How to Boost Testosterone
How to Boost Testosterone - What Actually Works (and What Doesn't)
Feeling tired? Gaining weight more easily than usual? Struggling with low motivation or sex drive?
The trouble could be testosterone.
Testosterone affects energy, mood, sex drive, muscle, and body fat, and it tends to decrease over time. And unfortunately, that can affect your quality of life.
So how can you boost testosterone?
This article focuses on evidence-based strategies, what lifestyle changes can realistically do, and when medical treatment may be needed.
Feeling low? Learn more about TRT in Canada for clinically low testosterone.
What does "boosting testosterone" actually mean?
Testosterone is a hormone that plays a huge role in regulating your body. It affects everything from energy levels and muscle strength to mood, sex drive, and bone health.
When we're young and healthy, most guys don't need to think about testosterone. But over time, testosterone levels may diminish due to age, sleep, stress, body weight, and overall health. Those low T levels can impact the quality of your life.
In many cases, "boosting" testosterone through lifestyle changes means removing things that lower it, like long-term stress, excess body fat, or poor sleep. When these improve, testosterone levels may go up a little—or even a lot.
Another way to increase testosterone levels? Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). TRT boosts testosterone through prescription medication. The medication literally works to increase levels of testosterone in your blood.
Note: TRT is much different than supplements; it's a medical therapy overseen by a health care provider. Ongoing low levels are diagnosed with blood tests and symptoms and often need medical care. Healthy habits can support hormone health, but they usually are not enough on their own to treat clinically low T levels.
Knowing the difference—whether you just need a boost, or whether you have clinically low testosterone—is important so you can set realistic expectations: Lifestyle changes may help support slightly low testosterone levels, but they will likely not treat a medical condition.
How is testosterone regulated in the body?
Testosterone is mostly made in the testes. The brain sends signals that tell the testes when to make more or less testosterone, and these signals can change based on things like sleep, stress, illness, and overall health. Ideally, your body is able to keep your hormone levels in balance over time.
Lifestyle habits affect testosterone by changing how these signals work.
When the signaling system is stressed or not working well, the body may produce less testosterone. This can happen even if the testes are healthy, because the signals that control production have shifted.
Environmental and lifestyle factors that may lower testosterone
Some daily habits and exposures are linked to lower testosterone levels. These factors usually affect testosterone indirectly and often have small or mixed effects.
Alcohol intake
High or frequent alcohol intake is associated with lower testosterone levels. Heavy drinking can affect the testes directly and can also disrupt sleep and liver function, which both play roles in hormone regulation.
Moderate or occasional alcohol use is less clearly linked to long-term testosterone changes. For most people, the problem is regular heavy drinking rather than occasional social drinking.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals
Some chemicals found in plastics, food packaging, and personal care products can interfere with hormone signaling. These are often called endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Research suggests these chemicals may affect testosterone regulation, but most evidence comes from animal studies or observational human studies. Typical exposure levels and long-term effects in adults are still being studied.
Reducing unnecessary exposure to such chemicals (for example, avoiding coffee pods) may be reasonable as a long-term strategy, but may not be enough on its own to significantly increase levels in the short term.
Sedentary behaviour
Long periods of inactivity are linked to poorer metabolic health, which can indirectly affect testosterone regulation. Sedentary behavior is often associated with reduced muscle mass and metabolic strain, both of which are linked to lower testosterone levels.
Regular movement and physical activity help support overall health. To be clear, though, the concern is prolonged inactivity. Taking rest days or breaks from activity is, of course, normal and healthy.
How to boost testosterone with lifestyle changes
Yes, you can boost testosterone naturally with lifestyle changes (although these will usually not cause a very large increase in testosterone).
Still, these lifestyle changes contribute to health, and support hormone regulation, so they're worth doing.
Exercise and physical activity
Different types of exercise affect testosterone in different ways.
Strength training, such as weightlifting or bodyweight exercises, is more closely linked to healthy testosterone levels than long periods of endurance exercise. Endurance activities still support overall health, but very high training volumes can place added stress on the body.
Strength training creates short-term muscle stress that signals the body to repair and recover. This process is linked to small, short-term increases in testosterone and may help support healthier levels over time.
