Let me start off my saying as a whole I’m not a big fan of supplements. Most are overhyped and as effective as sugar pills in getting what you want out of them. For the most part unless you’re looking for great marketing stay away from supplements. However with that being said there are some exceptions. Also something to keep in mind is what the entire point of supplements are (or at least are supposed to be). Supplements despite many marketing claims to the contray are not magical pills. There is no pill that you’ll take where you’ll end up big and ripped just because you took it.
Supplements are supposed to be supplemental to a well balaned nutrious diet. You would think that would be self explanatory from the name but it’s not. Many see supplements as the main key to getting what they want instead of lifting, nutrition, and recovery which are the true keys to getting what you want. Where supplements come in handy is when they address an imbalance or a lack of something that you aren’t getting in your diet. For example say you’re eating fish every day then throwing in a fish oil supplement (one supplement I actually overall recommend) isn’t going to do much for you. However if you’re getting in little to no omega 3’s to balance out your omega 6’s then supplementing with fish oil could have dramatic changes.
Testosterone Boosters
Alright so let’s start off with the natural choice, testosterone boosters. Testosterone boosters are naturally what most people go to when they are looking to raise their testosterone levels. After all it’s right there in the name. Unforunately test boosters (unless they’re a prohormone or steroid) are completely useless. Anything that you can get over the counter from your local supplement store isn’t going to do much of anything to raise your testosterone levels (though it will do a great job of making your wallet lighter). These “testosterone boosters” are really just high priced junk that’s marketed very well.
Natural test boosters supplements should be avoided. They aren’t going to do anything for you. I know the ripped guy on the cover says it’s how he got his body (had nothing to do with the real steroids of course) and there’s a study in the ad that says it boosts testosterone 1,000% and as we know studies can be trusted one hundred percent and completely replace our need for rational thought, just kidding. But you get the point. There is a way to boost testosterone through supplementation but it has nothing to do with natural test boosters. It has to do with addressing deficiencies in vitamins and minerals that lead to testosterone production. So throw out the test boosters and save your money for something that’ll actually make a difference.
ZMA
I origionally started taking ZMA back in college to help me sleep. I was having trouble going to bed sometimes and didn’t neccesarily like melatonin except for if I really had to get to bed. So I was recommended ZMA because it was said to help me sleep. I’m not sure how much of an effect ZMA has on sleep but I do know that it has an impact on other things. Namely sex drive and erection strength. Turns out both two of the minerals contained in ZMA, zinc and magnesium are very important when it comes to testosterone production and are deficient in many males even those who have a relatively healthy diet. I had been eating good but was still lacking this vital minerals that were able to give me that extra edge.
Zinc alone is amazing in all the benefits that it has for men. Factor in magnesium as well and you have a supplement that can actually make a difference when it comes to testosterone production. There is a correlation between having adequete zinc intake and testosterone levels as well as a correlation between having adequete magnesium levels and testosterone levels. Not to mention the added sleep benefit isn’t going to hurt either (putting it lightly) making ZMA a great supplement for men who want to make sure they are producing as much testosteronse as possible. And let’s be honest what type of man doesn’t want that?
Vitamin D
Are you getting at least an hour or so of sun a day? If not then you’re deficient in this essential hormone. That’s right hormone. “Vitamin” D is actually a hormone and very important in the production of testosterone. Most of us (even those of us living in year round sunny areas) do not get enough sun. We spend too much time indoors and most of us work away our days in an office and then return home once the sun has gone down. Even those of us who don’t spend our days in an office still probably aren’t getting as much sun as we should and therefore not getting adequete vitamin D.
Factor in areas where for a good five months out of the year there is little to no sun and it’s almost a guarantee that you (and your testosterone levels) will benefit from supplementing with vitamin D. Those with vitamind D deficiencies found that after supplementing with vitamind D for a year raised their testosterone levels by 25% from the vitamin D alone. Perhaps a year seems like a long time but you’d be missing the bigger picture if that’s what you’re focusing on. 25% is one hell of an increase especially from one little supplement (a hell of a lot more than any over the counter “test booster” will get you). So be sure to supplement with vitamin D it’s both cheap and effective.
Summary
Remember at the end of the day these are all just supplements. They are made to address common deficiencies and that’s it. They aren’t made to replace working out properly, getting enough sleep, or eating the right foods. They are supplements meaning that they are supplemental. They can certainly give you an edge and help with testosterone production but don’t focus on them and ignore everything else as many tend to do. Use the above supplements you can find them cheap online or at your local store. Both of them together will cost less than one bottle of worthless test booster anyways.
If you have any questions you would like to see answered in a future post send them to me at charlessledge001 (at) gmail (dot) com. If you found value in this post then I would encourage you to share this site with someone who may need it as well as check out my books here. I appreciate it.
-Charles Sledge
