Can testosterone boosting improve sexual performance?

Having low testosterone levels in your body 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. You should think about trying 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.

Does testosterone boosting really work?

There’s a lot of evidence that shows proper medications designed to boost testosterone levels do increase testosterone levels in the blood effectively. 

But, outside of real medications, there’s 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 have low testosterone levels, getting tested and seeing a doctor to start treatment is the right way to go. But, 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. If you do try them, just 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’re at least 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. 

• Red meat: red meat can have a lot of zinc in, which might increase your blood testosterone levels. 

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 can help boost your testosterone levels naturally.  

• Time between orgasms: waiting for seven days between orgasms have been shown to increase testosterone levels. On the other hand, having sex is also shown to increase testosterone levels. 

• Competitions: testosterone levels have been shown to rise just before taking part in competitions. And, testosterone levels 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. 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, chest, or back

• Testosterone injections into the muscle of your bum that you get every three months

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 inappropriately using low testosterone medications which is not a good idea.

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 

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.

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