But heads up: More exercise is not always better. Overtraining or skipping recovery can work against hormone balance.
Sleep and recovery
Sleep plays an important role in testosterone regulation. Much of the body's daily testosterone production and regulation occurs during sleep, especially during deeper sleep stages.
Ongoing sleep deprivation or irregular sleep patterns can interfere with this process. Over time, chronic poor sleep is associated with lower testosterone levels and reduced physical recovery.
Consistent sleep schedules, adequate sleep duration, and allowing time for recovery all support normal hormone regulation. Improving sleep helps testosterone indirectly by supporting overall recovery and reducing physical stress on the body.
Stress and cortisol
Chronic stress affects how the body prioritizes its resources. When stress is ongoing, the body may shift away from processes related to growth and reproduction, including testosterone production.
Stress raises cortisol, a hormone that can interfere with testosterone regulation when levels stay elevated. This cortisol–testosterone interaction helps explain why long-term stress is linked to lower testosterone levels.
Reducing stress does not directly increase testosterone or treat testosterone deficiency. However, managing stress can help reduce stress-related suppression and support a more balanced hormonal environment over time.
Body weight and testosterone
Higher body fat is linked to lower testosterone levels, even when the testes are healthy. Excess body fat is associated with ongoing inflammation and changes in how the body handles insulin, which can interfere with normal hormone signaling.
For some men, gradual weight loss may lead to small increases in testosterone, especially if levels were lowered by obesity or metabolic strain.
Diet and metabolic health
Diet affects testosterone mainly by supporting energy balance and overall metabolic health. It does not directly raise testosterone above normal levels, but it can influence how well the body regulates hormone production over time.
Eating enough overall is important; long periods of under-eating, very low-calorie diets, or repeated crash dieting can place stress on the body and may lower testosterone. A steady intake that supports daily activity and recovery helps maintain normal hormone signaling.
Balance across protein, carbohydrates, and fats also matters. Diets that cut out entire food groups or stay very unbalanced for long periods may work against hormone regulation.
Importantly, dietary fats are involved in testosterone production, but eating more fat does not automatically raise testosterone. No single food has been shown to meaningfully increase testosterone on its own.
Overall, eating patterns that support steady energy and metabolic health are more important than short-term food-based strategies.
Supplements
Many supplements marketed for testosterone contain vitamins, minerals, or herbal ingredients. Common examples include vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium.
If someone has a true deficiency, correcting low levels may help support normal testosterone regulation. However, when nutrient levels are already adequate, supplements have not been shown to meaningfully increase testosterone.
Evidence for testosterone supplements is limited, and results are inconsistent. Supplements can also carry risks at high doses or when taken with certain medications. For these reasons, supplements are best viewed as supportive, not as a replacement for medical evaluation or treatment.
When boosting testosterone naturally may not be enough
Lifestyle changes can support healthy testosterone levels, but they do not work in every situation. In some cases, symptoms or test results suggest that further evaluation may be needed.
Ongoing symptoms like low energy, reduced sex drive, mood changes, muscle loss, or slow recovery can be a reason to consider medical testing, especially if they continue despite consistent lifestyle changes. These symptoms can have many causes, which is why testing matters.
It's also important to understand the difference between supporting testosterone and treating testosterone deficiency. Healthy habits can reduce factors that lower testosterone, but they usually do not raise levels that stay consistently low. Clinically low testosterone is diagnosed using blood tests along with symptoms and often requires medical care.
Medications to boost testosterone
Medications used to treat low testosterone are medical treatments, not supplements. They are meant for people with clinically low testosterone and should only be used after a proper medical evaluation.
When symptoms continue, and testosterone levels remain low despite consistent lifestyle changes, a medical evaluation can help you decide if treatment is appropriate.
What does that look like? An evaluation looks at symptoms, blood test results, medical history, and overall health. It helps tell the difference between temporary changes in testosterone and true testosterone deficiency, reducing the risk of unnecessary treatment.
What to expect from treatment
Treatment helps increase testosterone levels, but symptoms typically take some time to get better—it can be weeks or months. Blood test results may also take time to show how the body is responding.
Results vary from person to person. Factors like age, starting testosterone levels, overall health, sleep, stress, and consistency all play a role in how your body responds. Some people notice clear improvements very quickly, while others see more subtle changes.
