What Is the Link Between Intermittent Fasting and Testosterone?
Research on the link between intermittent fasting and testosterone has grown over the years. But what is intermittent fasting? Intermittent fasting is the process of going without food, or fasting, for large portions of the day. Contrary to the typical three-square-meals approach, intermittent fasting condenses a whole day of eating into a shortened period of time.
Other forms of intermittent fasting include fasting for an entire day, then eating the next. Or, eating very low calorie, 500 or less, two days out of the week. The most common type of intermittent fasting allows you to eat every day, though. Many people follow a 16-8 or 20-4 rule, meaning they do not eat for 16-20 hours and then eat during an 8 or 4-hour window. While this may seem extreme at first, your body will adapt to it over time. What are the benefits of intermittent fasting, though?
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
One of the biggest questions surrounding intermittent fasting is, does intermittent fasting increase testosterone? The quick answer, it does. But that’s just one benefit of intermittent fasting. The complete list of benefits include:
- Improved testosterone levels
- Weight loss
- Mental clarity
- Muscle gain
- Improved insulin sensitivity
So what is the link between fasting and testosterone? Well, this article from Science Direct explains that intermittent fasting can increase testosterone. Specifically, the study showed that alternate day fasting, meaning eating every other day, boosted testosterone.
The study also found that fasting improves erectile function. More specifically, the study, which explored men’s dietary habits and erectile function, discovered that eating organic foods and implementing intermittent fasting best improved erectile function.
How Does Fasting Affect Testosterone?
You might be wondering, what does fasting do to testosterone? Well, studies have shown that testosterone will increase during periods of intermittent fasting, especially when fasting every other day. This style of intermittent fasting is called alternate day fasting.
Does Testosterone Make You Lose Weight Faster?
Intermittent fasting can be a great way to lose weight. Because you’re eating for fewer hours of the day it can be harder to over eat. Increasing testosterone has also been shown to help with weight loss. This is especially true for men over 40 who have less testosterone than younger men. Because intermittent fasting and testosterone levels are linked, you can potentially lose weight both from fasting and from an increase in testosterone. Considering that maintaining a healthy weight has benefits to erectile function, intermittent fasting can help boost erectile function through increased testosterone and weight loss.
Some people may have concerns that intermittent fasting lowers testosterone. After reviewing the available research, though, this is not something that is often cited.
How Much Weight Can You Lose on Testosterone?
The great thing is, there is really no limit. Of course, testosterone alone is not going to cause you to lose weight. Scientifically, in order to lose weight you’ll need to consume fewer calories than you burn in a day. This can be achieved by restricting the calories you eat, or increasing the calories you burn through exercise. One of the benefits of intermittent fasting is many people consume fewer overall calories which really helps with weight loss.
That said, eating healthy, whole, organic foods while intermittent fasting and supplementing with testosterone is a loaded deck for weight loss and healthier living. Try African Fly today!