Too Much Sugar, How Does It Affect Testosterone Levels?
You might be surprised at how sugar can affect testosterone levels. Click here to learn its affects and what you can do about them.
Keyword(s): testosterone levels
Sugar has become an epidemic in this country. One-third of adults are overweight — and so are 1 in 6 kids.
Like any other drug, sugar is toxic, addictive, and harmful to the body. And just like any other drug, overuse will eventually kill you. If you think this substance has no effect on your workout routines, sex drives, and testosterone levels, you’re mistaken.
Fed up with sugary drinks, cereals, and processed garbage subtly having a negative impact on your life?
So are we. Keep reading to see what we discovered.
Sugar and Testosterone Levels
For a long time, we blamed fat intake for every terrible thing that happened to us.
Gaining weight? Too much fat.
Headaches? Definitely too much fat.
Striking out with the ladies? Should probably lower your fat intake.
Let’s take a look at the symptoms of low testosterone levels:
- Lack of focus
- A decrease in physical strength
- Depression
- Lack of energy
- Decreased libido
- Poor sleep
- Weight gain
The most troubling thing about these symptoms is they could mean any number of things. They could be stress-related or diet-related.
Pretty much any male ailment in history has some of these symptoms. So then we have to ask ourselves:
Is There a Connection?
It would appear the answer is yes. Everything from the food you eat, the amount of physical activity to achieve in a week, to your average levels of anxiety have an impact on your body and overall health.
At this point, it should be common knowledge.
When you’re out at the bar and you see a guy oozing confidence, you just assume his testosterone levels are exactly where they need to be.
Or maybe you just assume he has “good genes.”
While he very well may have good genes, he also eats right, exercises, and lives a life of moderation and balance.
And now we’re at the point where we wonder how much you know about testosterone. Sure, it’s the “man” hormone.
It’s also essential in creating and maintaining a happy man-life. Let’s go over exactly what that means.
Testosterone and What It Does
Your body starts producing this hormone while you’re still in the womb. And yes, it’s all about reproduction. Most of it is formed in the testicles, while some is created in the adrenal glands.
Let’s hit it up systemย by system.
Endocrine
Your glands are constantly communicating and telling each other how much your body needs and how it should adjust hormone levels.
When you hit puberty, you get a boost of testosterone, deepening your voice and adding body hair. It also helps with muscle mass and bone density.
Remember when you were a kid and everyone told you to not work out and lift weights until you were in high school?
This is why.
You didn’t have the proper testosterone levels. Your muscles and bones couldn’t handle those kinds of workouts yet.
Reproductive
You’re aware you came out of the womb with a penis.
Testosterone is what made your penisย grow in the womb. When you hit puberty, your testosterone levels increased and your penisย grew some more.
The purpose of this is, of course, reproduction. This is why you can’t get a girl pregnant when you’re 7 or 8 years old. You simply don’t have enough gas in the tank.
Not only do your testosterone levels rise with sexual activity, they also decrease when you’re not as active as usual. In fact, men with regular to high levels of the hormone will always get the girl. Once again, this is about reproduction.
Men with plenty of testosterone have confidence and appear healthy, naturally coming off to females as an ideal mate for reproduction.
So if you haven’t been getting any, don’t worry. It’s not you — it’s your testosterone.
There’s Hope
One study showed that men who watch porn will get a spike in in testosterone levels one hour to ninety minutes after firing off. Not only that, they also reported higher levels of optimism.
So if you’re going out on the town with the fellas, make sure you handle some business first.
Central Nervous System
Ever wonder why couch potatoes never get laid or their girlfriends or wivesย usually ending up leaving them?
Not only does exercise help to boost your hormone levels, so does competition.
Not adhering to the body’s needs for this can not just hurt your hormone levels, but will decrease your motivation and self-esteem. This further hinders the desire to compete and have fun.
Factor in Sugar
Testosterone levels peak around age 18. By the time you’re 30, they slowly start to decline every year. So when you’re younger and in peak condition, you don’t feel the hormonal swing nearly as much as you do in later years.
It still happens, though.
As insulin in the body increases, your testosterone levels decrease. Insulin is created by the body when sugar is eaten.
It doesn’t matter how much or what kind, sugar intake will result in insulin production. This insulin production will, in turn, result in a decrease in testosterone.
In fact, those who eat extremely healthy and are active on a daily basis will see a larger dip in their hormone levels than those who aren’t active and healthy.
The takeaway?
It’s probably time to hit the gym.
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind
Should you completely stop eating sugar? Absolutely not.
The research suggests it’s not low testosterone that makes men unhealthy. Rather, it’s a bad lifestyle that decreases your testosterone.
So if you want to have maximum levels of this hormone, you need to have maximum levels of balance. Eat diets focused on fruits, vegetables, and fish while lowering the amounts of sugar, dairy, and red meats.
Get plenty of exercise, lift weights, and be happy. Keep your stress to a minimum.
However, this isn’t going to work for everyone. Some men need hormone therapy.
If that man is you and you live in the Midwest, Mantality might be able to help. Contact us today to make an appointment.