Want to know how to increase testosterone levels quickly? You may come across testosterone boosters that promote they can raise levels over night. However, there is no quick fix to increasing testosterone.

Instead, you’ll need to incorporate a few lifestyle changes to see the quickest results. We invite you to follow along as we lay out a few ways to naturally increase testosterone.

What is Testosterone?

Testosterone in the primary sex hormone in males and plays a key role in male development and the expression of masculine traits. ¹

The brain communicates with the pituitary gland, located at its base, to regulate testosterone production. The pituitary gland then sends signals to the testes to stimulate testosterone production.

This process operates through a “feedback loop” that carefully monitors hormone levels. If testosterone levels become too high, the brain signals the pituitary gland to decrease production.

How to Increase Testosterone Quickly

There is no quick fix to increasing testosterone. While you may hear such from testosterone supplement suppliers, the truth is raising testosterone levels takes time.

Still, there are certain lifestyle habits you can start to incorporate immediately to better your chances to increase testosterone. These include:

Quality Sleep

Testosterone and sleep have a two-way relationship where both affect one another. This is as follows:

• Sleep deprivation decreases testosterone levels, with one study claiming men who only slept five hours a night saw a 10-15% decrease. ²

• Low testosterone can cause (or worsen) insomnia. This can lead to men becoming overweight and developing sleep-disordered breathing. ³

Therefore, getting high-quality sleep is essential to maintain testosterone levels. If you struggle with sleep, you may want to try a supplement that promotes restful nights, such as cannabidiol (CBD) or valerian root.

Stress Management

Our bodies are regulated by a complex network of hormones, each serving a distinct purpose. During times of stress, hormones such as adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine are released. These hormones prepare the body to handle stress by elevating: ⁴

• Blood pressure
• Blood sugar levels
• Heart rate

High levels of cortisol also block the body’s ability to produce testosterone. ⁵ As a result, you may develop the following symptoms:

• Acne breakout
• Bruise easily
• Fatigue
• Reduced muscle strength
• Thinning facial skin
• Weight gain

Since stress levels are on the rise, it comes as no surprise testosterone levels are also affected. One study found that anxiety increased from 5.12% in 2008 to 6.68% in 2018. ⁶ Therefore, it’s in your interest to practice stress management.

Need help? We invite you to check out our anxiety grounding techniques guide to learn more.

Balanced Diet

The nutrition we take into our body can either increase or decrease testosterone levels. In our review of the best diets to raise testosterone, we found the best foods included:

• Avocados
• Cocoa
• Dark, leafy greens
• Eggs
• Fatty fish
• Shellfish

We also found you should avoid the following as these decrease testosterone:

• Alcohol
• Bread, pastries, and desserts
• Licorice root
• Mint
• Soy products

Stay Hydrated

Hydration is essential to maintain testosterone levels. In fact, dehydration can suppress testosterone, especially when combined with exercise. ⁷

However, it’s not just staying hydrated. It’s also how you hydrate. For example, plastic bottles contain a chemical known as phthalates. This chemical has been found to reduce testosterone levels. ⁸

Final Word

As you can see, there’s no quick testosterone booster tips out there. The only way to ensure an increase in levels is through consistent positive habitual changes. While it may initially be difficult to break testosterone-killing habits, time and persistence are your keys to ensure higher levels.

References

¹ Nassar GN, Leslie SW. Physiology, Testosterone. 2023 Jan 2. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan–. PMID: 30252384.

² Leproult R, Van Cauter E. Effect of 1 week of sleep restriction on testosterone levels in young healthy men. JAMA. 2011 Jun 1;305(21):2173-4. doi: 10.1001/jama.2011.710. PMID: 21632481; PMCID: PMC4445839.

³ Barrett-Connor E, Dam TT, Stone K, Harrison SL, Redline S, Orwoll E; Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study Group. The association of testosterone levels with overall sleep quality, sleep architecture, and sleep-disordered breathing. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Jul;93(7):2602-9. doi: 10.1210/jc.2007-2622. Epub 2008 Apr 15. PMID: 18413429; PMCID: PMC2453053.

⁴ Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A. The impact of stress on body function: A review. EXCLI J. 2017 Jul 21;16:1057-1072. doi: 10.17179/excli2017-480. PMID: 28900385; PMCID: PMC5579396.

⁵ Cay M, Ucar C, Senol D, Cevirgen F, Ozbag D, Altay Z, Yildiz S. Effect of increase in cortisol level due to stress in healthy young individuals on dynamic and static balance scores. North Clin Istanb. 2018 May 29;5(4):295-301. doi: 10.14744/nci.2017.42103. PMID: 30859159; PMCID: PMC6371989.

⁶ Goodwin RD, Weinberger AH, Kim JH, Wu M, Galea S. Trends in anxiety among adults in the United States, 2008-2018: Rapid increases among young adults. J Psychiatr Res. 2020 Nov;130:441-446. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.08.014. Epub 2020 Aug 21. PMID: 32905958; PMCID: PMC7441973.

⁷ İrfan Y. Associations among dehydration, testosterone and stress hormones in terms of body weight loss before competition. Am J Med Sci. 2015 Aug;350(2):103-8. doi: 10.1097/MAJ.0000000000000521. PMID: 26125543.

⁸ Woodward MJ, Obsekov V, Jacobson MH, Kahn LG, Trasande L. Phthalates and Sex Steroid Hormones Among Men From NHANES, 2013-2016. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020 Apr 1;105(4):e1225–34. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa039. PMID: 31996892; PMCID: PMC7067547.