Boosting your Testosterone: How does it helps in muscle growth & fat loss?

Lot of us have taboo discussing about Testosterone, vital hormone that aids in muscle growth & weight loss in both genders.

So what is Testosterone?

It is one of most important male sex hormone. It is also found in females, but in lesser quantity. Before we get into discussion of how boosting Testosterone helps in weight loss/muscle growth, let us throw some light on Hormones.

Hormones are messenger molecules that play a vital role in all body systems. They are released in bloodstream which carries them to target cells. When hormones comes in contact with compatible cells, they bind to receptors on their surface & impact their functions.

Main role of testosterone is to promote male characteristics such as deep voice, increased muscle mass, stronger bones, facial & body hair growth. These hormones also play a vital role in females.

Its deficiency not only suppresses muscle growth but also leads to weight gain. Therefore some testosterone deficient male tend to gain weight/become fat more quickly than others. Muscles burn more calories than fat cells. Lack of muscles put you at risk of consuming too much calories & storing the excess calories as fat.

On an average obese men have 30% less Testosterone than those who have normal weight. More than 70% of obese men suffer from Testosterone deficiency which can be reversed by weight loss.

Belly fat contains high level of enzyme aromatase which converts Testosterone into Estrogen, the female sex Hormone. This explains why obese men have higher Estrogen levels than normal weight men.

How do you boost Testosterone levels naturally?

• Exercise & Lift Weights : Exercise is one the most effective way of curing major lifestyle diseases. It also helps in boosting Testosterone. In elderly, regular workout increases Testosterone, fitness & reaction time.In case of Obese men, regular physical activity, specifically resistance training & high intense interval training is more impactful in boosting Testosterone than is healthy diet.

Taking Caffeine blended with a training program further boosts your testosterone levels.

• Eat nutritious diet: Having a balanced diet has a major impact of various body hormones. Therefore you must have long term calorie & diet strategy. Regular dieting or overeating may stall your testosterone growth. Although a judicious proportion of protein, carb & fat are necessary to boost your levels, healthy fats are beneficial for boosting testosterone & health. A diet based on whole food along with adequate quantity of carb, protein & healthy fat is necessary to optimise hormone levels as well maintaining long term health.
• Reduce stress: A high level of stress & tension increases hormone cortisol( plays an important role in regulating metabolism & monitoring immune response). During stress extra Cortisol is released to help the body respond in an appropriate way. A high level of cortisol reduces your testosterone, increase food intake, weight gain & storage of harmful body fat around your organs. To maintain a good health & regulate your hormone level, you should minimize your stress levels. Focus on a healthy diet, good sleep, regular exercise, happiness & a balanced lifestyle is necessary to reduce stress & boost your testosterone levels.
• Vitamin D or sunlight: Vitamin D has numerous health benefits & acts a natural testosterone booster. For best results, having 3000 US of Vitamin D per day can boost your levels by 25%.

• Avoid Estrogen like compounds: Focus on reducing exposure to Parabens & other chemicals found in some plastics. Excess consumption of alcohol & drug also reduces your testosterone levels. So prefer reducing consumption of such hazardous items.

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