You are here: Home » Articles » Fitness » Bodybuilding Supplements » Drilling Down into The Pros and Cons of Testosterone Boosters

Drilling Down into The Pros and Cons of Testosterone Boosters

If you have conducted any sort of research into bodybuilding, you’ll know all about testosterone. We will come onto the core benefits of testosterone shortly, but the problem most guys have is increasing these levels.

pros and con

Sure, there are ways, but as we will also talk about these ways can be damaging to your health.

This is one of the reasons a “modern” approach has entered the scene. This is where we introduce testosterone boosters but before we get into the nitty-gritty of this phenomenon, let’s talk about testosterone in a little more detail.

Quick Navigation

What are the benefits of increasing testosterone levels?

First and foremost, why does every guy who hits the gym want to improve his testosterone levels? In fact, you don’t even have to be a gym enthusiast, the fact that testosterone levels tend to decrease as you pass 40 means that most men are looking to boost them in some shape or form. To hone in on some specific figures, your levels will drop between one and two percent when you reach around 40.

This is quite a significant fact when you consider everything that testosterone assists with. With lower testosterone, we can suffer from a whole host of symptoms including erectile dysfunction, a lack of sex drive, increase in fat, loss of muscle, hair loss and even mood changes. Suffice to say, these are changes that most guys just don’t want to experience.

It’s for this reason that a lot of guys, in the past at least, have turned to testosterone therapy. As the name might suggest, this involves artificially increasing the amount of testosterone that is available in your body. It means that all of the above symptoms simply do not occur and in fact, you will experience boosts of them all.

What are the risks associated with testosterone therapy?

Before you reach out and attempt to buy some testosterone therapy (it might be hard, it’s illegal without a prescription for a start), stop there. There was once a time where people took it for the pure aim of getting bigger and stronger. These days are on their way out – it’s now much harder to obtain testosterone therapy products, and it’s for good reason.

These products might help you with the issues we documented in the previous section, but it all comes at a cost. You can experience shrunken testicles, aggressive behavior, lower sperm count and acne. This is just the tip of the iceberg and again, these are effects that most guys just don’t want to be associated with.

Is it possible to increase testosterone naturally?

Fortunately, better solutions are starting to enter the market. Research first started to show that various foods can increase testosterone, with the likes of oysters, tuna and egg yolks being some common examples. The common rule is that any food containing zinc and vitamin D can help you out in this regard.

However, an even easier solution has been brought to the fray over recent times. This comes in the form of a testosterone booster. Before we proceed, let’s highlight the fact that these are natural products – with no synthetic hormones ever used.

Of course, without any synthetic hormones, all of those nasty side effects that we spoke about are immediately eliminated. However, does that mean that these products still offer benefits? Let’s take a look at what is typically included in testosterone boosting products.

What are the best natural testosterone boosting ingredients?

There are now a selection of natural ingredients that are proven to aid testosterone production in the body. Again, these are completely natural, meaning that your body will not be subjected to any side effects whatsoever. Let’s take a look at some of the most common ingredients:

Oyster Extract

Considering the fact that Oyster extract contains zinc, little else needs to be said here. As well as this, it’s generally very good for you, containing many essential nutrients.

Nettle Leaf

The manner in which nettle leaf works is interesting to say the least. One of the reasons why a lot of us don’t have enough testosterone is because it binds with SHBG (sex hormone binding globulins). The purpose of nettle leaf is to stop this from happening – allowing more free testosterone to roam around the body and ultimately be taken advantage of.

Fenugreek

It has been found that Fenugreek works in as little as three months. Not only does it improve testosterone levels, but it is also able to boost your libido.

D-Aspartic Acid

Countless studies have proven that D-Aspartic acid will regulate the release of testosterone in the body. As well as this, it is responsible for releasing other hormones including HGH, LH and FSH.

Boron

Not only has Boron been associated with testosterone production, it has also been found to boost muscle growth and strengthen your bones. Some recent studies have shown that it can help your body use testosterone and estrogen a lot more efficiently as well.

Ginseng

This is one of the most popular natural ingredients around when it comes to supplementation, with studies showing that ginseng will increase the blood flow around the body and also nitric oxide levels.

Vitamin D3

Modern lifestyles mean that we simply don’t receive enough sunlight, which is one of the main sources in which vitamin D3 comes from. The reason this is important from a testosterone perspective is that it can boost the release of luteinizing hormones. The upshot of this is that more testosterone will be released (as well as more HGH).

Are there any side effects with natural testosterone boosters?

Considering all of the negative press about testosterone therapy, it won’t come as a surprise to hear that the question about side effects is on the tip of a lot of tongues in relation to testosterone boosters.

Fortunately, the answer is simple. Side effects don’t tend to occur with these products, for the simple reason that they are made from natural ingredients.

A summary – do testosterone boosters actually work?

Following on from the above, the big question is do testosterone boosters really work?

It would be a blatant lie to suggest they are as powerful as standard testosterone therapy. Unfortunately, they simply aren’t, but on the flip side they also don’t contain any side effects (which is a stark contrast).

However, even though they aren’t quite as potent, they are still powerful. They still help your body produce more testosterone, which can lead onto a whole host of benefits that have already been touched upon. Testosterone can help lower the amount of fat your store in your body, improve protein synthesis to make muscle growth so much easier whilst even increasing the number of red blood cells so that your muscles can work for much longer.

Of course, there are some companies who do try and take advantage of the industry, and don’t sell adequate testosterone boosters. If you are looking to use one of these products, make sure it contains the ingredients we have mentioned, and doesn’t advertise “proprietary blends”. These blends are concoctions which don’t reveal a thing to you – and this spells bad news. Instead, go with a reputable company with good feedback, and testosterone boosters will serve you very well indeed.

About the Author
Latest Publications

About George Allen

George Allen – Author – An AFPA Certified holistic and preventative nutrition professional. George is a well known exercise physiology and sports nutrition expert, the co-founder of MensAnswer.com.
Syracuse University graduate: bachelor’s degree in nutrition/dietetics (B.S.) and a master’s degree in nutrition science with a concentration in counseling (M.A.)
Follow me on Twitter