Tongkat Ali: the Secret Testosterone Booster for Bodybuilders

Testosterone causes the loss of body fat since it is anabolic in both men and women. Having low levels of testosterone can oftentimes cause an increase in body fat and possibly lead to obesity.  Testosterone supplements are often linked to healthier and fit bodies and that is so considering its vital role in bodybuilding. More fat in the body causes the body to have more estrogen. Estrogen is necessary for the body but the excess of it causes more fat accumulation and diminishes the level of testosterone, which then causes a domino effect especially in men. That is why if you are a bodybuilder or into training, it is imperative to maintain your testosterone level.

Testosterone is an extremely vital hormone in the body. Its role can range from affecting a person’s mood and even dictating the shape of a person’s body. Lack of testosterone can lead to irritability, provoking scenarios, self-esteem issues, and in most cases, depression. There are several studies but none are pronounced enough as the basis. Medical science is often skeptical about pronouncing their conclusiveness of a hormone.

However, if pragmatic observation and even several unrecognized but quite reliable researchers show low testosterone has been strongly linked to depression, low sex drive, and decreased body. Low energy, also caused by low testosterone, can be a catalyst to a spiral towards depression. The compounded effects of the various symptoms of hypogonadism such as low energy leading to less determination, to exercise, low self-esteem, sexual dysfunction, increase in body fat and a decrease in muscle mass can all drastically amplify inactivity. So when you are a bodybuilder, testosterone is crucial not only in balancing the fat-muscle ratio in the body but also in maintaining your energy levels.

No man wants to be depleted of energy after a body building session. The goal of bodybuilding is not only to boost muscle mass but to attain overall health, endurance, improve sex drive, lose fat, and gain more muscles. Changes in lifestyle, diet, and supplements that boost testosterone can promote overall well-being and support body builders.

Testosterone Builds and Binds the Body Together

Lack of muscle mass may be caused by low levels of testosterone in the body. The majority of older people tend to slouch and the older we get, our posture becomes far from what it once was. You need testosterone to build your muscles. Age-related respiratory illnesses can be caused by difficulty in breathing because of the weak muscle around the respiratory area of the body. Loss of muscle mass, looking round in the center, and looking frail are symptoms of low testosterone. Our arms, legs, and the whole of our bodies are made of several different organs and muscles that need testosterone to build up its mass. Without it, we grow fragile and weak.

Testosterone builds cartilage, connective tissues, and aids in collagen production. It generally keeps everything in the body together. The less you have it, the faster your body falls apart. This leads us to recognize the role of testosterone in bodybuilding; not only does it help you have that endurance to perform the workout session but it is also a part of the intricate build up of our bodies and muscles.

The Benefits of Increasing Testosterone Levels in Your Body

It is easy to remember the most common benefits of testosterone but let us recall them one by one in order for us to be reminded of why sufficient levels are necessary.

Stronger Bones

Testosterone is famous for its reputation when it comes to male health. Little do most of us know that it plays a huge role in our skeletal health. Testosterone plays a huge role in bone mineral density, which decreases as men age, the same way testosterone levels drop. This increases the risk of having brittle bones and osteoporosis. Our bones are important not only to provide our body a framework but also to support and protect the muscles and internal organs.  

Research and clinical trials have found that bone density increases as when testosterone increases. Clinical trials also found the correlation between the effect of testosterone on bone density increase in the hip bone and the spine.

Reduced Facial Fat

Testosterone levels can be a determining factor on how angular and chiseled a face looks like. Testosterone levels affect your bone structure as well and make the facial muscles more prominent on both men and women.

Thus, you may notice some women who are fashionable have well chiselled jawlines as is mostly prevalent in the fashion industry. This chiselled face appearance can be attributed to the ability of testosterone to control the distribution of facial fat.

Increased Metabolic Rate

Men who have higher levels of testosterone can eat more food without worrying about the additional weight. The reason for this lies in the ability of testosterone to directly inhibit the formation of new fat cells and in fact, burns more fat, which is also why men with more testosterone tend to have higher appetites without gaining body fat.

Another reason for this is the ability of testosterone to increase the basal metabolism rate. So if you wonder why some men eat like there was no tomorrow and gain no weight, you will know the reason.

Improved Blood Flow

Proper blood circulation is an important aspect of health. Blood circulation affects mental health, sexual health, metabolism, digestion, immune response, erectile function, cardiovascular health, and energy levels. Testosterone improves blood flow by increasing the production of nitric oxide, which is responsible for widening and relaxing blood vessels and artery, paving the way for the blood to flow properly and function rightly as it should.

This means, too, that since testosterone affects cardiovascular health and all other aspects of health that get affected with it, it is marginally unhealthy to have clinically low levels of testosterone.

Improved Coronary Health

The heart functions by pumping blood to the rest of the body in order to provide the nutrients and the oxygen for all the organs and cells to survive and perform. Testosterone helps produce red blood cells through the bone marrow and lowers the risk to a variety of cardiovascular conditions.

