Battle back against age-related testosterone decline

Generally speaking, testosterone levels in men begin to decline by about 2-3 percent per year starting around the age of thirty. Those numbers are not written in stone, but they are fairly accurate in most cases. As a result, body fat increases, muscle mass decreases, and even libido can be affected over time. It's a naturally occurring process, possibly as a protective measure against the increased risk of developing prostate cancer. Be that as it may, most men still aren't all that thrilled at the idea of gaining weight, losing muscle, and experiencing a diminished sex drive. Making matters worse, the first two of the three negative effects I just mentioned can also have a separate and equally as damaging effect on your cardiac health.

Are there ways to increase your testosterone levels? Yes, there are. Are they safe? Some yes and some are probably not safe at all. In fact, we'll start with those. Despite the fact that there are several "anti-aging" centers springing up around the country, claiming that their use of controlled HGH (human growth hormone) injections can almost reverse the aging process, they are unregulated and the safety of their methods remain highly debated. My two cents? Err waaaaaay on the side of caution on this one -- stay away from HGH injections or supplements. Until more studies are conducted, and until more R & D is done on the synthetic HGH products some of these "anti-aging" clinic doctors are pushing, I suggest that you avoid it like the plague.

Moving right along ...

What are some healthy ways to increase testosterone, then? Fortunately, there are several. We'll start with what you can NOT do that will help.

~ Avoid too many sleepless nights. If your REM sleep is disrupted, your level of testosterone can plunge considerably. Duke University Medical Center researchers say that getting 8 hours of sound sleep can cause a natural release of HGH (be sure to note the word NATURAL. As in, not from an injection) at night.

~ By not drinking too much alcohol on a regular basis, you will also help prevent a decline in your testosterone levels. A few drinks once and a while won't do much harm, but it's habitual drinking that seems to be problematic.

As for some things that you CAN do to help, here are just a few suggestions:

~ Eat foods that are lower in fat, but at the same time try to make your fat intake come from good fats. What are good fats? Well, some recent research has found that Omega-6 may not be as beneficial as it was once thought to be. However, Omega-3s remain a powerful antioxidant, and may also aid in the natural increase of testosterone levels.

~ Consume protein rich foods such as lean beef and fish, rather than dining exclusively on carb-loaded breads and pastas. Not discounting the health benefits of whole grains, they will not do much in the way of raising testosterone levels. Nevertheless, make whole grain foods part of your healthy diet. As for protein-rich beef and fish, studies have found that low protein diets may be to blame for lower testosterone levels in men ages 40 to 70. This demonstrates why it is so very important to have a balanced diet, which includes an adequate amount of protein.

~ Resistance training, unlike cardio training, has a direct effect on your testosterone production. It's almost as if your body knows that you are acting like an animal in the weight room, so it responds accordingly by essentially giving you what you need to get bigger and stronger. In particular, exercises that train several large muscle groups at once (such as the bench press, squat, and dead lift) stimulate the natural production of testosterone most effectively.

The most important part of all of this is to stay as healthy as you can. As you can clearly see by looking at this list, everything mentioned can also double as general fitness tips. This is because the healthier you are overall, the more your body will reward you -- increased testosterone levels certainly not withstanding.