Staying consistent in your treatment is important for getting the best results. Stopping treatment early, missing follow-ups, or making frequent changes can make it harder to know what's working and may limit results.
Boost testosterone with TRT—if appropriate
If lifestyle changes and supplements are not enough, consider a medical evaluation. Testing can help you see if your T levels are actually low, and by how much.
Once you know your T levels, a medical provider can help you understand whether TRT is right for you and how to make sure it's safe.
Essential Clinic offers medically guided testosterone care for people looking for a clear, evidence-based path forward. It starts with an online visit to get you started.
Start your online visit for TRT today.
References
Bhasin, S., Brito, J. P., Cunningham, G. R., Hayes, F. J., Hodis, H. N., Matsumoto, A. M., Snyder, P. J., Swerdloff, R. S., Wu, F. C., & Yialamas, M. A. (2018). Testosterone therapy in men with hypogonadism: An Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 103(5), 1715–1744.
Bhasin, S., Woodhouse, L., Casaburi, R., Singh, A. B., Bhasin, D., Berman, N., Chen, X., Yarasheski, K. E., Magliano, L., Dzekov, C., Dzekov, J., Bross, R., Phillips, J., Sinha-Hikim, I., Shen, R., & Storer, T. W. (2001). Testosterone dose-response relationships in healthy young men. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 281(6), E1172–E1181.
Corona, G., Rastrelli, G., Monami, M., Saad, F., Luconi, M., Lucchese, M., Facchiano, E., Sforza, A., Forti, G., Mannucci, E., & Maggi, M. (2013). Body weight loss reverts obesity-associated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Endocrinology, 168(6), 829–843.
Epstein, R. H. (2021, November 2). Can specific foods or diets boost your testosterone levels? The New York Times.
Hamilton, M. T., Hamilton, D. G., & Zderic, T. W. (2007). Role of low energy expenditure and sitting in obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Diabetes, 56(11), 2655–2667.
Huhtaniemi, I. (2014). Late-onset hypogonadism: Current concepts and controversies of pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment. Asian Journal of Andrology, 16(2), 192–202.
Leproult, R., & Van Cauter, E. (2011). Effect of 1 week of sleep restriction on testosterone levels in young healthy men. JAMA, 305(21), 2173–2174.
Nassar, G. N., & Leslie, S. W. (2023). Physiology, testosterone. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Testosterone. MedlinePlus Drug Information.
Navarro-Cremades, F., Palazón-Bru, A., Arroyo-Sebastián, M. D. Á., Gómez-Pérez, L., Sepehri, A., Martínez-Pérez, S., Marhuenda-Amorós, D., Rizo-Baeza, M. M., & Gil-Guillén, V. F. (2015). Fear of becoming pregnant among female healthcare students in Spain. PeerJ, 3, e1200.
Pilz, S., Frisch, S., Koertke, H., Kuhn, J., Dreier, J., Obermayer-Pietsch, B., Wehr, E., & Zittermann, A. (2011). Effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men. Hormone and Metabolic Research, 43(3), 223–225.
Rachdaoui, N., & Sarkar, D. K. (2013). Effects of alcohol on the endocrine system. Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America, 42(3), 593–615.
Rastrelli, G., Carter, E. L., Ahern, T., Finn, J. D., Antonio, L., O'Neill, T. W., Bartfai, G., Casanueva, F. F., Forti, G., Keevil, B., Maggi, M., et al (2015). Development of and recovery from secondary hypogonadism in aging men: Prospective results from the EMAS. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 100(8), 3172–3182.
Volek, J. S., Kraemer, W. J., Bush, J. A., Incledon, T., & Boetes, M. (1997). Testosterone and cortisol in relationship to dietary nutrients and resistance exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 82(1), 49–54.
Wade, G. N., & Jones, J. E. (2004). Neuroendocrinology of nutritional infertility. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 287(6), R1277–R1296.
Whirledge, S., & Cidlowski, J. A. (2010). Glucocorticoids, stress, and fertility. Minerva Endocrinologica, 35(2), 109–125.
Wittert, G. (2014). The relationship between sleep disorders and testosterone in men. Asian Journal of Andrology, 16(2), 262–265.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment.