effects when used to boost testosterone levels. It may be a safe and effective way to increase testosterone for men who want to have or have had a vasectomy.
Block the testosterone-binding effects of SHBG Nettle root as a highly concentrated extract has shown to be effective at binding to SHBG and therefore it permits more free testosterone to circulate the system. It also acts as a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor. This is the enzyme, responsible for the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a more potent form of the male sex hormone, which causes prostate enlargement and ultimately cancer. Methanolic extract of nettle can also cut down the SHBG levels, which is another form of elevating the free testosterone in the blood stream.Pygeum (prunus africana) is another herb, known to block the testosterone-binding effects of SHBG. Nettle root and pygeum extracts also benefit the prostate gland as a preventive treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) both by blocking the 5-alpha reductase action.Avena Sativa is an extract from the straw of oats. It has somewhat different properties. It works by freeing bound testosterone, which increases the free testosterone in circulation.Lowering aromatize levels of Zinc. The mineral zinc inhibits the aromatase enzyme that converts testosterone into excess estrogen. The recommended dose for inhibiting aromatase is 80mg daily. However, be sure the combined zinc quantity of all the daily supplements you are taking does not go over this benchmark.
Chrysin is a bioflavonoid that has shown a potential as a natural aromatase inhibitor. Chrysin is poorly absorbed in the system. It is found that when taken along with piperine, chrysin exhibits a lot better absorption. Supplementation with chrysin and piperine together might bring good results in reducing aromatase levels.How does this all apply to the sport of natural bodybuilding Let's assume you are an individual, who exercises regularly and who doesn't consider taking exogenous steroid hormones. With other words you are a natural athlete or enthusiast, who desires to keep his natural testosterone levels in the range, favoring good health and lean muscle mass build up. If you are even slightly overweight consider staring immediately a diet and training routine, tailored toward fat loss and lean muscle retention.Consider also dropping the alcohol intake to absolute minimum if you want your efforts in keeping test levels high to give results. Begin mastering some types of self-control or even meditation. These will take care of the excess stress levels.Take medications only if they are absolutely essential for your health and are prescribed by your doctor. Talk to your personal physician to find out if there are any natural remedies to replace your current medications and if he recommends such approach for your health issue.
Cycling is the key word when taking any Testosterone Supplements. Simply put, it means that the supplements are taken for a certain length of time and then use is stopped for a predetermined amount of time as to give the body and system a rest. This is done for two very important reasons. The first and most important, is that with continuous use with no breaks in between, the body will become overloaded with testosterone, which can cause serious irreversible damage to the system. Second, after taking the supplements for an extended period of time with a cycle break, the body will essentially become immune to the extra testosterone and no longer produce the initial effects. What that means is bodybuilders will not see any further muscle increase and athletes in general, will not have the same extra strength and stamina they had in the beginning.
So, I decided to do some good digging and reading and then if I manage to put things together, to lay that in writing form so that others can benefit as well. Without wasting even a minute more I will start this off by describing what testosterone is and what it does in the human body. Testosterone is a steroid hormone with anabolic and androgenic properties. It is the main hormone, responsible for the increase in lean muscle tissue, increased libido, energy, bone formation, and immune function.Testosterone is secreted in the testes in men and in the ovaries in women. Small amounts are also secreted in the adrenal glands. Testosterone is derived from cholesterol. The levels of testosterone in men range between 350 and 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl). Sex Hormone Binding Globulin or SHBG is the one that concerns us the greatest. Why? Because this is the main reason why testosterone might not be available to reach the cell receptor. When testosterone gets attached to SHBG, it is no longer able to perform its anabolic functions.What elevates SHGB: Anorexia nervosa, Hyperthyroidism, Hypogonadism (males), Androgen insensitivity/deficiency, Alcoholic hepatic cirrhosis (males), Primary biliary cirrhosis (females).What suppresses SHGB: Obesity, Hypothyroidism, Hirsutism (females), Acne vulgaris, Polycystic ovarian disease, Acromegaly, Androgen-secreting ovarian tumors Less than 1% of the circulating testosterone is in a free form in males (less that 3% in females). Only when in a free form this hormone can exhibit its properties by connecting to the androgen receptors on the cell walls. Based on a study 14 to 50 per cent of the testosterone is bound to SHBG in males and 37 to 75 in females. It is worth mentioning that SHGB poses very high affinity for binding to testosterone. Therefore, changes in the SHGB levels noticeably influence the level of bioavailable testosterone.Let's discuss for a moment what exactly a testosterone bioavailability is. Other than SHGB there are two more testosterone-binding proteins, also called carriers. One of them is albumin. It is a low-affinity binding protein, thus testosterone bound to it is considered "bioavailable". Albumin binds to testosterone in the range 45 to 85 per cent in men (25 - 65 in women). The third carrier is the cortisol binding globulin, which binds also with low-affinity to less that 1 % of the testosterone in circulation.
Some research concerning having a vasectomy and testosterone levels shows no change in hormone level in the blood.A link between prostate cancer and the amount of testosterone in the blood sheds light on the subject. The association between prostate cancer, and vasectomy and testosterone production research is sketchy.
