Should You Be Taking Testosterone Boosters?

WHAT ARE TESTOSTERONE BOOSTERS?

Many of life’s finer things get better with age. Sadly, you’re not one of them.

A big player in this is your tanking testosterone levels, which drop by one per cent per year from the age of 40, found research in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Cue: less muscle, decreased strength and lower bedroom mojo. Testosterone boosters are a class of legal supplements that may increase your T levels via a combination of herbs that stops your body converting testosterone to oestrogen. Advocates reckon they’re the Clint Eastwood of the supps world.

HOW DO TESTOSTERONE BOOSTERS THEY WORK?

Boosters often contain a cocktail of ingredients, including longjack, tribulus territris, fenugreek, D-aspartic acid and ZMA.

The first three have the least scientific backing, while D-aspartic acid did increase testosterone by 42 per cent when taken in three-gram-per-day doses, found a study in Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology.

The last ingredient on the list, ZMA, is a combination of zinc, vitamin B6 and magnesium, which your body needs for maximal testosterone production and to get a better night’s kip – the cornerstone of any healthy hormonal system.

WHEN DO I USE IT?

Always follow the advice on the pack, but the timing of these supplements can be crucial.

Those containing ZMA need to be taken at night, with research in the Journal of Exercise Physiology finding that when college American football players did this they increased testosterone by 30 per cent and experienced an 11.6 per cent jump in strength.

It’s worth cycling any testosterone booster for 3-4 weeks, then taking two weeks off so your body doesn’t get used to it.

WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF TESTOSTERONE BOOSTERS?

Increasing your manliest hormone can accentuate the yang elements of your personality. That means hyped sexual desire, increased aggression and more strength, which can lead to improved muscle gains if you’re resistance training regularly.

Since these supplements won’t hike your T levels beyond a level that could be classed as natural, you’re unlikely to experience the rampant acne, testicular shrinkage and infertility that hard-core juicers risk.

You’ll just wake up with a bit more glory to your mornings.

WHICH ONE SHOULD I GO WITH?

Try Beast Super Test. Not only does this booster have all you need to up your T, it comes loaded with nitric oxide for better mid-training pumps and accelerated recovery.

It also has a liver detoxifier that’ll help keep your system in prime nick.

IS THERE A GOOD SUBSTITUTE?

Methoxyisoflavone. This nifty ingredient was invented and patented in the 70s as an alternative to steroids.Research in Life Sciences found it bumps up the potency of the testosterone you already have circulating in your body.

Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about showing up positive on a drug test, since none of its ingredients is banned by the major athletic organisations.

Use it when testosterone boosters fail to boost.

One option is Elemental Massive Muscle Fuel 2.0.