View bright light (ideally sunlight, 2-10 minutes) within the first hour of waking, without sunglasses, to properly time cortisol release, increase dopamine, and promote healthy testosterone and estrogen production.
Avoid bright light exposure to your eyes in the middle of the night, as it suppresses dopamine release and consequently suppresses testosterone levels, impacting sex steroid hormone optimization.
Practice nasal breathing during waking hours and sleep, as it increases oxygen intake, offloads carbon dioxide, improves sleep, reduces apnea, and indirectly optimizes testosterone and estrogen by reducing cortisol.
Control your sleeping environment’s temperature to optimize sleep quality, as your body temperature needs to drop 1-3 degrees to fall and stay deeply asleep, and increase 1-3 degrees to wake up refreshed. Program your mattress cover’s temperature for the beginning, middle, and end of the night for best results.
If you suffer from severe sleep apnea, consider using a CPAP machine to ensure proper breathing and sleep, as apnea is associated with poor estrogen and lower testosterone levels.
Engage in nasal breathing during cardiovascular exercise, unless at maximum effort, to dilate sinuses over time, improve breathing efficiency, and indirectly support hormone optimization.
Perform heavy weight training, in the 1-8 repetition range (not to failure), to significantly increase testosterone levels for 24-48 hours in both males and females.
If combining weight training and cardiovascular exercise in the same session, perform heavy weight training first, followed by endurance activity, to optimize testosterone levels.
Incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or sprinting into your routine, as this type of exercise is shown to increase testosterone levels.
Avoid endurance exercise sessions that extend beyond 75 minutes, as prolonged activity can lead to reductions in testosterone, likely due to increased cortisol.
Participate in competitive scenarios, even short-lived ones, as competition itself can increase androgens like testosterone, independent of winning or losing, by liberating testosterone from the adrenals.
Engage in cold exposure, such as ice baths or cold showers, to potentially stimulate sex steroid hormones by causing vasoconstriction followed by a rebound vasodilation, increasing blood flow to the gonads.
Supplement with essential nutrients like Vitamin D, Zinc, and Magnesium, as these are useful for promoting testosterone and estrogen production in their proper ratios.
Before and during any modification of sex steroid hormones or supplementation, get regular blood work done to ensure safety, monitor effectiveness, and understand the levels of hormones like testosterone, estrogen, DHT, aromatase, and LH.
For ovulating females, monitor menstrual cycles to understand the exquisite balance of hormones like LH, FSH, and progesterone, especially when considering hormone modulation.
Avoid excessive opioid use, as opioids dramatically reduce levels of testosterone and estrogen by disrupting receptors on gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons, leading to endocrine syndromes.
Consider supplementing with Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia Jack) at 400-800mg/day, as studies suggest it may promote fertility, increase free testosterone, act as a subtle aphrodisiac, and have a slight anti-estrogen effect.
Explore supplementing with Fadogia Agrestis, as literature suggests it can increase luteinizing hormone levels, which in turn may increase testosterone or estrogen levels.
For menopause symptoms, consult a physician about supplemental estrogen therapy (oral, patch, or pellet), which can secrete estradiol into the system, though success and side effects vary by individual.
Use comprehensive blood testing services like Function Health to get a snapshot of over 100 biomarkers, including hormone health, and receive insights from expert doctors to understand and improve your health.
Consider taking AG1 daily, a vitamin, mineral, probiotic drink with prebiotics and adaptogens, as it’s suggested to improve overall mental and physical health and performance.
Use an 8Sleep smart mattress cover to control your sleeping environment’s temperature, which is critical for falling and staying deeply asleep and waking up refreshed, thereby improving sleep quality.
Be aware that becoming a parent is associated with a significant decrease in testosterone levels (almost 50% in expecting fathers) and an increase in prolactin and estradiol, which can reduce the desire for sex.