Masculinity

3 Deadly Mistakes That Are Killing Your Testosterone Levels

105 Comments

That headline is a tad dramatic, but I needed to get your attention. Why? Because over the past few weeks of talking to guys on the phone trying to figure out their next steps in natural testosterone optimization, these three mistakes have come up again and again. In this article, I will give you the scientifically proven action steps to fix them fast.

Mistake #1 – Thinking That Traditional Cardio Is The Best Way to Lose Fat

Meet Michael:

Michael Shelly is an endurance athlete who regularly competes in long-distance marathons. Judging by his body composition, he’s not exactly a high-testosterone man. Why is this the case? Well, a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that men who regularly ran long distances (> 64 km or 40 miles per week) had significantly lower testosterone levels compared to the non-athletic control group.

Let that sink in for a moment: men who ran long distances had lower testosterone levels than a couch potato.

Long-distance running puts stress on the body in the form of elevated cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol leads to a decrease in testosterone. How much of a decrease? Well, in this Brazilian study, researchers analyzed blood samples from 20 men before and after a 42.2 km (26.2 mile) race. After the race, the men’s cortisol levels doubled and testosterone levels were halved (673 to 303 ng/dL).

Does this mean that you should ditch cardio altogether? Traditional, steady-state cardio, yes. But high intensity cardio can be great. This is Harry:

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey is an English sprinter and his physique is lean, muscular, and strong—all signs of high testosterone. Did he build all that muscle by sprinting alone? Of course not. Sprinters lift weights. That being said, high-intensity sprinting has been shown to induce short-term spikes in testosterone.

The takeaway? Ditch the traditional, steady state cardio. Instead, go for short-bouts of high intensity cardio like sprinting, high-intensity interval training, jiu-jitsu, or any other martial art.

Mistake #2 – Being Chronically Sleep Deprived

You already know that sleep is important, but are you actually making it a priority? Probably not. Chances are that you regularly watch TV in bed and scroll through email and social media past dark. But here’s something that might make you reconsider:

In this study, men who slept for 4-hours had half the amount of testosterone the next morning compared to men who slept for 8-hours.

You might say:

But Mo, I get 8+ hours of sleep every single night and I still wake up feeling groggy and tired.

Well, the reason for this is because sleep quality is just as important (if not more important) as sleep quantity. According to leading sleep researcher Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary:

Timing your sleep is like timing an investment in the stock market – it doesn’t matter how much you invest, it matters when you invest.

And as Shawn Stevenson writes in his book Sleep Smarter:

It’s been shown that human beings get the most beneficial hormonal secretions and recovery by sleeping during the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. This is what I call “Money Time.” You get the most rejuvenating effects during this period, and any sleep that you get in addition is a bonus. This is based on the seemingly lost realization that we humans are a part of nature, and when the lights go out on the planet, that’s a cue from the universe that it’s time for us to turn down too.

Research done by the phone companies themselves reveals that the more time you spend on your phone before you sleep, the longer it takes for you to enter into a state of deep sleep, and the less time you spend in that state as well. I’ve written a 3,500+ word guide on how to optimize sleep (which you can check out here), but if there’s one thing you take action on after reading this article, make it this:

Keep a 30 minute gap between the last time you stare at a screen and the time you intend on going to bed. Just this one thing will radically enhance the quality of your sleep and increase the surge of testosterone you experience during the night.

Mistake #3- Having a Micronutrient Deficiency

Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals your body requires in trace amounts to sustain optimal function. Of particular importance to testosterone are vitamin D and magnesium. As it turns out, these two micronutrients are the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies in western developed countries with an estimated 74% of Americans being deficient in vitamin D and 43% being deficient in magnesium.

The bad news is that it’s impossible for you to have optimal testosterone levels while having sub-optimal levels of vitamin D and magnesium. The good news is that optimizing your intake of them is perhaps the easiest way to bring your testosterone level back up closer to where it should be.

