Carbs Boost Testosterone, Muscle, & Strength !!
Low-carb diets are CRUSHING men’s free and total testosterone levels, and the evidence behind this is mounting (S, S, S, S, S, S).
The sad reality is that most men who lift and train hard are STILL not eating enough carbohydrates. By now, most men know the importance of fats (and moderate amounts of protein) for Testosterone production (S, S, S, S, S), but the importance of carbohydrates when it comes to boosting net androgen status still goes unnoticed.
Some negative consequences of eating a low-carb diet can include:
high cortisol levels
slower metabolism (low Thyroid hormones)
higher T3 to reverse T3 conversion (again, bad for metabolism)
slow glycogen replenishment
low IGF-1 levels
low free testosterone levels (from higher SHBG levels)
low DHT levels (the most masculine and androgenic hormone)
higher muscle protein breakdown
poor performance in the gym
poor performance in athletic or high intensity activities
low energy
micronutrient deficiencies (especially boron, magnesium, vitamin C, and potassium)
high inflammation (most antioxidant-dense foods are carb sources)
poor sleep
flat muscles (the “flat” look since carbs pull water into muscle cells)
low Testosterone to cortisol ratio
low dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA-S) levels
and more.
These negative effects are further exaggerated the harder a person trains, since intense training drastically depletes glycogen stores and increases the brain and body’s demand for readily available glucose.
This is why people on a low-carb diet AND who train hard have astronomically elevated cortisol levels (the stress hormone), and a reduced testosterone to cortisol (T/C) ratio, since the body has to pump out excess cortisol in order to meet the high glucose demand.
The result? a lot of your hard earned muscle (or your expensive dietary protein) gets broken down and converted to glucose, and a lot of the cholesterol and pregnenolone that was supposed to be used for testosterone production gets wasted on cortisol production instead.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some benefits to a keto, carnivore, or low-carb diet, but only in specific cases (ie: person is extremely obese, insulin resistant, or has trouble controlling their appetite etc.).
Outside of those cases, most people who train hard will benefit substantially more from a high carbohydrate diet than a low-carb diet.
Just make sure to get the majority of your carbs from healthy nutrient-dense sources (such as fruits, nuts, potatoes, beans, quinoa, sweet potatoes, plantains, honey etc.), and to avoid piling on carbs on your sedentary days or on the days that you’re less active (else that will just eventually lead to insulin resistance and fat storage in the long run, which can lead to low testosterone since body fat is full of the estrogen producing aromatase enzyme).
Also, save the bulk of your “simple carb” sources for intra or post-workout window, to facilitate rapid glycogen replenishment.
To conclude, if you train hard (like any man should) and your goal is to maximize testosterone production, muscle mass, strength, recovery, metabolism, and to reduce cortisol levels, eat a high carbohydrate diet consisting of roughly 50 to 60% (no less than 40%) of your calories from nutrient-dense carbs, especially around training days. So for a 2500 calorie diet, this consists of roughly 312 to 375 grams of carbohydrates a day (and no less than 250 grams of carbs).
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