Nutrition and Wellness

What You Need to Increase Testosterone Production

January 08, 2025 5 min read

Did you know athletes who don’t prioritize testosterone production are at higher risk of injuries, as low levels can slow muscle recovery and lead to increased fatigue and soreness.

Testosterone is the battering ram of athletic performance. It’s the hormone that fuels strength, endurance, and even your competitive drive. With that in mind, why wouldn’t you want to optimize its production to the fullest extent?

The main testosterone boosters come down to six pillars: diet, exercise, sleep, sun exposure, competition, and micronutrient balance. In this post, I’ll walk you through the steps you need to take to ensure your testosterone levels are firing on all cylinders.

Diet

When it comes to boosting testosterone through diet, focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods rich in key vitamins and minerals.

You should prioritize lean proteins like chicken, fish, and eggs, which provide the building blocks for muscle growth. Healthy fats from sources like avocados, olive oil, and nuts are essential for hormone production, including testosterone.

Additionally, complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, oats, and quinoa will give you steady energy for workouts without causing insulin spikes, which can negatively affect testosterone levels.

Don’t forget about micronutrients—zinc and magnesium are particularly important for testosterone production.

You can find zinc in foods like red meat, shellfish, and seeds, while magnesium is abundant in leafy greens, nuts, and whole grains. Incorporating these foods into your daily meals will help optimize your body's natural testosterone production.

Exercise

To increase testosterone, your exercise routine should include both strength training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

Compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses are particularly effective at boosting testosterone levels due to the large muscle groups they engage. Incorporate heavy lifting sessions 3-4 times a week to stimulate muscle growth and elevate your hormone levels naturally.

For those practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, integrating strength training can improve your grappling power, explosiveness, and endurance on the mats. BJJ itself acts as a testosterone booster, thanks to its competitive nature and physical intensity.

Sparring and rolling mimic high-intensity intervals, which help keep your hormone levels optimized while honing your skills. Combining strength training with BJJ will give you the best of both worlds—improving performance and supporting your testosterone production.

Sleep

Sleep is crucial for testosterone production, as your body releases the most testosterone during deep sleep. Aim for 7-9 hours of uninterrupted rest each night to ensure optimal recovery and hormone levels. Lack of sleep can lead to lower testosterone, affecting muscle recovery, energy, and performance.

Sun exposure

Sun exposure plays a significant role in boosting testosterone levels, primarily through the production of vitamin D. When your skin is exposed to sunlight, it synthesizes vitamin D, which has been linked to higher testosterone levels.

Aim for at least 15-30 minutes of sunlight exposure several times a week, depending on your skin type and local climate.

If sunlight exposure is limited, consider supplementing with vitamin D to maintain healthy testosterone levels and support your overall athletic performance.

To learn more about vitamin D, click here to read our guide.

Competition

Competition is a powerful driver for boosting testosterone levels. The excitement and adrenaline that come with competing trigger a surge in testosterone production, enhancing your physical performance and focus during matches.

For Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes, tournaments not only challenge your skills but also push you to grow mentally and physically.

Embracing competition can unlock your full potential and increase motivation in training, creating a positive cycle that supports higher testosterone levels and overall athletic performance.

Micronutrient Balance

Micronutrient balance is crucial for optimizing testosterone production, with vitamins and minerals like zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D playing key roles.

Zinc is particularly important for hormone synthesis, while magnesium aids in muscle recovery and energy levels.

To maintain adequate levels of these nutrients, focus on a diverse diet rich in whole foods, such as leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and lean proteins.

By ensuring a proper micronutrient balance, you’ll support not only testosterone production but also your overall health and athletic performance.

Conclusion

Optimizing testosterone production is essential for enhancing athletic performance, especially for BJJ practitioners.

By focusing on key areas such as diet, exercise, sleep, sun exposure, competition, and micronutrient balance, you can create a holistic approach to support your hormone levels.

A nutrient-rich diet, combined with regular training, quality sleep, and healthy sunlight exposure, will lay a solid foundation for your performance.

Embracing competition can further stimulate testosterone production, driving motivation and progress.

By prioritizing these factors, you'll not only boost your testosterone but also improve your overall health and resilience on and off the mats.

Sources:

Cleveland Clinic

FAQ

Porrada is a Portuguese term commonly used in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Brazilian culture to describe a tough, intense, and gritty style of training or fighting. The direct translation of porrada from Portuguese to English is "beating" or "brawl." It embodies the spirit of going all out, giving your maximum effort, and pushing through challenges. In BJJ, practicing porrada means training with high intensity and determination.

This website is a collection of resources curated by grapplers, for grapplers. Our goal is to provide you with all the information you need to succeed. Whether you want to learn about nutrition, training on the mats, lifting, or anything in between, we are here for you. We want to see you on the podium most of all, and we hope to help you do exactly that. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot us an email or DM us on any of our social profiles!

There are two main ways you can get started with training: 1) You can find a BJJ gym near you and do a trial day, or 2) you can create your own mini home gym and start training with friends. Option #2 is how our team at Porrada got started! We ordered 1-inch thick puzzle mats in a 10’x10’ square and began training using online resources. If you do start with the second option, we recommend eventually finding a gym down the road in your career. It will help you by allowing you to roll with more people and receive high-level instruction.

BJJ is quite similar to wrestling. Both start standing and use takedowns as a method to score points. Both use very similar mechanics overall. The main differences are that there are no pins (you can be on your back in Jiu-Jitsu), BJJ involves submissions, and the points system for each is very different. BJJ grants points for takedowns/sweeps, back control, mount, guard passes, and knee on belly. Wrestling grants points for takedowns, escapes, and back points (back exposure for freestyle).

BJJ is a very unique sport in many ways. There are so many incredible benefits to training Jiu-Jitsu. The biggest reasons we advocate for it are the mindset training and the added ability to defend yourself. In BJJ, you are forced to humble yourself over and over again, every single day. This sport is a great way to mature rapidly and generally become a better person (in our opinion). You will also have a better ability to defend yourself than 99% of the population—a pretty big bonus.

You’re never too old to start training! We see people on the mats of all ages and sizes. Large and small, old and young can, and should, train BJJ. If you are on the older side, it is perfectly acceptable to take it slow and learn at your own pace. You don’t always have to go full speed—don’t worry. There are typically also classes that separate people by goals. Certain classes are for those who want to compete, some are for general instruction, and some are specifically for self-defense teachings. There is a place for everyone on the mats.