Your skin synthesizes vitamin D upon exposure to the sun, but most of us don’t spend enough time outdoors. Dark leafy greens like spinach, broccoli, and kale provide a great source of magnesium, but most of us don’t eat them.

What to do? Opt for a quality multivitamin supplement. I emphasize the word “quality” because most of the popular ones are junk. Consider the fact that 52% of Americans take a daily multivitamin, yet large portions of the population are deficient in vitamins A (35%), C (31%), D (74%), and E (67%) as well as calcium (39%) and magnesium (46%).

Before buying a multivitamin supplement, read the label to ensure that it provides adequate amounts of the key vitamins and minerals.

Conclusion

Look man, increasing your testosterone levels and reclaiming your masculinity involves nothing more than making simple changes in your diet and lifestyle. You already know most of the stuff I wrote about in this article. Why, then, do you continue to make decisions that are against your best interest?

Having asked myself this question in the past, the answer came down to identity. Consciously, I knew my life wasn’t where I wanted it to be. Subconsciously, though, I was sabotaging myself from taking right action. That changed when I realized the fundamental truth that beliefs follow behaviour. Once I started doing the things that I knew needed to get done, regardless of whether I felt like it or not, everything changed.

Your identity is nothing but your evaluation of the actions you’ve taken. Start taking right action and notice your inner alpha start to emerge.

Questions about natural testosterone optimization? Let’s chat. 

Read More: The Ultimate Morning Routine For Higher Testosterone Levels

105 thoughts on “3 Deadly Mistakes That Are Killing Your Testosterone Levels”

  1. I am not going to take a sandnigg3r’s advice on exercise or nutrition. Forget about that.

    3. You might as well stop reading ROK, because this site is a product of a “sandnigg3r”.

      1. @Charlie Kennedy … Iranians are not “sand n|gg3rs”. Never have been, are not now, and never shall be.
        Iran (Persia) is home to one of the planet’s premier civilizations.
        The Ayatollah Khomeini lived in Paris for many years, so it’s likely he was at least the partial product of western intelligence agencies, and secret societies.
        And the Shah’s Savak was set up by the CIA. And that’s official. It obtained its worst reputation under the crude tutelage of an ex-Israeli Juu.
        In contrast … talk to an Iranian girl, and go eat in an Iranian Restaurant. Then see if your specific usage “sand n|gg3r” still makes sense.

        1. Most people would consider Roosh a “sandnigg3r”. And I’m only quoting. Don’t get too technical bro.

    5. Metoo, new age hippy nonsense. Surprised yoga and meditation weren’t included.

    6. Metoo, new age hippy nonsense. Surprised yoga and meditation weren’t included. Any story without beer, girls or travel is worthless.

    8. Lol. Yeh, it’a not like those guys know anything about masculinity or testosterone, what with being able to control their women, and having an out of this world birth rate and all.
      Let’s listen to a faggot with a six pack who is a ‘parent’ to a dog and a cat, instead

    9. You realize the creator of this very site is what you would call a “sandnigg3r” right? You’re ignorant and cringe-worthy. I guess you’re just a snownigg3r.

    10. I prefer “camel jocky” “towelhead” or my personal favorite: “dune coon”. Please, show a little class.

    11. The advice in this article is spot-on, particularly about the sleep deprivation. Getting proper sleep is critical for health and well-being and especially for Testosterone production.
      Why the f**k would the ethnicity of the author have anything to do with the actual validity of the content of the piece?

      1. here here… well said sir…
        and I’m basically a racist…but a rational nice one…

      2. Getting enough quality sleep, as described here, is also important to prevent obesity.

    12. This is my biggest problem with the alt-right. They tend to think that only white men are sick of this liberal bullshit, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. I know many people of color who are sick and tired of this Marxist Globohomo bullshit getting shoved down their throats as well. They way I see it, I don’t care if you’re black, white, blue, green or orange; if you feel the same way I do about liberalism, I want you as my ally. Remember the old saying: The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

    15. Gaels (Scotsman and Irish) are the STRONGEST and HARDIEST MEN on PLANET EARTH. That’s why the Romans built Hadrian’s Wall, they didn’t dare try to take it again. William Wallace, almost 7 feet tall in the 13th century!

    16. Why hate for no reason ? You could always go vent on some youtube video… Plenty of stupid people there. The author was just trying to help.

  2. Good advice
    The “Lion of Lebanon” Samir Bannout was a fav bodybuilder of mine along w Frank Zane and Franco in the 80s

  3. As far as testosterone levels, the comparison of the white sprinter to the black one is bullshit because blacks are natural mesomorphs, more muscular (many without even working at it), and we all know they have higher T levels.

      1. I believe that blacks have “lower intelligence” because of the culture. Listening to rap all day will lower the intelligence of any human being.

        2. The average black guy also listens to nothing but rap. If they listened to better music and picked up a book, we would have more Ed Latimore’s in the world.

        3. The relationship between T and intelligence has been thoroughly studied and it’s easily observable.

        4. I’ve been on the low test and high test side. From personal experience, I feel more focused and clear headed when my test levels are higher. I just don’t see how having less makes you smarter.

      2. Higher T level isn’t why blacks are less intelligent. If that were the case then women would have higher IQ’s than men. Black Africans simply stayed in Africa where hominids had been living for 1000’s of years with no new environmental pressures to adapt too. Whereas, those that did leave Africa had novel problems to face with new environmental stressors that led to them evolving larger more intelligent brains to overcome the new obsticles.

        1. Spirit Cave Mummy (looks exactly like Patrick Stewart, aka Jean Luc Picard) and Kennewick man, Tocharian mummies (Caucasians) of western China, 5,000 year old Iceman found between Austria and Italy in the Alpine glaciers, Odysseus journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War, Pizarro and his men crossing the Andes and sailing down the Amazon for their search for ‘El Dorado’. Viking runestone found in Minnesota/Viking Long houses preserved in Newfoundland, Alexander the Great’s adventures in India to his home in Macedon, Magellan circumnavigating the world in a small, 2-masted Caravel…These are all prime examples of the awe-inspiring, adventuresome spirit of the White Race.
          You had to readily adapt to these new environments or face certain death for you and your fellow brothers. This, my friends, was accomplished not by spear chuckers but by white Nordics (primarily Celts, Germanics from central/northern Italy, parts of Greece/Macedon, parts of Iberia, Germany, Austria, northern France, Scandinavia, Briton, the Low Countries) and Original Mediterranean peoples (of Iberia, Italy, parts of Briton, southern France, southern Germany/Austria and Greece).

    2. It doesn’t take a scientist to realize that maybe running 40+ kilometres at one time is not good for man’s testosterone or overall health. I stick to around 30-40 kilometres net a week, with HIIT spread in between. Having optimal cardio endurance helps in many aspects of life, plus long distance running has been shown to have many positive impacts on brain health.

      1. How much time per day do you spend on this? I try to exercise in the AM between eating sn apple, shaving, brushing teeth, etc.. but that is really the only time I can spare for exercise what with work and commuting.

        1. On running days, roughly an hour or so after work. If I had a longer commute I realize this wouldn’t be feasible unless I decided to purchase a treadmill.

    3. Wrong, Blacks are natural ectomorphs, they’re topically adapted/ have tropical body plans, which means they have longer limbs in relation to their torso. West Africans (where all the slaves came from) are tiny diminutive people. The big massive and tall black sports celebs you see today came about from white slave masters having sex witb the black slave females.
      Again any positive traits are due to white admixture. The one thing blacks do have naturally is more fast twitch muscle fibers which gives them an advantage in short bursts of speed.

    4. But the Worlds Strongest Man is and has been dominated by Whites, notably Icelanders and Nordics for the last 40 yrs since they started it. No black has even placed Top 10, let alone finish top 3 or win.

