4 ms·

As a 41 year old man getting remarried, I'm personally interested in the subject of serum testosterone. I have noticed a sharp decline the past couple years and

As a 41 year old man getting remarried, I'm personally interested in the subject of serum testosterone. I have noticed a sharp decline the past couple years and I'm sure aging plus computer job plus covid is a noxious blend. General advice out there includes lower stress, lose weight, keep active, get sleep, weightlifting is good, cardio is good but maybe not too much, IF may be good. Scientific studies are good but it takes a lot of work to even prove directionality it seems at times. So please, lay on me the personal anecdata of what you've seen give good results in a safe way. My own anecdote, years back I did martial arts training which seemed to send my sex drive and aggression through the roof. A large component of this was isometric stance training so I've tried incorporating that a few times a week and am seeing some striking changes in sexual function. Could that also be more sunshine, walking, fresh vegetables in diet? Could be, yes, but changes have been evident. Can anyone else report good results from their own experiences?

lambdaba 5y ago
More dietary cholesterol. Raw egg yolks (easier to consume raw) in as large a quantity as you can handle.
- ypcx 5y ago
  Cholesterol/saturated fat will clog your penis arteries which is the leading cause of ED. (In fact ED is one of the first symptoms of heart disease, the No.1 killer.) Nutrition Facts has a page about testosterone, I'd suggest you start there: https://nutritionfacts.org/2017/05/16/foods-that-affect-testosterone-levels/ https://nutritionfacts.org/2017/05/16/foods-that-affect-test... edit: link to a video about ED vs diet: https://youtu.be/OVXzT_RBxFk https://youtu.be/OVXzT_RBxFk
  - mizzack 5y ago
    Dietary cholesterol has very little to no effect on serum cholesterol levels. Eat those yolks, folks.
totony 5y ago
A lot of people are starting to use TRT in older age. If it worries you this much maybe you should ask youe doctor.
- samatman 5y ago
  Since he mentioned that he's getting remarried, it's possible that fertility is even more important than sexual performance here. So be sure you're asking the right doctor.
- papandada 5y ago
  I am aware of TRT thanks. Do you have personal experience with it?
  - totony 5y ago
    I don't since I'm pretty young, but a few people I follow do talk about it. Check out Greg Doucette on Youtube qho talks about it a lot. (Although I think there are better sources online and you should ask your doctor)
- flatline 5y ago
  Which can yield amazing results physiologically, including a markedly increased incidence of cancer :/
cgh 5y ago
Yeah, maybe I can help here as I faced the same stark realisation some years back. Generally speaking, higher testosterone levels are correlated with higher protein and fat intakes, mainly because cholesterol is used by the Leydig cells in your balls to produce testosterone. I am not saying you should start adding butter to your coffee or whatever other dumb things the keto people are saying, but going very low-fat and/or low protein is not good for your test levels. I greatly increased the amount of animal protein I eat to roughly 2g/kg (roughly 1g/lb, if that's easier). I ignored fat, just consuming it with my protein sources. To make room for the added protein, which is now the centre of my diet, I eliminated most starchy carbs (pasta, rice, etc) as they are low-value foods. I still eat bread because, well, freshly baked bread is delicious and I am not a low-carb zealot. My main carb sources are now vegetables, lentils and beans, the latter two of which have some protein as well. But the best sources are always animal-based and this will no doubt irritate many people who read this. I had my T levels taken before and after and I saw a pretty big increase in free test. But to be honest, test levels vary a lot even over the course of a single day so the best thing is to simply go by the old standby: are you consistently getting wood in the morning? If yes, you are probably okay. Another bonus to the high-protein life is increased muscle protein synthesis. When you are young, this is largely hormonally driven but as you get older, falling test levels make it more difficult to build and keep muscle. This leads to age-related muscle wasting, also called sarcopenia. You can delay this process simply by eating a lot more protein to drive an anabolic response.
- patil8877 5y ago
  That is very insightful information! Thank you greatly. I must ask, do you know if there is a relationship between engaging in cuckoldry and developing low testosterone levels? It was a pastime that I knew nothing about until I started working at a Ruby shop about three years ago. Some of my coworkers were active cuckolds and they encouraged me and my wife to give it a try. We did and it was quite the thrill seeing her experience things that I could never get her to experience even though I did not ever consider myself to be an inadequate lover. But as time went on and I was denied all intimate contact with my wife, I found my body starting to change. My testes shrank until I could feel them no longer. My doctor did not seem concerned, though, but my T levels showed a decline. When I got a new job and we moved to a different city we stopped that pastime. My testes have gotten bigger again but I do not think that they are as big as they were in times past. Do you have any insights?
mizzack 5y ago
> lower stress, lose weight, keep active, get sleep, weightlifting is good, cardio is good but maybe not too much, IF may be good It's annoying that these things seem like hand-wavy common sense advice for improving general health and not just raising T, but they are interrelated and helpful when it comes to boosting T. Lowering stress reduces cortisol, which is catabolic. Your note about too much cardio plays in here as well. It increases cortisol and is also catabolic in its own right. Lowering cortisol helps you lose weight and get better sleep. Losing weight and intermittent fasting both improve insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity makes for better weightlifting gains. Weightlifting increases T in its own right. I've had good results with lifting heavy (3x 5-8 reps, 85% 1RM) in a fasted state around 11AM, followed by lunch and early dinner, maintaining a roughly 18/6 IF window.
- papandada 5y ago
  I'm late but thanks very much for sharing your experience, and helpful explanations.

