TestoFuel Blog : Make Gains & Pack on the Muscle
Testosterone is often thought as a predominately male hormone.
But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only is it responsible for regulating your menstrual cycle and protecting you from bone and muscle loss, it also balances your metabolism too.
Optimize your testosterone levels and you’ll be leaner, fitter and more athletic. Your body will be sexy and strong in equal measure and your confidence will be sky high.
But what exactly is a normal testosterone level for women?
And how do you raise yours naturally and safely if you’re one of the many women experiencing a drop in T levels after the age of 20?
In this article we take a look.
Up until recently, scientists considered testosterone (T) to be a male hormone. After all, it does give them that chiseled jaw, deep voice, huge muscles and ripped abs.
But with recent advances in science and more and more research now made available, we now know that T is just as important for women.
As a naturally occurring hormone, T is produced in your ovaries and adrenal glands. It works with other hormones to make sure every part of your body functions properly -from your muscles and organs to your eyes and hair.
The reason why men develop masculine characteristics and you don’t is all down to the amount in your blood.
With 10-15 times the amount of this potent steroid hormone coursing through their arteries, men experience huge surges in masculinity because of testosterone.
But women don’t.
And can’t.
With a maximum of 70 ng.dL, testosterone is more of a regulator in women than it is anything else.
Testosterone promotes femininity in women, not masculinity. And when levels fall into the normal physiological levels, a number of benefits come with it too.
The benefits of T cross both health and physical performance barriers. When hormone concentrations are optimized, you live a healthier, happier and more confident life.
But for many women, that’s just not the case.
Between the ages of 20 and 40, women experience a big drop in testosterone. By the age of 45, as many as 90% of women will fall below that lower threshold of 15 ng.dL.
But why is that a problem?
Low T means you’ll suffer from a range of side effects.
If you suffer from any of the symptoms above, it’s time to take control and reignite the old you.
You’ll be please to know that there are ways to bring your T levels back to where they should be.
You need to know how to increase testosterone naturally.
Without drugs. Without injections. And without dangerous medications.
Just naturally.
Here’s how:
The best form of physical activity a woman can take part in is lifting weights. Cardio is great for burning calories and boosting mood, but if you really want to make difference to muscle tone and T levels, strength training is where it’s at.
You don’t need to over-complicate your program either.
Just aim to lift weights 2-3 times per week for 3–45 minutes each workout.
Choose 8-10 exercises that cover all of your major muscle groups and complete 3 sets of 6-12 repetitions with a weight that is challenging.
Try this workout to get you started:
Test boosters such as TestoFuel use natural ingredients to optimize your hormone levels in a safe way.
Everything you need to correct your T levels comes from nature. The only problem is finding the right dose through food.
That’s where a supplement comes in.
Testosterone boosters provide a simple, powerful way of getting the nutrients you need to raise hormones.
Premium products contain the right ingredients in the right doses. These include:
Vitamin D3
Known as the ‘sunshine hormone’, vitamin D3 is obtained from the UV rays of the sun, and then converted into testosterone via cholesterol.
The problem is that unless you live in a hot climate, you just don’t get enough of this nutrient.
You’ll find it in food, but absorbtion rate is poor
Vitamin D3 has been shown to boost athleticism, heart health, brain power and muscle recovery in numerous studies of women.
It’s also been shown to boost both total and free testosterone too, especially with doses above 3,300 IU [1].
Zinc
As an essential mineral, zinc is one of those nutrients we just can’t seem to get enough of in the diet. In fact, levels are so low from food alone that around 2 billion people worldwide have a zinc deficiency.
Although it’s found in foods such as beef, lamb and mushrooms, a testosterone booster is a great way to get the 10 mg per day you need to elevate T levels [2].
Magnesium
Another important nutrient for women, magnesium supports muscle performance and recovery (making those strength workouts much easier), regulates insulin levels and best of all; corrects your low T.
And with 75% of Americans not reaching the desired amount of this mineral, a testosterone booster gives you the 200 mg you need to fight low T and get your energy levels back to where they should be.
Is there really a better pastime than sleep?
If there is we’re yet to find it.
Not only is a good night’s rest important for your immune system, brain function, energy levels and overall health; sleep disorders are highly related to low testosterone levels [3].
Studies into sleep are everywhere at the minute.
The ones on hormone levels show that those sleeping less than 5 hours each night have serious T issues, but that getting the desired 8 hours rest almost doubles hormone concentrations [4].
Okay, so too much fat in your diet can lead to weight gain, we know this. But testoterone is formed from cholesterol (choleSTERol – testoSTERone).
And you get that from fat.
Eating foods such as eggs (which are high in vitamin D3), butter and avocado help to top up hormone levels by giving them the fuel they need to produce.
Studies have looked at the relationship between low fat diets and T. And what they’ve found is that even by adding just a little fat to your diet can raise T levels by 13% [5].
Women take the oral pill to decrease either estrogen or progesterone production (both important during menstruation).
But it also has an effect on T levels too, by increasing levels of a protein called SHBG (it’s job is to bind to T and make it unusable).
Studies have shown that the oral pill can decrease testosterone levels by a whopping 61% [6].
Testosterone is an important regulator of health and performance in women. It boosts muscle and brain function, protects bone and keeps you trim and lean.
Normal levels are 15-70 ng.dL
With an increasing number of women suffering from low T it’s important you do all you can to look out for symptoms of hormone dysregulation, and know what to do to correct it.
