How to Increase Testosterone Naturally — 10 Things That Actually Work
Testosterone peaks around age 20. After that, it drops about 1-2% per year. By 40, you’ve lost 20-30% of what you had at 20. By 50, it’s worse.
This isn’t just a men’s problem. Women need testosterone too — it drives muscle, energy, mood, libido, bone density, and cognitive function. When it drops, everything gets harder.
Most doctors won’t test for it unless you ask. And when they do, the “normal” range includes levels that are technically functional but far from optimal.
Here are 10 things that actually work. No clinics. No prescriptions. Just biology.
1. Lift heavy weights
This is the single most effective natural testosterone booster. Compound movements — squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows — trigger acute spikes in testosterone and growth hormone.
You don’t need to be a powerlifter. You need to lift heavy enough that the last 2-3 reps are hard. That’s the signal your body needs.
A systematic review in Sports Medicine confirmed that resistance training significantly increases basal testosterone in both men and women over 40 (PMC, 2022).
What to do: Lift 3-4x per week. Compound movements. Progressive overload. 45-60 minute sessions.
2. Sleep 7-9 hours
Testosterone is produced during deep sleep. Cut your sleep from 8 hours to 5 and your testosterone drops by 10-15% in one week. One week.
A study in JAMA found that sleeping 5 hours per night for one week reduced testosterone levels by 10-15% in young healthy men. The equivalent of 10-15 years of aging.
Sleep isn’t a luxury. It’s a hormone factory.
What to do: 7-9 hours per night. Consistent schedule. Dark room. No screens 1 hour before bed.
3. Zinc
Zinc is essential for testosterone synthesis. Zinc deficiency directly correlates with low testosterone. A 2021 study found that zinc supplementation increased testosterone levels and improved hormonal markers in deficient individuals (Healthline, 2025).
Your body doesn’t store zinc. You need it daily.
Magnesium Glycinate with Zinc — combines two of the most important minerals for testosterone and sleep. Glycinate form absorbs better than oxide. Take before bed.
What to do: 25-45mg zinc daily. Food sources: oysters, pumpkin seeds, beef, chickpeas.
4. Vitamin D
Vitamin D functions more like a hormone than a vitamin. Deficiency is directly linked to low testosterone. One study found that men with sufficient vitamin D levels had significantly higher testosterone than deficient men.
Most people are deficient — especially if you live above the 37th parallel (basically anywhere north of Atlanta) and don’t supplement.
What to do: 4,000-5,000 IU vitamin D3 daily. Take with fat for absorption. Add K2 (100mcg) to prevent calcium buildup. Test your levels — optimal is 40-60 ng/mL.
5. Magnesium
Magnesium regulates over 300 enzymatic reactions, including testosterone production. Low magnesium = low testosterone. A study found that magnesium supplementation increased free and total testosterone in both sedentary and athletic individuals.
The best forms: magnesium glycinate (for sleep + absorption) and magnesium threonate (for brain).
Magnesium Glycinate with Zinc — covers both #3 and #5 in one supplement.
What to do: 400-600mg magnesium daily. Food sources: spinach, almonds, dark chocolate, avocado.
6. Reduce cortisol
Cortisol and testosterone have an inverse relationship. When cortisol goes up, testosterone goes down. Chronic stress = chronically elevated cortisol = chronically suppressed testosterone.
This isn’t woo-woo. It’s endocrinology.
What to do:
- Morning sunlight (10-15 minutes, no sunglasses)
- Reduce caffeine to 1 cup before noon
- Walking 20-30 minutes daily
- Breath work (4-7-8 pattern)
- Cut the cortisol-spiking foods (refined sugar, excess alcohol, ultra-processed foods)
7. Lose excess body fat
Fat tissue converts testosterone to estrogen through an enzyme called aromatase. More body fat = more aromatase = more testosterone converted to estrogen = lower testosterone.
This creates a vicious cycle: low testosterone → more fat storage → more aromatase → even lower testosterone.
You don’t need to be shredded. Getting to a healthy body fat percentage (15-20% for men, 20-28% for women) makes a significant difference.
What to do: Caloric deficit + strength training + adequate protein (0.7-1g per pound of bodyweight). Don’t crash diet — extreme restriction raises cortisol.
8. Boron
Boron is the most underrated testosterone mineral. A study found that 10mg of boron daily for one week increased free testosterone by 28% and decreased estradiol (estrogen) by 39%.
It also helps your body use vitamin D and magnesium more effectively — making the other supplements on this list work better.
What to do: 6-10mg boron daily. Food sources: raisins, almonds, avocados, apples. Or supplement cheaply.
9. Eat enough healthy fats
Testosterone is made from cholesterol. If you’re eating a low-fat diet, you’re literally starving your hormone production.
Healthy fats that support testosterone:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Avocado
- Egg yolks
- Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel)
- Nuts (almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts)
A study found that men on low-fat diets had significantly lower testosterone than those eating adequate fat.
What to do: 25-35% of calories from fat. Prioritize monounsaturated and omega-3 fats. Don’t fear saturated fat in moderation (egg yolks, butter, coconut oil).
10. Reduce alcohol
Alcohol directly suppresses testosterone. It damages Leydig cells (the cells that produce testosterone), increases aromatase activity (converting testosterone to estrogen), and disrupts sleep architecture.
One drink is manageable. Three or more drinks in a session causes a measurable testosterone drop that lasts 24-48 hours.
What to do: Limit to 1-2 drinks per occasion. Avoid binge drinking completely. If you’re serious about testosterone, cut it out for 30 days and see what happens.
The bottom line
Testosterone doesn’t drop because you’re getting old. It drops because the conditions that support it — sleep, movement, minerals, low stress, healthy body composition — get worse as life gets more complicated.
Fix the inputs. The hormone follows.
Coming soon
- Peptides: What they are and why everyone is talking about them (coming today) — the new frontier in health optimization
- Why women need testosterone too (coming May 13) — the hormone everyone thinks is “male only”
- Cortisol: the aging hormone nobody tests for (coming May 30) — why it matters more than you think
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I’ve personally tested or that have strong research backing. 👉 Magnesium Glycinate with Zinc
References:
Effects of Exercise Training on Anabolic and Catabolic Hormones with Advanced Age: A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine (2022). PMC
8 Ways to Naturally Increase Testosterone. Healthline (2025). Article
Supplements That Increase Testosterone: Zinc, DHEA, and More. GoodRx (2025). Article
How to Increase Testosterone Naturally: 7 Tips. EverydayHealth (2026). Article
How to Increase Testosterone Naturally: 10 Ways. Dr. Axe (2025). Article