Protein is a necessary part of our diet and without it, growth and repair would not be possible. As essential as proteins are, there is such a thing as having too much. Too much protein in your diet can have a negative effect on your health. Recent studies have shown that too much protein lowers testosterone levels in men, which can have a variety of unwanted side effects.
Whether you’re looking to get ripped at the gym or are looking to learn more about protein, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to know about your T levels and why paying more attention to your protein intake is important. Read on to learn more about how to protect your health and what makes you a man by watching what you eat!
What is testosterone and what does it do?
Before getting into the nitty-gritty, it’s important to clear up a few things about testosterone. If you didn’t know, testosterone is a vital sex hormone that is essential for normal bodily functions. Produced in the testes, its production is controlled and regulated by the brain.
Testosterone handles developing reproductive tissues and organs as well as secondary sexual characteristics. It controls your fat distribution, bone mass, muscle mass, and strength, as well as sperm and red blood cell production. It’s also necessary for producing hormones like estradiol which has its own important role in the body. Testosterone also plays a key role in female bodies too, meaning this hormone is important for everyone!
How does high protein affect testosterone levels?
Studies have shown that high-protein diets (over 35%) lower overall testosterone production. This is especially true in combination with a low-carb diet and no exercise! Testosterone production is connected to muscle mass and the amount of protein in the system. Under normal circumstances, the body regulates protein intake and T production through diet.
With higher protein intake, the body produces less testosterone. Depending on the severity of the issue, making small changes to your diet or lifestyle could make the world of a difference. To avoid your testosterone levels dropping to such dangerous levels, stick to having under 25% protein in your diet.
How to solve low testosterone
It’s easy to see how important testosterone in the body is whether you’re in your teens or your 50s. If you, or someone you know, suffers from low testosterone, there are plenty of ways to remedy this issue. Early detection is key to making sure you don’t experience any of the side effects, and there are plenty of ways to boost your T levels or get them back to normal. Here are some of the best ways to keep your T levels in check.
Diet and exercise
When it comes to boosting or maintaining your testosterone levels, the first things you need to fix are your diet and exercise. Make an effort to eat a balanced diet and get all the necessary fats, carbs, and proteins in. Eat enough protein to grow your muscles, but don’t overdo it and avoid food groups that decrease your T levels.
Exercise and building strength are just as important as your diet for balancing T levels. Resistance training and HIIT exercises are best for boosting T levels, but start where you can. A good exercising regime with some caffeine supplements proves to be the best combination. People who exercise regularly have higher T levels and live happier and healthier lives.
Add supplements to your regimen
Apart from diet and exercise, supplements are a great addition to boost your T levels. There are plenty of supplements out there to keep your levels in check, but you have to do your research. Doctors Kire Stojkovski and Daniel Boyer have compared different T boosters here and have found TestoPrime to be the best. If you’re in need of a testosterone supplement, make sure to do your research! You can also take vitamin and mineral supplements to balance T levels. Vitamins A, B, E, and especially D, in combination with Zinc, has shown the best results in boosting testosterone production!
Reduce stress
Stress plays a huge negative role on the body, even in your T levels. Levels of high stress are linked to lower testosterone production in men. To boost your T levels, make an effort to take a break and focus on your self-care. Long-term stress causes elevated levels of cortisol in the body, which reduces T production. Make room in your schedule for rest and for doing things that relax you. Life can get pretty stressful enough, so don’t add to your misery with lower testosterone levels and a receding hairline!
Live a healthy lifestyle and avoid estrogen-like compounds
Last but not least, never underestimate the power of having fun to boost your T levels. Apart from reducing stress, having a good time can help increase and manage your T levels. A healthy sex life is an important part of regulating your T levels and keeping things from going out of hand.
Limiting your exposure to harmful substances like drugs and alcohol also helps. Other compounds that you should avoid if you want to stabilize your T levels are estrogen-like compounds. These compounds include things like BPA and parabens which you can find in plastics, foods, and shampoos.
The effects of low testosterone levels
Preventing low T levels as a man is important if you want to keep your body functioning the way that it should. To understand why you should pay more attention to your T levels, you need to understand its effects on the body. The effects of lower testosterone don’t happen instantly, so you need to be on the lookout to stay healthy. Make sure to keep your testosterone levels in a healthy range to avoid the following symptoms!
Physical changes
One of the first major effects of low testosterone levels is the many physical changes in the body. One of the first signs of low testosterone is increased body fat and decreased muscle mass and definition. This can spell disaster for anyone looking to get gains at the gym or build up their physique.
Apart from affecting the muscles and fat, low T levels can cause weak and fragile bones as well as decreased body hair. There is also the much-dreaded hair loss and smaller testicles. As a man, you may also experience hot flashes, and tenderness in the breast and chest tissue.
Changes in sexual function
One of the most difficult and frustrating effects of low T levels is the changes to your sexual functions as a man. Lower T levels are linked to men having a lower libido which can affect their desire for sex and performance. It can also cause infertility which might be a problem for you down the line.
A lack of testosterone can also cause problems with erections and in some cases even lead to erectile dysfunction (ED). In these cases, you may need to undergo hormone replacement therapy to correct the issue. These changes can affect your relationship with yourself as well as with others.
Emotional changes
Lower levels of testosterone have also been shown to affect you on an emotional level. Many men have reported feeling sad or depressed if they are lacking in the testosterone department. A lack of motivation, drive, or self-esteem is also common in those with lower T levels. Depression and low self-esteem can come from a variety of places, but many sources point to low testosterone levels as the root of the problem. Low T levels can also cause memory loss or poor concentration as well as irritability and fatigue.
Sleeping problems
Along with fatigue, low levels of testosterone can cause a myriad of sleeping problems. Sleep is an essential part of staying happy and healthy, and if you can’t get enough sleep, you’re going to suffer. Low T levels can cause insomnia and changes to your sleeping patterns and have you sleeping less overall. Not only this, but testosterone replacement therapy can also cause or contribute to sleep apnea. This is a serious medical condition that if you want to avoid, you need to keep your T levels stable.
Miscellaneous changes
Last but not least, low T production can be caused by a high protein diet or can come with aging, but there may be underlying medical issues too. Low testosterone can also be a side effect of a simple infection, or something more serious. It can be a sign of conditions such as thyroid problems, testicular cancer, HIV, or type 2 diabetes. To make sure you don’t have a more serious problem on your hands, make sure to contact your doctor as soon as you notice a change.
So there you have it! With all these points in mind, you might want to think twice about taking that second protein shake! Testosterone is an important hormone in the male body, and without it, plenty of things start to go awry. From your muscle mass to red blood cells and hormone production, testosterone plays a key role. Low T levels can cause erectile dysfunction, depression, insomnia, and hair loss to name a few. To avoid these things, you need to keep your T levels up and stable.
Low testosterone production can be caused by many things, especially a high protein, low carb diet. If you want to keep your T levels up, avoid a high protein diet and harmful substances and make sure to exercise and take some vitamins and supplements. Make an effort to take time off and relax and bring some fun back into your life. Follow this guide and protect your health, happiness, and manhood!