Attention men, today it’s all about testosterone, the male sex hormone. Do you know what it’s good for? Is it true that the hormone makes the muscles grow and makes them potent? In this article, we uncover the greatest myths about the hormone that women can also learn from. We’ll show you what other testosterone functions are surprising!

THE 3 BIGGEST MYTHS ABOUT TESTOSTERONE

1. Testosterone makes you aggressive

Wrong – Men who are aggressive and contentious are considered testosterone-driven. In fact, it is also true that men face high testosterone levels in challenging situations. For example, a study by the University of Göttingen found that men in competitive situations have an elevated testosterone level, which rises again if they win.¹ The same study also shows that the hormone also rises sharply in situations of highest concentration, thus sharpening the senses. For example when playing chess – less aggressive, isn’t it?

2. Testosterone makes the muscles grow

Right – The hormone has an anabolic, muscle-building effect. The protein metabolism is stimulated and so more muscle proteins are formed – your muscles grow better. Still, you shouldn’t start increasing your testosterone now through supplements. If you take them more intensely, this activates a balancing mechanism of the body and your body’s own testosterone production is reduced. It is much better than to increase the sex hormone naturally using tricks.

3. Testosterone is a pure male hormone

Wrong – Both men and women form the hormone in the body and it causes the same behavior patterns in both sexes or is released under the same conditions. The only difference: men train up to 10-20 times more. Another difference: Testosterone acts as a sex hormone in men, is largely formed in the testes and is responsible for sperm production and libido.

Take-Home-Message # 1: Testosterone is equally important for men and women and responsible for building muscle. However, it is released in much higher amounts in men. Especially when they are challenged personally, athletically or mentally.

THE SURPRISING EFFECTS OF TESTOSTERONE ON THE BRAIN

In addition to all the obvious effects of the hormone, the influence on the brain is mostly underestimated. The sex hormone has several important tasks in the brain. Testosterone can easily cross the blood-brain barrier. Therefore, its concentration in the bloodstream also determines how much of it is available in the brain. On the one hand, the anabolic effect already mentioned is triggered in the brain. This is where your muscle growth starts, so to speak. On the other hand, testosterone influences the transport of messenger substances through the body, which has a significant influence on the mood and thus on your behavior. Testosterone could also be nicknamed “mood hormone”. The effects of the sex hormone on the brain become particularly clear in old age. If the mirror sinks, Many men suffer from depression and mood swings. If you take a closer look at the processes, it becomes clear why. Testosterone plays an important, modulating role in the serotonin system. In a way, our built-in happiness budget. Without serotonin, we would always be depressed, anxious, and depressed. Research is still relatively early on, but a study in the Biological Psychiatry Journal was able to provide groundbreaking results.² The study shows that testosterone increases the binding potential of serotonin in the brain. It just makes you feel better. The hormone can do even more! The findings of a study carried out at the University of Münster indicate the positive influence on brain function, more precisely on the spatial imagination.

Take-Home-Message # 2: Testosterone controls physical and mental fitness in men. It triggers the signal for muscle growth in the brain, has a positive influence on your spatial imagination and positively influences your mood. If you suffer from a deficiency, this is often the reason for reluctance, weakness, and depression.

IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE RIGHT AMOUNT – ABOUT DEFICIENCY AND TESTOSTERONE SUPPLEMENTS

How do you recognize a testosterone deficiency? The symptoms of a deficiency are diverse and can affect physical, mental, and sexual wellbeing, as a comprehensive study by the Center for Male Infertility in Ohio has now shown.⁴ The study found that, for example, sleep disorders, depression, loss of muscle mass, reduced beard growth, Erectile dysfunction, and much more count. Therefore, it is quite difficult to clearly identify a testosterone deficiency. If several of these symptoms apply, a doctor should be consulted for a meaningful result. Internet saliva tests are often very inaccurate. Basically, except for an acute deficiency, there is no need to help with supplements. On the contrary, as already mentioned, when supplemented by the body’s compensatory mechanisms, your own testosterone production is reduced. The supplements cause an increase in the level in the short term, but in the long term, it destroys the body’s natural production. If there is a strong suspicion of a deficiency, you can consider supplements together under medical supervision. So supplements are bad in the case of testosterone, but high testosterone levels are good for your mood. The solution to this dilemma is natural optimization. You can read how to do this in the next section. can be considered together under medical supervision about supplements. So supplements are bad in the case of testosterone, but high testosterone levels are good for your mood. The solution to this dilemma is natural optimization. You can read how to do this in the next section. can be considered together under medical supervision about supplements. So supplements are bad in the case of testosterone, but high testosterone levels are good for your mood. The solution to this dilemma is natural optimization. You can read how to do this in the next section.

Take-Home-Message # 3: If there is not a shortage of testosterone, supplements should not be used, otherwise the body’s own production will be suppressed. A natural increase in level is better!

SO, OF COURSE, YOU CAN BOOST YOUR TESTOSTERONE LEVEL!

In order to increase the body’s testosterone, there are several ways, more or less well researched and proven.

Hack 1: Enough sheep!

The first hack is definitely the most efficient and means: Enough sleep! If you sleep too little, your hormone balance gets completely confused, because the largest amount of hormones is formed at night, including testosterone. So don’t skimp on your sleep and give your body enough time to produce testosterone at night. A positive side effect: If you sleep enough, your overall performance increases!

Hack 2: power workouts!

Short but very intense power workouts, in which as many muscle groups as possible are addressed at the same time. The same applies to short sprint units, compared to rather moderate, longer running units. Why? Short and intense training stimuli challenge you and your body more. A study published in the National Institute of Health shows that intensive use ensures that more testosterone is released to build muscle

Hack 3: Vitamin D!

Last but not least, the “sun vitamin” vitamin D helps to increase the level of testosterone in the blood. Vitamin D or a vitamin D deficiency is currently a much-discussed and important topic. But back to testosterone. Another study by the US National Library of Medicine⁶ found that vitamin D supplements can have a positive effect on the amount of testosterone in the blood. Even with the subjects who had a normal vitamin D level, the supplements led to an increase in testosterone. The sun vitamin is the only supplement that can be shown to have an impact!

Take-Home-Message # 4: Good sleep, intensive training sessions, and enough sun. This is the perfect recipe for naturally boosting your testosterone levels. The numerous, positive side effects of such a lifestyle on your body and your mental power will definitely do you good too!