      1. Whites are physically superior. Strength, endurance/stamina and agility all go to the white man. Blacks only excel at sports were short bursts of speed are required. which of course would be most sports that are popular.

        1. Kenyans long distance ??? Gymnastics asians ?? What shit are you talking about ??? Whites seem more well rounded but thats about it. Boxing is endurance based. Who dominates that ??? Did you ever fight for 25 minutes ???

        2. Sports that require the most endurance are triathlons, triathlons, ironman, survival of the fittest events and even wrestling would require more than boxing. Kenyans Ethiopians and Somalians do well in long distance and marathons and they all also have ancient Eurasian genetic admixture, which is why they like the West Africans excel at that. Go look at the history of gold medal winners in Gymnastics, It’s been dominated by whites with only few notable asians.

    5. Show me the study where it says that blacks have higher levels of testosterone than whites, because all the study shows that they have an insignificant amount more than whites. Which isn’t noticeable.

    6. Source that blacks have higher T levels? According to the studies I’ve read, Germans and Scandinavians have the highest T levels.

  4. You have forgotten to mention jerking off every single fucking day like a monkey watching porn. Since I quit that shit (6 months ago) I feel much better, with much more energy and definitely more manly.
    Quit porn guys. It’s very easy to quit porn When you realize that by watching it you are financing leftist and pro-globalist scumbags

    1. I think watching porn in limited doses and not jerking off to it is good for your mind. Men are very visually stimulated and as long as it is done conservatively, it might actually increase testosterone.

  5. Testosterone obsession is for the manosphere what beards are for the hipsters – overcompensation!

    1. Testosterone is what makes a man a man. When you consider all the xenoestrogens in the environment, its more important than ever to make a conscience effort to improve your test levels.

      1. Your testosterone destiny was sealed while you were in womb. It’s a bit too late now.

        2. Not true. Put a vegan on a steak and eggs diet and watch their test levels go up.

  6. I would submit that minimal cardio is necessary for health. All you have to do is walk for cardio or maybe swim because it is gentle on your joints. It is all about diet and lifting weights.

      1. Little boys play sports unless you are a professional athlete. I do not box or train in MMA anymore. Any “real” fight would be over in less than 30 seconds.

        1. Another skinng/fat loser who has no athletic ability ????????
          Playing sports is extremely masculine,in modern society especially where we lack outlets,you conflate it with WATCHING sports.
          Some amount of losers on here giving sports shit.
          You NEVER trained mma or boxing because if you did you’d value cardio and value sports.
          Only a retard would say neglect cardio.

        2. Cardio is literally the most important thing in fighting. They make us run a mile before class even starts. You are a fool and I seriously doubt you’re putting anybody out in 30 seconds..

  7. Smile, have a great attitude, work out, let go of petty things, bang girls.
    It’s that easy.

    1. Depends.
      If you are a regular guy, or even ugly, and you only want to bang very pretty girls then you might have an issue.
      I found a way to solve that back when I was 20, but many guys are not willing to shell out $$$ to get laid.

      1. Slim you know me and you are on the same wavelength. Except I’m a 1 percenter in terms of looks.
        Either way pussy is gonna cost you.
        Real question is, how good are you at investing?

  8. Sorry white boys you can follow as many tips as you want, but you will never have testosterone levels of superior melanin men like us.
    Hindustan men emit powerful pheromone odors that attract women. Our hair is also indicative of high testosterone.
    Your small pink willies look like pink pussies. Why don’t you pop that pink pussy for our amusement!

    1. How the fuck did you guys have the most advanced sanitation systems 4,000 years ago but now half of your country can’t poo in the damn loo? Did the British steal all your toilets or something?

