Testosterone is a vital steroid hormone that stimulates the development of muscle mass and strength, regulates sex drive, and is responsible for body fat distribution. As you age however, testosterone levels begin to decline which can have a dramatic impact on your quality of life causing symptoms such as chronic fatigue, interrupted sleep cycles, and inhibited muscle growth. While there are a number of prescription medications and hormone therapy to treat these symptoms, research has shown that certain supplements, or testosterone boosters, can help naturally stimulate and boost testosterone levels.

What Are Testosterone Boosters

Testosterone boosters refer to herbs and supplements that aid in naturally boosting endogenous testosterone levels. Certain testosterone boosting foods, can also help stimulate and balance hormone levels by increasing testosterone and decreasing estrogen such as oysters, tuna, and eggs. Despite the popularity of testosterone boosting supplements however, efficacy is dose and ingredient dependent. Research shows that not all testosterone boosters are created equal or elicit the same effects as others in terms of initiating testosterone production. Evidence shows that the best testosterone boosters include compounds such as Zinc, Magnesium, Diindolylmethane (DIM), Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat), Ashwagandha, and Rhodiola Rosea.

The Best Testosterone Boosting Supplements

Testosterone boosters are popular for well-established reasons. A stark and progressive decline in testosterone production occurs at an estimated 0.4 – 2% per year after age 30. It is estimated that men over age 70 will have 35% lower T levels than those who are in their 30-40s. The failure to produce adequate testosterone levels contributes to lower sex drive, the loss of muscle mass, and body fat accumulation. Therefore, supplementation with proven testosterone boosters can support testosterone production.

However, not all testosterone boosters are created equal, and efficacy, is going to depend on a few critical factors when it comes to supplements: dose, ingredients, and formulation.

Does Your Testosterone Booster Promote High-Quality Sleep

The majority of daily testosterone release occurs during sleep [R]. Poor sleep quality, lack of REM, and reduced sleep duration are associated with reduced testosterone levels [R]. Consequently, if you’re not getting enough high-quality sleep your testosterone production and hormonal balance will suffer. Testosterone is critical in male sexual behavior and reproduction, as well as female hormone balance, but also has important beneficial effects on muscle mass and strength, adiposity, bone density, vigor, and well-being.

A study conducted by the University of Chicago, examined sleep restriction on testosterone levels in adolescent men. Testosterone levels were examined at different sleep durations (8,10, and 5 hours) for one week at each duration. 

The study showed that daytime testosterone levels were decreased by 10% to 15% when sleep was restricted to 5 hours per night. Androgen deficiency include low energy, reduced libido, poor concentration, and increased sleepiness, all of which may be produced by sleep deprivation [R].

The point is, when you’re looking for a high-quality testosterone booster – Make sure it will help you sleep.

The best testosterone boosters will include high-quality sleep ingredients, because again, testosterone is produced while you sleep and with better sleep quality comes increased t levels. Swolverine’s ZMT, includes sleep ingredients such as Magnesium Glycinate, Theanine, Tryptophan, Valarian Root, Melatonin, and Ashwagandha, to improve the speed at which you fall asleep and the rate at which your body reaches R.E.M. It also includes potent testosterone boosters such as Diindolemethane (DIM), Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali), Ashwagandha, and Rhodiola Rosea.

Is Your Testosterone Booster Clinically Dosed

Often you’ll hear supplement brands use the claim, “Clinically Dosed.” This simply means, that the ingredients used in the product are dosed according to what the scientific research aka clinical studies show produces a therapeutic benefit. So how are you supposed to know if an ingredient is clinically dosed or not? Good question. You can check out our clinical dose guide

When you're researching a supplement for a specific use, it’s important to purchase a product that has the correct clinical dose, in order to derive any positive benefits for that specific intended use. 

This also means that the best testosterone boosters do not have proprietary blends. A proprietary blend is a combination of ingredients, but instead of listing the amount of each individual ingredient, the amount of each is not disclosed, and only a lump sum or total amount is provided with includes more than one ingredient. This gives brands the ability to pixie dust ingredients which helps them cut on costs and increase their profit margin, leaving you the consumer with an ineffective low-quality product.

Is Your Testosterone Made With Proven Ingredients

How many times have you looked at the back of a supplement label and couldn’t pronounce a majority of the ingredients? Or maybe the product had proprietary blends and wasn’t fully transparent by telling you how much of each ingredient it had? Trademarked ingredients or ingredients that don’t sound familiar, sometimes can be an indicator that it’s not well researched or proven to help boost testosterone. This of course depends on your experience level and knowledge of supplements, vitamins, herbs, and nutrients. But what I can say, is that we can all agree, if you’re questioning it, might not be a good idea. Make sure to research ingredients before you purchase a product. The most popular ingredients which actual clinical evidence proving their efficacy to naturally boost testosterone can be seen below

Zinc, Vitamin D3, Tongkat Ali, Magnesium, L-Carnitine, Ginseng, Fenugreek, Ashwagandha, Epicatechin, Diindolylmethane, Rhodiola Rosea, Vitamin B6.

RELATED ARTICLE Do Testosterone Boosters Work?

Best Testosterone Booster: Takeaway 

Low testosterone levels can severely impact quality of life, decrease sex drive, and wreck your hormones. It's important to find a natural testosterone booster, that is formulated to help increase endogenous T levels, with proven ingredients that are clinically dosed, with added sleep ingredients to maximize your ability to increase strength and muscle mass. Before you buy a testosterone booster, do your due diligence, pay attention to the label, and only buy a product with dosed to help you achieve your goals. 

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