What's the biggest secret for a man to know in order for
him to keep his testosterone up to maximum levels? We've
no-doubt seen dozens of articles recommending laundry lists
of foods to consume for this purpose as well as those to
eschew. We've been told that good habits (like engaging in
intense bodybuilding workouts) can increase this vital
hormone while bad habits such as excessive alcohol
consumption can diminish it. They tell us to eat broccoli
and oysters and avoid eating licorice and soy. Well, we
were first instructed to eat soy, but now in some corners
this advice is being retracted. We were told to cut dietary
fat back in the 80s and now it's recommended we don't dump
too much of it because it's one of the building blocks of
testosterone.
"Make sure to eat cruciferous veggies and down twelve
ounces of monounsaturated fat each week and you'll be a
raging bull." Are you confused? Is this all there is to it?
Of course not.
The consistent intake of particular foods and the avoidance
of certain others can help put the testosterone equation in
our favor, but only if a more important factor is first
addressed. In fact, this important determinant is so vital
to male hormone health that if you've unwittingly neglected
it, you could possibly double your testosterone level by
simply reversing the situation. What could I be referring
to? It's that ubiquitous signifier of and Achilles' heel of
male middle age. It is abdominal fat; the oversized gut.
Just a few pounds of abdominal fat can cut your
testosterone levels in half (1). That's not good.
Considering that a healthy testosterone level is needed for
everything from energy and assertiveness to a healthy heart
and normal sexual functioning, it seems a lousy tradeoff
for one to allow his "mojo" to be soaked up by an expanding
waistline. I should know; I've allowed it to happen to me
in the past. And the return of virility and vitality after
shedding my nearly 40-inch mid-section surpasses any
fleeting pleasure I'd gotten while inadvertently forgoing
my ability to look down and see my feet.
In order to understand how abdominal fat can hinder one's
testosterone production, you must have a basic
understanding of the 'loop feedback' mechanism by which
natural testosterone is regulated in the male body.
Testosterone is produced by the leydig cells in the testes,
but only after a signal has been sent there by the
hypothalamus in the brain. That signal is sent via
intermediary hormones called LH (luteinizing hormone) and
FSH (follicle stimulating hormone). The LH and FSH are sent
when the hypothalamus gets a reading that testosterone
levels are getting too low. Of course, the hypothalamus
reduces its LH and FSH release when testosterone levels
reach the upper level limit. This loop feedback system
serves the purpose of keeping the body in hormonal
homeostasis.
This all seems simple enough until an antagonist is thrown
in the mix. That antagonist is the female hormone;
estrogen. Yes, men's bodies are designed to require some
estrogen. However, we guys aren't supposed to have a whole
lot of this stuff and it just so happens that we get it
from the conversion of some of our own testosterone (2).
That's right – the simple elimination of a molecule here
and there from the molecular structure of testosterone and
– Surprise… you've got the female stuff. It's okay when the
ratio between 'test' and 'estro' is large. Things go
downhill as the ratio shrinks.
So what do we mean by "downhill"? Well, consider this; when
the hypothalamus takes its reading to find out whether
testosterone is sufficiently high and thus reduce its
output of LH and FSH, it can't always distinguish between
estrogen and testosterone in the receptor sites (3). That
means I could have a subpar testosterone level yet my
hypothalamus might read it as being sufficient or even high
due to estrogen that's occupying the receptor sites in my
body. So my libido and overall health could be in dyer need
of a testosterone boost, but the signal that would make
things happen is being smothered by estrogen. That's not a
pretty sight. (no pun)
And what can cause these high estrogen levels? You guessed
it; body fat. A hormone called aromatase is what does the
conversion and this stuff increases as body fat levels go
up. In addition, testosterone levels tend to be knocked
down even further by high insulin levels which are a
side-effect of the particular type of fat that accumulates
in the abdominal region.(4)
So here's a typical list of things to do that can increase
your natural testosterone production:
•Eat cruciferous vegetables
•Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
•Consume fish oils
•Take a zinc supplement
•Engage in intense exercise (strength training)
•Increase flavenoid intake
Just remember; these steps will probably be extraneous at
best if you've allowed an "estrogen factory" to begin
forming between your ribcage and hips. The biggest key to
higher testosterone is to lose the gut. When your waistline
is slim, these other steps will have a more powerful and
"potent" effect.
References
(1) Longscope, C. et. Al., Diet and Sex Hormone Binding
Globulin. J. Clin Endocrinol Metab 2000 85(1): p.293-6 (2)
Shippen, Eugene. Fryer, William The Testosterone Syndrome.
M. Evans and Company, New York, NY (1998) pg. 47 (3)
Shippen, Eugene. Fryer, William The Testosterone Syndrome.
M. Evans and Company, New York, NY (1998) pg. 49 (4)
Bjorntorp P., Metabolic Difference between visceral and
subcutaneous abdominal fat. Diabetes Metab, 2000. 26(3):
pg. 10-12
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Scott Abbett is a cerified fitness trainer and Master
Practitioner and Trainer of NLP. He also has a
certification in Sports Mental Training. Scott is the
author of HardBody Success: 28 Principles to Create Your
Ultimate Body and Shape Your Mind for Incredible Success.
To see his own transformation, visit
http://www.hardbodysuccess.com
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