    2. “… you will never have testosterone levels of superior melanin men like us.
      Hindustan men emit powerful pheromone odors that attract women. Our hair is also indicative of high testosterone.
      Your small pink willies look like pink pussies.”
      ————————————————-
      These fantastical Bollywood claims run counter to what my past Indian girlfriends have told me, soon after I had pumped them to orgasm. And I’ve had more than a few: both Hindu and Muslim.
      One of whom … a slender and beautiful Gujarati girl (Hindu) who’d arrived in the UK from Idi Amin’s Uganda when still an infant … loved taking my 20 cms up her an%s. It was her idea by the way. This became an even better experience whenever she prepared by wearing the Black Stockings I’d bought her, under her Red Sari.
      True story. I ain’t bullsh*tting now.
      We Whites (Men of Light) need to wake up to the corrosive influence of “Hindustani” males … most of whom really can’t stop crying, and nagging the world with their “anti-White Man” bitchiness.
      I think appropriate responses would be closing down the Outsourcing Business to India & Pakistan, and outlawing the H-1B Visa system.

      1. G.R. can’t control his own women so he has to dream in his mind of possessing an Hindustan woman!! Ha Ha Ha Ha! JOKE OF THE DAY.
        I know a south Indian dark man- 6’3 but bald and overweight
        He fooks white women in front of their husbands. The pink pussy men like the watch him fook their wives. They can’t get the job done so they pay the superior melanin HINDUSTANI WARRIOR to do the job.
        Outsourcing their pink pussies too! HOW PATHETIC!
        You keep buying stocking for your imaginary Desi girl, while we will in real life conquer your women

        1. Indian Chad … you sound mentally sick. And if anyone has been taken over by their imagination, it is surely you.
          You Indian males are the world’s biggest losers. Everyone looks at you lot with contempt, because your collective thinking and weird behaviours fully justify that.
          70% of the most beautiful Bollywood starlets have a White Man as their genetic father-ancestor. In the good old days we impregnated Indian women by the tens-of-thousands. Some White Men kept concubines … perhaps breeding with Indian 7 wives.
          Assuming you are genuine, and not yet another paid tosser sat in front of a desktop in a building just north of Tel Aviv … what exactly are you doing here, at this website??

        2. In all seriousness, unless the attractive women have an Anglo last name, no, retard, they don’t have white blood in them.
          You ever hear of North Indians and the ‘Aryan invasion’?
          Another dumb Anglo who doesn’t know his history

    3. stop you silly popadom,no women ANYWHERE prefer indian men !!!!!!!
      Fucking hell thats just retarded.

    4. “Your small pink willies look like pink pussies.”
      So why is it they only sell small condoms in India $ Asia?
      As a white guy, it’s almost impossible to buy one that you can actually put on.

    5. Yeah all the hot girls totally want the nerdy Indian guy who works at the 7/11. Give me a break

  10. Hahaha all this banter is making me laugh out loud, but I guess no one wants to engage in any constructive discussion.

    1. Don’t pay attention to ’em, this was a great article. Seems like it all started because you’re of Arab descent, and right-wing Western males (this sites demographic) are on edge. Keep contributing to the site, man.

    2. whats your call on masturbation/testosterone relation?
      would lets say, masturbating once a week affect in anyway test levels?
      thanks man

        1. Thanks mo, great article.
          Personally, i see the overall improvements on my self when i abstinate from spankin it. I get more looks from the ladies, more energy amongst many other things. My problem is that the abstinence causes you to go around with a loaded gun diwn there with the trigger pulled. When a chance for sex suddenly appears i wont last long. Cleaning the pipes sometimes might be beneficial instead of going permanently abstained.
          What do you think?

  11. Western men are on edge. Or either clueless. The United States is turning into a homo factory.
    I had lunch the other day with an Iranian born friend. He visited California for the first time recently and though he was in gay loving hell on earth, especially San Francisco.
    I myself am frequently exhausted by the faggotry a sane man has to deal with in this country.
    Modern heterosexual males are the homosexuals of 50 years ago.

    1. The globohomos want to homoize all of us…and our kids. The agenda they’re pushing now has some sinister motive which has nothing to do with equal rights, as now they have all those right up to and including homo marrige. They even get pref treatment in hiring for some jobs, including govt jobs.

