How to Regulate Your Mojo & Interesting Supps of the Week 💊

Warm Up With a Nice Cup of Masculini-tea

A Test That Matters

Everyone knows what it is but for whatever reason, few people actually take the time to realize it’s importance within the human body. Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone responsible for a range of vital functions, including:

1. Muscle mass / strength / overall body composition

2. Bone density

3. Red blood cell production

4. It gives you that jack rabbit energy (sex drive)

But that's not all. Testosterone also plays a significant role in mood, energy levels, and cognitive function. It’s the thing that makes hard tasks feel good and helps your body recover and grow. But in recent years we’ve seen a steady decline of test levels throughout the male population - but why?

The Testosterone Decline: A Startling Reality

Research suggests that testosterone levels in men have been dropping over the past few decades. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that testosterone levels in men decreased by about 1% per year from 1987 to 2004. That's a whopping 17% decline in less than 20 years!

Maybe that’s why my uncle has such a sweet moustache and I have the facial hair of an eleven year old Dutch girl…

It’s impossible to pinpoint exactly what’s causing this but many believe it’s a combination of:

1. Increased obesity rates

2. Sedentary lifestyles

3. Environmental toxins

4. Poor nutrition

5. Chronic stress

6. General softness

The Downside of Low Testosterone

Just like how cranky your gf gets when she’s hangry, you’re not you when you’re low on test. When testosterone levels dip below the optimal range, it can lead to various issues, like:

• Mental health decline

• You get weak and fat

• Lowered libido and a floppy sausage (sex is for nerds anyway)

• Fatigue and mood swings

• Cognitive decline

These things all start to make sense when you realize that by the age of 60, testosterone levels are typically only 40-50% of their youthful counterparts (20’s-early 30’s). There’s a reason dad bods exist, and it isn’t just the lifestyle of child rearing.

The Ripple Effect: Other Medical Conditions

Given the increased likelihood of lethargy, declining body composition (getting fatter and losing muscle), men are much more susceptible to a myriad of other medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance. All of which make me a very sad panda. But it’s not the end of the world! Luckily there are things you can do to stay healthy and boost your natural test to be a bigger, badder, healthier and hornier.

How to Boost Your Testosterone Naturally

1. Exercise: Resistance training and high-intensity interval training have been shown to increase testosterone levels. Get under the bar bro, your dick depends on it!

2. Diet: Consume a balanced diet rich in healthy fats, proteins, and micronutrients like zinc and vitamin D (there are other supplements we’re about to get into)

3. Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night, as sleep deprivation can reduce testosterone levels.

4. Stress management: Chronic stress may lead to decreased testosterone, so consider practicing relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga.

There are also other less studied claims about the effects of cold exposure and the use of saunas on their ability to increase test production. Albeit, these studies likely need to be further researched to be considered legit. Has anybody checked to see the researchers were Finnish? There may be something to the whole Viking lifestyle after all!

Testosterone Replacement Therapy: A Growing Industry

Testosterone Replacement Therapy (aka TRT) is a growing industry aimed at bringing your test levels back up to a healthy range for your age. And this industry is BOOMING. Here are the deets:

• The global TRT market is worth over $2B

• Industry is projected to be worth $2.8B by 2028

• TRT can be administered through injections, gels, patches, or pellets.

• Your dad is probably on it

• If one of your buddies got really jacked overnight, he’s probably on it too

If you’re someone who’s already doing many of these things and still suffer from lethargy, a poor immune system, lack of drive and seem to have a hard time putting on muscle - get your blood work done and consult your doctor. Especially if you’re over 40. Tell him what your experiencing. Or just ask for whatever Jeff Bezos is on because this man is looking juicy AF.

The “Natty” Supps to Tantalize Your T-juice

Tongkat Ali: The Malaysian Ginseng

Over the last year we’ve seen a lot of big personalities in the health and wellness space start talking about new supplements that supposedly help improve, regulate and correct your natural test production.

And it makes sense. Some people are scared to do TRT. Which is actually fair. If you take it for long enough, you can limit your ability to produce what your previous baseline production was. And let's face it, who doesn't wanna stay natty and look like a million bucks? 💪

Tongkat Ali, also known as Eurycoma longifolia or Malaysian ginseng, is a flowering plant native to Southeast Asia. It has a long history in traditional medicine for its potential health benefits, which include:

• Increasing testosterone levels

• Enhancing libido

• Improving energy and endurance

• Reducing stress

The Science: Some studies have found that Tongkat Ali can indeed boost testosterone levels in men, but more research is needed to establish its efficacy conclusively. So far it’s looking like a fairly promising supplement but it likely won’t move the needle more than 100 - 200 points. For reference the healthy range of a young adult male is in the range of 300 to 1000 ng/dl.

Here’s a great podcast by 🥵daddy Andrew Huberman🍆 on the subject.

Fadogia Agrestis: The African Wonder Herb

Fadogia Agrestis is a shrub native to Africa that has been used traditionally to address male sexual health issues, such as erectile dysfunction and low libido. Its purported benefits include:

• Enhancing testosterone production

• Improving sexual performance

• Increasing stamina (not that stamina you dirty dog)

The Science: Based on a study performed on rats in 2009 researchers posited that fadogia might be the secret sauce to revving up your body's testosterone production. How?

By cranking up those luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. Now, let's break it down. LH is whipped up by the pituitary gland, and it's like the bouncer at Club Testosterone, keeping things in check. So, when LH levels skyrocket, testosterone's not far behind. Oh and it also grew the size of their 🥜* (anecdotal results may vary - this study was done on rats).

Should You Consider These Supplements?

While there is some evidence to support the testosterone-boosting effects of Tongkat Ali and Fadogia Agrestis, more research is probably needed to validate their efficacy. If I had to put my money on one horse, it would be the former as studies on humans > studies on rats (duh). However, Dr. Andrew Huberman does make some pretty interesting claims about taking the two of them together and their ability to work together to boost t-levels higher than taking either one of these supplements on their own. If you’re interested in the topic he covers this stuff A LOT. And he’s way smarter than me. But his podcasts are also 300 hours long and we will continue to cover his big brain here on a weekly basis.

If you're considering these supplements, it's crucial to research the side-effects and consult with a healthcare professional to determine if they're right for you. We’d also recommend getting your blood work done before taking anything and after you’ve started to see if it’s making a difference or if you’re just wasting your money. Just because it works for the general population in a study does NOT mean it’ll work for you. A lot of things CAN benefit you but if it’s costing you an arm and a leg you want to be smart about it and weight the costs/benefits.

Stay tuned for more factoids on how to grow your testes and look like Bezos in our next edition of Natty Lyfe. Happy weekending and see you back here on Monday.

If you received any value from this please share with a friend (please, I owe people money and don’t get paid for this).