Can testosterone boosting improve sexual performance?

Having low testosterone levels in your body affects sexual performance as it can lead to: 

• Trouble getting or keeping an erection which is hard enough to have sex with – erectile dysfunction (ED) 

• Having low sex drive – low libido 

• Needing to stop or take breaks during sex because you’re too tired – physical fatigue

If you have low testosterone and it's causing one of the problems above, then getting proper treatment to boost your levels back up could improve your sexual performance. 

But, if you have a normal level of testosterone in your body (which most men do), boosting your testosterone levels higher than normal won’t do any good, and could actually be dangerous. It’s best to think about more likely causes of your sex-related problems:

• ED can still happen if you have a normal level of testosterone in your body. Think about talking to your doctor or pharmacist about ED treatments like Viagra instead. 

• Having a low sex drive can be caused by a number of different things, like poor physical and mental health. So, there’s a number of different treatments that can help, like having counselling and making healthier lifestyle changes. 

• Tiredness during sex can also be caused by poor physical health. Slowly increasing the amount of regular exercise you get could help.

• If you have any of the above symptoms you should talk to your doctor as sometimes tests are needed to find out if there are underlying causes.

Does testosterone boosting really work?

There’s a lot of evidence that shows proper medications designed to boost testosterone levels, which can only be prescribed by a licensed doctor, do increase testosterone levels in the blood effectively. 

But, outside of these prescribed medications, there are no products or supplements that have been proven to increase testosterone levels in the blood, even if a lot of them are sold as ‘testosterone boosters’.

If you think you have low testosterone levels, getting tested and seeing a doctor to talk about starting treatment and any other ways you can improve your testosterone levels is the right way to go. Testosterone treatment is not suitable for everyone with low testosterone, and if you already have a normal testosterone level, boosting testosterone won’t improve your health.

Do any testosterone-boosting supplements work?

There have been a fair few studies done on supplements that might increase testosterone levels in the blood. Some of these supplements include: 

• Potassium

• Vitamin D

• Zinc

• DHEA extract

None of these are proven to actually work so unless you doctor has recommended one of them, they probably aren’t worth trying. Some supplements can be dangerous to your health as they may cause you to have too much of the above elements in your body. If you do try them, make sure that you buy a product that has been checked properly.

Supplements aren’t always checked as carefully as real medications, so you need to make sure you’re buying one that’s safe. Look for products which have the Traditional Herbal Registration logo, so you know they are what they say on the tin.

Can you change your diet to boost testosterone?

There are some studies that say your diet can have some effect on testosterone. Particularly: 

• Fat: eating a meal high in fat might drop your testosterone levels for a few hours. 

However, there’s no food or diet that is proven to definitely increase your testosterone levels. Plus eating too much or too little of a type of food or food group just to try and boost testosterone could be harmful. So, it’s really a better idea to just try and eat a healthy, balanced diet. 

Are there any ways to naturally boost testosterone?

‘Natural’ testosterone-boosting products probably aren’t going to help – see the “Do any testosterone-boosting supplements work?” section above for more details.

Other than supplements, there are some natural methods for boosting your testosterone levels which have been looked into: 

• Resistance training: exercising using weights can increase your testosterone levels straight after you exercise. 

• Lowering stress: having a high level of stress in your life can lower your testosterone levels. 

• Lowering weight: if you have a BMI that falls in the obese category, your blood testosterone levels may well be low. Losing weight so that you have a healthy BMI can help boost your testosterone levels naturally.  

• Time between orgasms: waiting for seven days between orgasms can increase testosterone levels. On the other hand, having sex can also increase testosterone levels. 

• Competitions: Testosterone levels may rise when players win competitions. 

• Sleeping well: sleep deprivation can decrease your testosterone levels because testosterone naturally rises during sleep. Make sure you have a good sleep schedule to boost your testosterone levels naturally. 

Some of these, like managing your weight, stress, and sleep, can help make sure your testosterone levels are at their best. Plus they’re great for your general health too.

But, throwing yourself into excessive weight-lifting, competition, or scheduling your orgasms is probably not going to be a great idea. Even if they have some impact on testosterone levels, they aren’t necessary for keeping up healthy normal levels and we don’t recommend using them to try and give yourself a higher amount of testosterone than normal.

What’s the best way to boost testosterone?