  12. Mo Salee
    1. Very true, in general terms.
    . Nevertheless, as for healthy exercises for men, each and every one of has to find one that suit him. Let your body and overall health be your guise.
    2. In am glad you raised that . Chronic (sometimes even acute) sleep deprivation can lead to very serious health problems. A man needs his 8 hours deep sleep.
    3. Multivitamins and minerals supplements are helpful – however, you should still try to eat healthily – which should involve a balanced and include a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits, just as much as meet and eggs.

  13. Right on man. All men, though, should engage in strength training. Not only does it boost testosterone, but research has found lean muscle mass to correlate with longevity. Lifting weights is literally the fountain of youth that can reverse aging and have you living a longer, healthier, and more virile life even into old age.
    Of course, fresh vegetables and fruits should be a part of your diet. But for the most part, men aren’t eating them – even though they should. This is why I recommend a multivitamin.

    1. I’ve taken Roosh’s advice, bought myself a breadmaker and am making Muesli bread with added raisins every other day. Not sure if it’s good for me but only costs 1/10 for the same bread from an artisan baker.
      Say no to factory bread!

      View post on imgur.com

  16. If I ever end up like this John Dodds bloke, someone please put a bullet through my head.
    Thanks in advance.

  17. Who gives a shit what color you are, If the article is correct and based on science, then I don’t give a shit who wrote it. We are men and we should be brothers in arms against the Godless left wing degenerates and sodomites that attack us.

    4. When it is NOT black, then I would agree the skin colour does not matter …
      … except (justifiably) to North Europeans … who are genetically unique — they’ve contributed more “progress” to humanity than any other racial group — and therefore have every right to discriminate any which way they choose … including racial segregation (Apartheid).
      I’d have no problems or issues calling Mo Saleem my friend if we ever met. I am pleased to see him contributing articles here.
      As for “brown skin” … I happen to find Muslim (and esp. Arab) women very attractive and sexy. No need for me to explain why now, as it is too off topic. But in short … if you’ve ever been lucky enough to watch a Muslim girl swallow you deep … or watched her offer her pussy for looking and licking … then you will already know why.
      Those who have read my occasional comments here at ROK will already know I have traveled widely, including North Africa, the Middle East, India, China, and SE Asia.
      I have far, far more affinity with Muslim Arabs than I do with Hindu (or Muslim) Indians. Yet both have “brown” skin.
      So this means there must be a closer genetic link between Europeans and Arabs that check-mate or override the religious differences. Remember that National Socialist Germany had close links with Iraq … once proposing a rail route from Berlin to Baghdad.
      I have met many different races in my time. And members of every religion … quack or otherwise … and I can honestly say that the only group I have always been suspicious of, to the point of hating, are the Hindus.
      Although it has to be said, Hindu women can be delicious to look at.
      The Sikhs are fine, and should never be mixed in with the Hindus. As a group and society, the Sikhs are way superior to Hindus, and far more trustworthy.

        1. @Ravi Macho … the three responses to my articles on this thread (from you and your ilk) are very illuminating.
          They contain zero substance, and amount to nothing more than personal attacks generated by your deep fears and insecurities … and from your astonishment that there are White Men “out there” who actually do have all you Hindu Indian sh*te worked out, and fully understood.
          You are NOT Macho. You are noisy, cheating, incompetent, and lying Poodles. And your exaggerated “India Shining” place in this “New World Order” has been contrived by (((crooks))) and their duped western traitors.
          Therefore, it is temporary. Be warned.

  18. sleep deprivation try standing to at 2AM ready to fight in close quarters this camel jockey has no clue what he’s talking about

  19. Harry Aikines-Aryeetey is most certainly NOT an English sprinter. He’s a sprinter living in england.

  20. Cardio should only be for immediate fat loss, once you’re below 20% body fat, then lifting is enough.

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