How Does the Keto Diet Affect Testosterone?
Testosterone is the male sex hormone. It is important in mood swings for men, for muscle building or weight gain, growth of bone, and also much more important for sex drive. It is also present in females in little amount. Low levels of testosterone can impact mood, weight and sex drive. The ketogenic diet has an impact on metabolism and hormone levels in the body. It also helps to boost the low levels of the testosterone hormone. We will here thoroughly study the effects of the ketogenic diet on testosterone levels in this article.
What Is Testosterone?
Testosterone is a chemical messenger that gives the order to the cells to grow. It helps in the building of muscles. It also causes bone growth. Testosterone helps to burn the free fatty acids in the blood and helps to reduce LDL levels in the blood. The levels of testosterone in males are 15 times greater than in females. It has the same function in both regarding cell growth. Sperm production is the male-specific function of testosterone. Females have a higher level of testosterone in the body. It is the most abundant hormone in females, even more than estrogen. Testosterone is an anabolic hormone. A higher level of testosterone helps in boosting the muscle, bone and Red blood cells. It acts opposite to the estrogen hormone because it burns the lipids and estrogen stores the lipids.
Low Testosterone
Low testosterone level is a serious medical condition which affects a healthy lifestyle. It can potentially affect the quality of life. It is more common in men than women. It is necessary to diagnose a low level of testosterone in the body. It helps to improve the quality of life. Many factors are attached to the levels of testosterone in the body.
Causes of Low testosterone
There are many causes of low levels of testosterone. They are given below.
• Age more than 30, results in a drop in testosterone levels in the body.
• Ageing
• Drugs
• Chemotherapy
• Testicular dysfunction
• Testicular disorders
• Genetic disorders like Klinefelter syndrome
These are significant causes of the low level of testosterone in the body.
Symptoms of Low Testosterone
The symptoms of low testosterone in the body are more prominent. They are given below.
• Increased body fat
• Lower bone density
• Loss of muscle mass
• Lower sex drive or libido
• Decreased red blood cell production (possible anaemia)
• In men, decreased testicle size
• Erectile dysfunction
• Depressed mood
• Stress
• Irritability
• Difficulty in concentration and memory
Testosterone Testing
There are three methods of testosterone testing
• Blood testing
• Saliva testing
• Urine testing
Blood testing
Normal levels of testosterone are between 300 nanograms per deciliter to 900 ng/dl. It can be best measured between 8 AM to 10 AM. The follow-up of LH and FSH is also necessary for low testosterone individuals.
Saliva testing
Saliva testing is also a valid method for the determination of testosterone levels in the body.
Urine testing
The DUTCH is the most important urine test for testosterone levels in the body. Urine testing is important for measurements of testosterone in athletes.
What Affects Testosterone?
Testosterone level is affected by genes, age and environment. Some of the factors are not in the control of humans. Some factors are fully in the control of humans and they can alter their habits to improve the quality of testosterone in the blood. These factors include
Sleep cycle
If a person is having a sleep of fewer than five hours for more than 5 days, it affects the daytime testosterone levels in young men. This habit is in the control of a person. A person can alter his habits of sleeping to improve testosterone levels.
Exercise
Exercise is the most important factor in the improvement of testosterone levels and sperm motility.
So these factors are important in boosting testosterone levels in the body. One can control these factors.
Diet and Testosterone
Diet is significant in levels of testosterone in the body. A diet low in calories can help in boosting the testosterone levels in the body and helps the Leydig cells to produce more testosterone. A long-term calorie deficiency is having negative effects on testosterone levels. These low levels of testosterone cause a reduction in muscle mass and bone density. A diet higher in carbs can prevent the reduction of testosterone levels after an exercise. Studies show that a diet higher in fat and low in carbs can perform much more efficiently than a high carb diet in muscle building and testosterone levels. So the ketogenic diet low in carbs and higher in fats is best for the potential sustainability of testosterone in the body.
Keto Diet Raises Testosterone Levels
The ketogenic diet can cut the fat mass from the body and causes an increase in the levels of testosterone in the body. Studies show that a low-carb diet(keto diet) can increase 118 nanograms per deciliter of testosterone levels within 11 weeks. The actual cause of this increase is cholesterol levels. The higher cholesterol causes a higher production of testosterone. The ketogenic diet high in fats also has significantly high levels of cholesterol. This ketogenic diet also helps in reducing the overall body weight which is also important for sustaining testosterone levels. An obese person is having trouble increasing the level of testosterone in the body. So the ketogenic diet also reduces weight and improves the overall health of a person. The ketogenic diet improves a person’s lifestyle factors. It helps in improving the sleep cycle and stress reduction. These factors also help in testosterone production and testosterone levels in the body.
The Final Word
• Testosterone helps you build muscle.
• Testosterone helps in the growth of bones
• Testosterone helps in burning fats in the body.
• Testosterone helps in boosting the RBC levels in the blood.
• Low testosterone (often due to ageing) presents as brittle bones, muscle loss, low sex drive, and fat gain.
• Testosterone can be measured in blood, saliva, or urine.
• Sleep and exercise help boost testosterone in the body.
• Calorie restriction for a long time lowers testosterone.
• A calorie restriction for a healthy weight loss helps to boost testosterone.
• A keto diet has been shown to increase testosterone levels more than a high-carb diet.
• High-fat diets are rich in cholesterol, the building block of testosterone.
The ketogenic diet plays an important role in the levels of testosterone in the body. It helps in preventing the low level of testosterone.
For self-measurement of blood glucose, ForaCare offers comprehensive diabetes self-care solutions. Among which is the FORA 6 series. The FORA 6 series is equipped with our revolutionary System In a Chip technology, which allows the measurement of multiple parameters in a single device. Thus giving you access to all the information you need to make the right medical decisions.
References
• Circulating Testosterone as the Hormonal Basis of Sex Differences in Athletic Performance, Endocrine Reviews
• Testosterone therapy in women: myths and misconceptions, Maturitas
• Physiology, Testosterone, StatPearls
• Testosterone therapy increased muscle mass and lipid oxidation in ageing men, Age
• Validation of salivary testosterone as a screening test for male hypogonadism, The Aging Male
• Screening for testosterone abuse in male athletes using the measurement of urinary LH, a revision of the paradigm, Drug Test Anal
• Effect of 1 week of sleep restriction on testosterone levels in young healthy men, JAMA
• Effects of heavy-resistance training on hormonal response patterns in younger vs. older men, Journal of Applied Physiology
• HIIT produces increases in muscle power and free testosterone in male masters athletes, Endocrine Connections
• Long-term effects of calorie restriction on serum sex-hormone concentrations in men, Aging Cell
• Effects of a low-energy diet on sexual function and lower urinary tract symptoms in obese men, International Journal of Obesity