Body fat and testosterone levels are directly correlated. If you’re looking to build more muscle and reduce body fat, then you’re going to also want to take a good look at your overall body composition and testosterone levels, as it's a direct reflection of the way your hormones are functioning. Essentially, the more body fat you have, the less testosterone you’re producing, contributing to poor muscle growth and strength gains, no matter how hard or long you workout. So does increased testosterone help reduce body fat?
In this article, you will learn
- What is Testosterone
- Does Increased Testosterone Burn Body Fat
- How Does Testosterone Burn Body Fat
- How To Naturally Increase Testosterone Levels to Burn Body Fat
What Is Testosterone
Testosterone is a primary androgenic and anabolic steroid naturally produced by both men and women. Testosterone plays a critical role in the development of muscle mass and contributes to the activation of the nervous system, resulting in more power and strength, better mood, body composition, and improved libido [R].
Do Increased Testosterone Levels Help Reduce Body Fat?
Optimizing your testosterone production is one of the most efficient and effective ways, you can burn body fat.
Low testosterone levels reduce muscle mass and resting metabolic rate or calorie expenditure. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories your body burns at rest. Therefore, low testosterone levels can attribute to a loss of muscle mass, which translates into more accumulated body fat over time [R, R, R].
Circulating testosterone in men, declines progressively after the age of 30, by 0.4-2% per year. Therefore, with lower testosterone levels, your body fat accumulation will increase, if diet and exercise are not accounted for. On average, obese men have 30% lower testosterone levels than those at a healthy weight [R].
How Does Testosterone Burn Body Fat?
Visceral fat contains high levels of the enzyme, aromatase. Aromatase converts testosterone into estrogen, the female sex hormone. High aromatase levels and estrogen activity reduces the production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GRH). Lower GRH leads to lower levels of luteinizing hormone, which in turn reduces the production of testosterone [R, R].
How To Naturally Increase Testosterone Levels To Reduce Body Fat?
1. Nutrition
Yes, I said it. The best way to lose body fat and maintain or build lean muscle mass is through optimizing your diet and nutrition, in addition to a regular exercise routine. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn at rest, which translate into higher testosterone levels.
RELATED ARTICLE 9 Ways To Naturally Increase Testosterone Levels
Everyone has different nutritional requirements and it’s important that you optimize your nutrition, with whole-foods, clean carbohydrates, quality lean proteins, and healthy fats. Crash dieting will only lower your testosterone levels and add more body fat. Just because your friends lost a few pounds going Keto, does not necessarily mean it will work well for you and your lifestyle. Creating a meal plan, personalized for you is the only way you’ll reach your goals.
RELATED ARTICLE How To Create An Amazing Nutrition Plan
If you’re trying to eat cleaner and create a healthier lifestyle, check out THE SWOLE KITCHEN. Take a brief survey, so we can find out how to create the best custom nutrition program for you and your goals. Then, get connected with your personal nutrition coach, and start getting the results you've been waiting for.
2. Get More Quality Sleep
Most testosterone is actually produced when you sleep. If you have trouble sleeping and wake up several times throughout the night, it can definitely be a contributor to increased body fat and lower testosterone levels.
If you have issues sleeping, specific vitamins and minerals can help you get the quality Zzz’s you need to increase your testosterone levels and restore your vitality. Zinc, Magnesium Aspartate, and Vitamin B6 (ZMT) work synergistically together, to help you get deeper quality sleep and are essential for muscle recovery and growth. By increasing the quality and duration of your sleep, you'll naturally increase your natural testosterone production and with a boost in testosterone, you'll have more stamina, enhance mood, lose body fat and create a better quality of life.
RECOMMENDED PRODUCT ZMT, 30 Servings $64.99
RELATED ARTICLE How To Get Better Quality Sleep
3. Supplement A Natural Testosterone Booster
Natural testosterone boosters are not actually created with testosterone, but from herbal supplements usually derived from plants, that are proven to help promote testosterone production. Diindolylmethane [DIM], Fenugreek, and Rhodiola Rosea, and Tongkat Ali are some of the most well-researched ingredients to help increase natural testosterone production, increase strength and vitality, as well as improve sex drive.
The best supplement, with the most clinical evidence to support increased testosterone levels, is Fenugreek. Several studies have shown that 500mg of Fenugreek supplementation, can induce further gains in strength, and increase free natural testosterone levels. If you want to increase your natural testosterone production, check out ZMT.
RELATED ARTICLE Do Testosterone Boosters Work?
RECOMMENDED PRODUCT ZMT, 30 Servings $35.99
4. Lift Heavier Weights
Resistance training is perhaps one of the best ways to naturally increase testosterone levels. Lifting will incite the release of human growth hormone and facilitate testosterone production [R] Resistance training also increases fat loss, which increases natural levels of testosterone production. [R] Testosterone levels are increased during bouts of resistance training, but it is encouraged to train regularly as well as eat and supplement the appropriate minerals to maintain elevated levels and take maximum advantage of them. Keep your body on its toes and make sure to mix up your workouts. Working the same muscles over and over, your body will literally get bored, and the bounds of your testosterone production won’t be challenged. Plus, who likes getting bored during their workouts? Women can also naturally boost testosterone levels by lifting heavier weights. Check out the article, written by Genevieve Gyulavary, DPT about how lifting heavier weights, can help you reach your goals.
RELATED ARTICLE 5 Reasons Why Women Should Be Lifting Heavier Weights
Do Increased Testosterone Levels Help Burn More Body Fat: Takeaway
Increasing your testosterone levels will absolutely help you reduce and burn body fat. During the aging process, your body’s ability to naturally produce testosterone declines. Therefore, it’s vital to take the appropriate steps to increase your testosterone production through a healthy nutrition plan, supplementation, exercise routine, and obtaining an adequate amount of sleep.
Looking For A High-Quality Natural Testosterone Booster?
SWOLVERINE is an endurance athlete and active lifestyle brand. Made for the elite athlete, and the strong-willed our products were designed to fuel your athletic performance. We when you perform.
We believe that everyone can optimize not only their athletic performance but their human potential. The way we believe we can optimize performance is through transparency, clinically effective doses, and clinically proven ingredients with evidence-based outcomes. We provide the nutrients you need to power your active lifestyle.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2001;86(1):53-8.