One of the most anabolic hormones that is created in the body is testosterone. This steroidal hormone is seen more predominately in males than in females and is one reason why you typically see a larger degree of muscle mass in men compared with women.
Finding ways to increase testosterone naturally is one of the best ways to help promote progress from your strength training program. When you have higher levels of this hormone circulating throughout your body you will find that you are recovering better, you are able to add more muscle mass over a shorter period of time and your body fat levels will tend to be lower.
The first thing you must do to maintain good steroid levels is eat a diet that has adequate calories. As soon as you start a hypocaloric (low calorie) diet you are going to see your testosterone levels drop slightly. This is one reason why people sometimes begin to lose muscle mass when they diet. The more significant the calorie decreases you make, the more muscle mass you will likely lose.
The next thing you want to do to maintain proper testosterone levels is to be sure you are getting enough fat in your diet. Since testosterone is made out of cholesterol, it can actually be beneficial to include small amounts of saturated fat to promote testosterone production. Obviously you do not want this to get out of control since high intakes of saturated fat are linked to many other diseases, but getting small amounts can aid in this process.
Making sure you are getting enough sleep is also critical to keeping up your testosterone levels. Not only does a decrease in sleep promote less than optimal training sessions, it also increases the release of the hormone cortisol, which promotes fat gain. If you want to remain lean and muscular you will want to avoid cortisol as much as possible. Getting enough sleep is the first step to doing this along with also helping you to build muscle faster with increased testosterone release.
Finally, the last major factor you need to watch out for is excessive training. Overtraining is probably one of the biggest killers there is to testosterone levels and will really hinder your progress. Be sure to schedule at least one day a week for complete rest and another 1-2 days per week for lighter workouts.
Making the most of your testosterone levels will go a long way to helping you reach your goals. Don’t short yourself by making the above mentioned mistakes.