If you have low testosterone, the best way to boost it is with medical treatment through a doctor who will discuss with you if this medication is safe for you to take. They will also suggest further tests to find the cause for your low testosterone levels. These medications can help bring your testosterone levels back up to a healthy level. They come in the form of: 

• Testosterone replacement gels that are rubbed every day onto the skin of the shoulders, arms or stomach

• Testosterone replacement capsules that are swallowed usually once or twice every day

• Testosterone injections into the muscle of your bum 

If you don’t have low testosterone levels, there’s no best way to boost them higher than normal because most products or tricks won’t actually work. The only way to boost testosterone levels above normal would be to inappropriately use low testosterone medications. This is not a good idea, as there are potential side effects from these medications and they can have detrimental effects on your health and future fertility.

What are the side effects of boosting testosterone?

Side effects that can happen when using testosterone replacement therapy include: 

• spots, usually found on the back or the chest 

• prolonged, painful erection (priapism) 

• thickening of the blood caused by the body producing too many red blood cells 

• lowered functioning of the liver and changes to blood electrolytes (salts)

• headache

• problems with your prostate, testicles and passing urine

• male breasts (gynaecomastia)

• changes to your mood and sex drive

• high blood pressure

• diarrhoea

• skin reactions including hair loss

• increased weight

• changes to blood cholesterol levels

• possible changes to PSA (prostate specific antigen)

• tiredness and muscle pains

• hot flushes

• problems with your respiratory system such as cough or snoring

• water retention

Ongoing studies are underway to check the risks of cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer with long term testosterone therapy. 

Testosterone therapy is known to reduce your future fertility and if you plan to have children in the future your doctor may suggest alternative options for you.

Boosting your testosterone levels higher than normal can be a dangerous thing to do to your health. You could end up with: 

• damage to your liver 

• your blood cells getting too large 

• your blood becoming too thick 

• your sperm count dropping, which can lead to infertility 

• your testicles shrinking

• erectile dysfunction 

• breast development if you’re male (gynecomastia)

Testosterone abuse can also get you in serious legal trouble. You can be sentenced to up to 14 years in prison if you’re found sharing or selling testosterone, or face an unlimited fine. Most professional sports organisations ban the use of testosterone.

How can you check your testosterone levels?

You can check your testosterone levels with a quick and easy blood test. 

One way you can get tested is to order a testosterone test kit from Superdrug Online Doctor. Any order you make with us is sent in discreet packaging to your preferred address or for pick up from your nearest Post Office. You take your sample at home and then post it to our lab. Results get sent to your account, along with medical advice from one of our doctors. 

You can also get tested through your GP. To get tested, make a face-to-face appointment with your usual GP. If your GP agrees that the test is the right option for you, they’ll arrange for you to have a blood sample taken for testing.

It is always recommended that you follow the instructions before taking the test (as many things can affect the result such as the time of day you take the test) and that you repeat the test after at least 4 weeks. 

References

A research on the relationship between ejaculation and serum testosterone level in men (2003) Journal of Zhejiang University [accessed 2 April 2020]

Anabolic steroid misuse (2018) NHS [accessed 2 April 2020]

British Society for Sexual Medicine guidelines on adult testosterone deficiency (2017) J Sex Med [accessed 2 April 2020]

Effects of vitamin D supplementation on androgens in men with low testosterone levels (2019) Eur J Nutr [accessed 2 April 2020]

Fatty acid intake in relation to reproductive hormones and testicular volume among young healthy men (2017) Asian J Androl [accessed 2 April 2020]

Male and female salivary testosterone concentrations before and after sexual activity (1992) Physiology & Behavior [accessed 2 April 2020]

Male hypogonadism: symptoms and treatment (2010) J Adv Pharm Technol Res [accessed 2 April 2020]

Nebido (2020) EMC [accessed 2 April 2020]

Obstructive sleep apnea and testosterone deficiency (2019) World J Mens Health [accessed 2 April 2020]

Testogel (2018) EMC [accessed 2 April 2020]

Testosterone, and winning and losing in human competition (1989) Hormones and Behavior [accessed 2 April 2020]

Testosterone physiology in resistance exercise and training: the up-stream regulatory elements (2010) Sports Med [accessed 2 April 2020]

Zinc status and serum testosterone levels of healthy adults (1996) Nutrition [accessed 2 April 2020]