Issue 081
November 2011
Maximize your natural testosterone levels and become a better fighter
When it comes to aggression, strength and developing the powerful lean muscle that’s the foundation of every quality fighter, sufficient testosterone production is essential. While your body will always produce some testosterone regardless of your diet, training and lifestyle – these factors can dramatically influence your testosterone level on a daily basis and directly affect your aggression, confidence, recovery capacity, strength and muscle development. Fortunately, you can incorporate several simple training, nutrition and lifestyle strategies to jack-up your production of this essential hormone.
WEIGHTS
Firstly, regular heavy weight training should be in the arsenal of every fighter, because it’s proven to boost T-levels, according to researchers from Penn State University. For optimal results, lift two to three times a week for 30–60 minutes, focussing on multi-joint lifts like squats and chin-ups.
CAFFEINE
Recent research has also suggested that caffeine can support healthy testosterone levels, so a pre-workout product containing the nutrient or a double espresso could do more than just boost intensity. Aim for 100–200mg pre-training or fight.
REST
While heavy lifting is essential, sleep and rest are just as important; be sure to get at least eight hours of sleep a night and take one to two rest days per week. Zinc is essential for hormone production and quality sleep, so a multi-vitamin containing zinc or preferably ZMA can work wonders for hard-training fighters.
In addition, excess stress (over-training, too much work and worrying) raises cortisol levels, which can play havoc with your testosterone level – try and cut it out and find ways to relax. A post-workout shake containing carbs and whey protein can also alleviate training-stress, while getting enough Vitamin C from citrus fruits or a quality multi-vitamin will also help.
DIET
When it comes to diet, quality carbs and protein remain key, but significant research suggests that healthy fat is a real T-booster; studies indicate that a balance of omega-3s, mono-unsaturated and unrefined saturated fats is great to raise hormone production – so make sure your diet contains plenty of free-range meats and eggs, olive oil, natural peanut butter and oily fish (or fish oil capsules). It’s also worth mentioning that alcohol isn’t going to do your T-levels much good – so moderate your nights out if you’re serious about fighting.
Because testosterone production is so important to fighters and can have a huge impact on performance, researchers are constantly looking for ways to boost testosterone production via safe and naturally occurring nutrients.
One extremely popular and research-proven option is zinc – most notably ZMA (a combination of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6) which was specifically designed to replace the minerals depleted during training, and support sleep and the anabolic environment. For fighters wanting more potent support, fenugreek saponins are rapidly establishing themselves as one of the most effective ways to boost-T safely, naturally and, of course, legally.
Genetics play a role in testosterone production and every trainer has natural limits. However, by being smart about your training, diet and supplement plan, you can make sure you’re maximizing your own potential and supporting optimal aggression, well-being, muscle growth and fighting performance. As an additional benefit, high testosterone levels are associated with feelings of confidence and dominance – something that every fighter needs when they step into the ring.
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