Increasing testosterone has been a hot topic for a long time, with thousands of supplements in the market promising aspiring bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts better results. However, with so many options out there, most are bound to be blinded by shams. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently highlighted this subject and shared a solution by Dr. Peter Attia to help increase testosterone naturally.
To boost testosterone, one might often resort to some popular supplements like deer antler velvet. However, Schwarzenegger immediately debunked the idea that it could lead to a boost in the hormone since it only delivered about 3,000 to 5,000 nanograms in an entire bottle. While, one needed an average of 25 million nanograms per day to build muscle.
This led him to quote certain studies on changes in the IGF-1 (a kind of hormone responsible for muscle growth). The results that these supplements promised showed up primarily in mice. Therefore, even if the famous deer antler velvet did make a difference, it wouldn’t be significant enough.
Here’s where Dr. Attia’s words of wisdom came in from the internet to debunk various theories of going about increasing testosterone. Schwarzenegger not only appreciated the video for the clear-cut message but also observed how it stood with most of the practices he had already preached about.
“To quote Dr. Attia: I don’t think there is a better way to naturally increase your testosterone than adequate sleep and reduction of cortisol (stress).”
The simplest way to ensure a healthy production of testosterone in men’s bodies was to get enough sunlight in the morning and go to bed at the right time. While one could indulge in purchasing expensive supplements, the results may not be as per expectations.
“…or you could invest in doing a behavior that will not only boost testosterone but also will help brain and cardiovascular health, improve hunger, boost recovery, and help cognition and mood.”
To put the stats in check, Schwarzenegger revealed that Dr. Attia even claimed an increase of up to 300 to 400 ng/dl in testosterone just by resting alone. Other than that, Schwarzenegger also once unveiled a workout-based solution to increase testosterone production.
Arnold Schwarzenegger suggests HIIT for testosterone
When sleeping well and soaking up some sunshine to regulate cortisol levels isn’t enough, Schwarzenegger has come up with more natural techniques to improve hormone production. A testosterone boost could take place in the body simply by practicing some High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
In an older newsletter, he talked about a study on men following a 12-week program where they went through three HIIT routines per week. These were composed of four sets of four-minute sprints, followed by three minutes of rest between each set. The goal was to get the maximum heart rate up by 80-90% and recover at 55-65%.
It turns out that the subjects observed about 16% of testosterone increase by the end of the program. Schwarzenegger clarified that while the experiment could still house some factors that weren’t considered before measuring the hormone, the trick was consistent intensity, workout time, and recovery period that led to muscle growth.