lambdaba 5y ago

More dietary cholesterol. Raw egg yolks (easier to consume raw) in as large a quantity as you can handle.

ypcx 5y ago
Cholesterol/saturated fat will clog your penis arteries which is the leading cause of ED. (In fact ED is one of the first symptoms of heart disease, the No.1 killer.) Nutrition Facts has a page about testosterone, I'd suggest you start there: https://nutritionfacts.org/2017/05/16/foods-that-affect-testosterone-levels/ https://nutritionfacts.org/2017/05/16/foods-that-affect-test... edit: link to a video about ED vs diet: https://youtu.be/OVXzT_RBxFk https://youtu.be/OVXzT_RBxFk
- mizzack 5y ago
  Dietary cholesterol has very little to no effect on serum cholesterol levels. Eat those yolks, folks.

totony 5y ago

A lot of people are starting to use TRT in older age. If it worries you this much maybe you should ask youe doctor.

samatman 5y ago
Since he mentioned that he's getting remarried, it's possible that fertility is even more important than sexual performance here. So be sure you're asking the right doctor.
papandada 5y ago
I am aware of TRT thanks. Do you have personal experience with it?
- totony 5y ago
  I don't since I'm pretty young, but a few people I follow do talk about it. Check out Greg Doucette on Youtube qho talks about it a lot. (Although I think there are better sources online and you should ask your doctor)
flatline 5y ago
Which can yield amazing results physiologically, including a markedly increased incidence of cancer :/

cgh 5y ago

Yeah, maybe I can help here as I faced the same stark realisation some years back. Generally speaking, higher testosterone levels are correlated with higher protein and fat intakes, mainly because cholesterol is used by the Leydig cells in your balls to produce testosterone. I am not saying you should start adding butter to your coffee or whatever other dumb things the keto people are saying, but going very low-fat and/or low protein is not good for your test levels. I greatly increased the amount of animal protein I eat to roughly 2g/kg (roughly 1g/lb, if that's easier). I ignored fat, just consuming it with my protein sources. To make room for the added protein, which is now the centre of my diet, I eliminated most starchy carbs (pasta, rice, etc) as they are low-value foods. I still eat bread because, well, freshly baked bread is delicious and I am not a low-carb zealot. My main carb sources are now vegetables, lentils and beans, the latter two of which have some protein as well. But the best sources are always animal-based and this will no doubt irritate many people who read this. I had my T levels taken before and after and I saw a pretty big increase in free test. But to be honest, test levels vary a lot even over the course of a single day so the best thing is to simply go by the old standby: are you consistently getting wood in the morning? If yes, you are probably okay. Another bonus to the high-protein life is increased muscle protein synthesis. When you are young, this is largely hormonally driven but as you get older, falling test levels make it more difficult to build and keep muscle. This leads to age-related muscle wasting, also called sarcopenia. You can delay this process simply by eating a lot more protein to drive an anabolic response.

patil8877 5y ago
That is very insightful information! Thank you greatly. I must ask, do you know if there is a relationship between engaging in cuckoldry and developing low testosterone levels? It was a pastime that I knew nothing about until I started working at a Ruby shop about three years ago. Some of my coworkers were active cuckolds and they encouraged me and my wife to give it a try. We did and it was quite the thrill seeing her experience things that I could never get her to experience even though I did not ever consider myself to be an inadequate lover. But as time went on and I was denied all intimate contact with my wife, I found my body starting to change. My testes shrank until I could feel them no longer. My doctor did not seem concerned, though, but my T levels showed a decline. When I got a new job and we moved to a different city we stopped that pastime. My testes have gotten bigger again but I do not think that they are as big as they were in times past. Do you have any insights?

mizzack 5y ago

> lower stress, lose weight, keep active, get sleep, weightlifting is good, cardio is good but maybe not too much, IF may be good It's annoying that these things seem like hand-wavy common sense advice for improving general health and not just raising T, but they are interrelated and helpful when it comes to boosting T. Lowering stress reduces cortisol, which is catabolic. Your note about too much cardio plays in here as well. It increases cortisol and is also catabolic in its own right. Lowering cortisol helps you lose weight and get better sleep. Losing weight and intermittent fasting both improve insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity makes for better weightlifting gains. Weightlifting increases T in its own right. I've had good results with lifting heavy (3x 5-8 reps, 85% 1RM) in a fasted state around 11AM, followed by lunch and early dinner, maintaining a roughly 18/6 IF window.

papandada 5y ago
I'm late but thanks very much for sharing your experience, and helpful explanations.