A certain study in the early 2000s found that there was an improvement in the walking distance by 33 percent in men with heart diseases who increased their levels of testosterone.

Improves and Maintains Brain Health

Testosterone exhibited effectiveness in reducing the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. There is also a strong correlation between testosterone and cognitive function such as verbal memory, information processing speed, and spatial memory.

This can be due to the fact that testosterone improves cardiovascular function, allowing the brain to get enough nutrients and oxygen for a better plasticity.

Increased Libido

The increase of libido caused by the increase in testosterone is almost an obvious given. Testosterone levels naturally rise as a natural response to sexual activity but the reverse is also true – natural sexual responsiveness rise as a result of increased testosterone levels.

This goes to show that the more testosterone you have, the higher your libido levels become. However, older men need more testosterone since it dwindles over time; this justifies why when a man gets older, his erectile function declined.

Better Mood and a Happier State of Mind

This is not intended to sugar coat everything you have read about testosterone. Certainly, life can be amazing in many aspects. However, in the aspect of masculinity, lower levels of testosterone have been associated to decrease the quality of life. Among the symptoms of low testosterone levels are depression, fatigue, irritability, and mood swings.

Testosterone is the Fountain of Male Strength

Testosterone is the fountain of physical rigor and strength. Since muscles, cartilages, bones, and organs are affected positively by testosterone; the consequence of having enough or more of it will lead to physical strength. It goes to show that if the body is built up well inside, it can handle obstacles and strenuous activities that require more energy. If the muscles are weak, one cannot carry heavy stuff. That is the simplest logic to it.

Bodybuilders, as well as health advocates, are gradually turning to testosterone to battle the causes of body deterioration and to aid them in faster recovery from their training. In fact, testosterone should not have been considered as a  secondary factor to the improvement of strength or bodybuilding. It should be considered as one of the root causes of the presence or lack thereof.

However, daily habits or measures may sometimes be inadequate to boost the body’s testosterone levels. This is where supplementation of nature’s wonders can help you.

Tongkat Ali for Bodybuilders

Eurycoma Longifolia Jack, commonly known as Tongkat Ali, is found in the tropical rainforests of Indonesia and has gained popularity due to its ability to naturally increase the body's production of testosterone. Tongkat Ali helps you improve your sex drive, potency, muscle mass and strength, and bone mass. Due to its properties, Tongkat Ali is also used to boost athletic performance, physical strength, and promote fat loss. In short, testosterone is extremely vital in maintaining the well-being and masculinity of a man.

Tongkat Ali is known as a tried-and-tested natural testosterone booster in several countries and cultures. Bodybuilders have recently resorted to Tongkat Ali to increase testosterone production. Testosterone can help improve the ratio of fat to lean muscle mass in men. Tongkat Ali extract is also used by bodybuilders due to its ability to increase muscle mass because of its anabolic properties. It is often used as a natural supplement alternative to steroids in the hopes of improving lean muscle mass. And like most natural products, it does not have side-effects compared to steroids. It is often used to boost stamina, endurance, and energy levels which help improve the workout performance among body builders.

How Tongkat Ali Works

Tongkat Ali increases testosterone by beginning to stimulate the secretion of Luteinizing Hormones (LH). After that, it stimulates the Leydig cells of your testicles to produce testosterone. As a result of the increase of testosterone, it then reduces the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in a process called aromatization. Another result of this play of internal events inside the body is the decrease of the sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) resulting in an increase in free testosterone.

The best thing about how Tongkat Ali works, aside from its effectiveness in bodybuilding and male health, is that it does not have the side-effects of synthetic drugs and testosterone replacement therapy. There is a huge difference when you opt for Tongkat Ali and testosterone replacement therapy. The body’s initial reaction to artificial testosterone replacement may be too sudden and may seem fascinating but then, this is not your body doing it. The big difference is how it works. Tongkat Ali increases testosterone by essentially letting the body produce testosterone naturally on its own. This means, there is no addictive drug involved that may cause adverse effects.

So when you are thinking of taking that steroid or that synthetic pill, think again. Tongkat Ali may be nature’s secret and answer to your bodybuilding needs.

References:

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Source Naturals Tongkat Ali at Bodybuilding.com. (2017). [online] Bodybuilding.com. Available at: http://ph.bodybuilding.com/store/source/tongkat-ali.html?_requestid=487617 [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017].

Tongkat Ali for Bodybuilding, Muscle Growth and Athletic Performance. (2017). [online] Nootriment - Health Supplement Reviews and Research. Available at: https://nootriment.com/tongkat-ali-bodybuilding/ [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017].

Three Muscle-Building Supplements You've Never Heard Of. (2017). [online] Men's Fitness. Available at: http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/supplements/three-muscle-building-supplements-youve-never-heard [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017].

Healthline. (2017). How Testosterone Benefits Your Body. [online] Available at: http://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-testosterone#benefits2 [Accessed 24 Apr. 2017].