3 Ways You'Re Causing Your Testosterone Levels To Suffer

One of the things that men worry about when it comes to their health is testosterone levels. If you are concerned about lower levels, then you need to look no further than your way of life and daily habits. While there may be other causes, such as age, here are three lesser-known factors that could be contributing to a drop in your testosterone, and you don't even realize it:

1. Being Overweight or Obese.

Believe it or not, your waist size has a lot to do with how much testosterone is in your body. When you're obese or overweight, that excess weight reduces your testosterone levels. In a study from the Journal of Diabetes and Obesity in July 2014, men can see an improvement in their testosterone levels by losing weight with a combination of an energy-restricted diet and exercise three times a week.

Ultimately, your best bet is to try to lose around 15 percent of your current body weight. This is an amount that showed in 2013 research to significantly improve testosterone levels, especially in men between 40 and 79 years of age.

2. Taking Anabolic Steroids.

It isn't uncommon for men to use steroids in order to beef up. However, it can put a stop to the production of the body's testosterone. In a May 2015 study, it was determined that weight lifters who used anabolic steroids were at an increased risk of low levels of testosterone as compared to those who did not use the steroids. What's more is that this risk remained true after the weight lifters discontinued the use of the steroids.

3. Failing to Get Enough Quality Sleep.

Loss of sleep isn't good on the body in a number of ways, including your testosterone levels. According to research, sleep loss can actually decrease the levels of testosterone in the body. WebMD mentions a study that shows that healthy young man may reduce their testosterone by as much as 15 percent by not getting adequate sleep each night. This can then lead to low energy, poor concentration, reduced sex drive, and fatigue.

If you think you may be suffering from low levels of testosterone in your body, you may want to consult with your primary care physician to have a blood test conducted to get a clear-cut answer. It is important to find out now if there is a problem so that you can treat it. One of the various ways of treating low testosterone levels is with hormone replacement therapy.