If you're regularly using drugs, and think they're not effecting your sex drive, think twice. Even common aspirin reduces testosterone levels in men.Here are a few of the worst offenders.Antidepressant psychiatric medications, including Elavil, Valium, and Prozac. Antihypertensive and diuretics.Antihistamines including, Dramamine, Antivert, and Benadryl.Opiate analgesics (painkillers) such as Demerol, Oxycontin, and Codeine.And a few more for good measure, including,Propecia, Tagamet, Zantac, Pepcid AC, and Ibuprofen.
Obesity. Based on the way the testosterone-estrogen mechanism works, increased levels of estrogen will ultimately decrease the circulating testosterone. Excess fat causes more estrogen production due to the fact that fat cells are those, which manufacture estrogen. So, the more fat cells, the more estrogen in the blood and the less testosterone.Drug and alcohol abuse. Alcohol has the property to inhibit your ability to remove estrogen from the blood stream by acting as a central nervous system depressant and also by decreasing zinc levels.Stress elevates corticosteroid levels in the blood steam, which causes the testosterone levels to decrease.Medications. Some medications, including estrogen and progesterone, lower the lutenizing hormone (LH) levels. LH is the hormone, responsible for the steroid hormones production.Diabetes. Studies suggest that there is a link between type 2 diabetes and lower testosterone levels.Hypertension and high cholesterol levels. These both cause the arteries to harden, this way decreasing the blood flow to the sex hormone producing organs. That of course leads to low sex hormone levels. Fact is after the age of 40 test levels drops by roughly one per cent per year. We can't do too much about that. The clock keeps ticking for all of us. However, we can try to manipulate testosterone levels in any other possible way.Low fat diet. Low fat consumption causes increase of the SHGB, which means one thing less free testosterone. It is considered that monounsaturated fats play an important role in testosterone levels and bioavailability.Overtraining can contribute to as much as 40 per cent drop in testosterone levels. That is why it's important to notice early the signs of overtraining and give the body a week or two well-deserved rest.Not enough sleep. If you are not getting enough sleep the body is not recuperating well, which causes less testosterone and more corticosteroids to be released. Just to mention corticosteroids like cortisol are in fact catabolic hormones meaning they use up muscle tissue to provide the brain and the heart with energy.
One possible solution lies from using a natural herb called tribulus terrestris. Tribulus terrestris is an herb that has been used by many cultures for at least a thousand years to remedy both sexual and also non-sexual problems.Tribulus terrestris has no known side effects when used to boost testosterone levels. It may be a safe and effective way to increase testosterone for men who want to have or have had a vasectomy.
Block the testosterone-binding effects of SHBG Nettle root as a highly concentrated extract has shown to be effective at binding to SHBG and therefore it permits more free testosterone to circulate the system. It also acts as a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor. This is the enzyme, responsible for the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a more potent form of the male sex hormone, which causes prostate enlargement and ultimately cancer. Methanolic extract of nettle can also cut down the SHBG levels, which is another form of elevating the free testosterone in the blood stream.Pygeum (prunus africana) is another herb, known to block the testosterone-binding effects of SHBG. Nettle root and pygeum extracts also benefit the prostate gland as a preventive treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) both by blocking the 5-alpha reductase action.Avena Sativa is an extract from the straw of oats. It has somewhat different properties. It works by freeing bound testosterone, which increases the free testosterone in circulation.Lowering aromatize levels of Zinc. The mineral zinc inhibits the aromatase enzyme that converts testosterone into excess estrogen. The recommended dose for inhibiting aromatase is 80mg daily. However, be sure the combined zinc quantity of all the daily supplements you are taking does not go over this benchmark.
Chrysin is a bioflavonoid that has shown a potential as a natural aromatase inhibitor. Chrysin is poorly absorbed in the system. It is found that when taken along with piperine, chrysin exhibits a lot better absorption. Supplementation with chrysin and piperine together might bring good results in reducing aromatase levels.How does this all apply to the sport of natural bodybuilding Let's assume you are an individual, who exercises regularly and who doesn't consider taking exogenous steroid hormones. With other words you are a natural athlete or enthusiast, who desires to keep his natural testosterone levels in the range, favoring good health and lean muscle mass build up. If you are even slightly overweight consider staring immediately a diet and training routine, tailored toward fat loss and lean muscle retention.Consider also dropping the alcohol intake to absolute minimum if you want your efforts in keeping test levels high to give results. Begin mastering some types of self-control or even meditation. These will take care of the excess stress levels.Take medications only if they are absolutely essential for your health and are prescribed by your doctor. Talk to your personal physician to find out if there are any natural remedies to replace your current medications and if he recommends such approach for your health issue.
Cycling is the key word when taking any Testosterone Supplements. Simply put, it means that the supplements are taken for a certain length of time and then use is stopped for a predetermined amount of time as to give the body and system a rest. This is done for two very important reasons. The first and most important, is that with continuous use with no breaks in between, the body will become overloaded with testosterone, which can cause serious irreversible damage to the system. Second, after taking the supplements for an extended period of time with a cycle break, the body will essentially become immune to the extra testosterone and no longer produce the initial effects. What that means is bodybuilders will not see any further muscle increase and athletes in general, will not have the same extra strength and stamina they had in the beginning.
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