Effects of Meditation on Testosterone Levels: Any Proven Benefits?

08 Jan Effects of Meditation on Testosterone Levels: Any Proven Benefits?

Meditation or the synchronization between your mind and body is known for a fast wipe-out for stress.

But recent studies find the century’s old practice useful in balancing hormones too.

But while there are certifying studies that claim meditation regulates stress hormones, no such direct link has been established for meditation and testosterone.

While some studies claim meditation affects the T-levels indirectly, some studies claim no connection between the two.

Amidst the ongoing debate on whether meditation can be a useful tool for naturally increasing testosterone, we bring you extensively researched data for the same.

Does Meditation Increase Testosterone? Effects on Hormones

Meditation affects both your emotional and physical well-being. It has many benefits and is often helpful in medical conditions too.

Though these benefits don’t regulate testosterone production or inhibit its decline directly, the consequential effects of these benefits on our body have a connection with declining testosterone.

Here is how meditation can help combat your testosterone deficiency.

#1. Meditation Increases the DHEA levels (The Precursor of Testosterone)

With advancing age, your DHEA levels start dropping.

Since DHEA is a precursor to testosterone secretion, declining levels even affect testosterone synthesis resulting in testosterone deficiency.

In such cases, you can use DHEA supplements, but oral ingestion of DHEA converts into DHT and not testosterone.

According to studies, meditation works as the best alternative for natural DHEA production in our bodies.

Clinical Evidence

The study was conducted over 270 men and 153 women experienced in Transcendental meditation to explore the effects of the meditation on DHEA levels.

Levels of serum DHEA in these participants were compared, according to sex, with 799 males and 453 female non-meditators.

According to the results:

Mean DHEA measures at serum levels were found to be higher in all 11 age groups of women and 6 of 7 men in the group experienced in meditation.

This study demonstrated that meditation can reduce the declining levels of DHEA.

#2. Meditation Enhances Sleep Quality and Promotes Testosterone Secretion

According to many studies conducted over the relationship between sleep and testosterone:

• The majority of the daily testosterone release in men occurs when they are in deep sleep.
• According to the age factor, morning testosterone levels among older men depend on their sleep schedule.

Interestingly, some reports have also suggested that fragmented sleep or sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea can reduce testosterone levels.

Studies say that meditation helps improve sleep quality by improving serum melatonin levels.

Since melatonin levels control your sleep cycle, higher melatonin ensures healthy sleep, further influencing more testosterone release.

Clinical Evidence

A study included over 27 male advanced meditators. Their plasma concentrations for melatonin and serotonin were measured before and after one hour of meditation.

There was a comparison of these results with 29 other participants who took rest during the meditation period of the first group.

According to the results, advanced meditators showed a higher concentration of melatonin.

So, does meditation cure insomnia-induced testosterone decrease too?

A study contradicts meditation being an effective cure for sleep disorders as the results of that study stood at zero in front of evidence-based sleep treatments.

However, the efficacy of meditation in improving sleep quality, in general, cannot be denied. Hence, proving it to be a great way to encourage nighttime testosterone secretion.

#3. Meditation Lowers Cortisol Levels That Halts Testosterone Depletion

According to studies, high levels of stress hormones can cause impotence and erectile dysfunction by inhibiting the production of testosterone.

Meditation helps reduce cortisol levels and reduce your stress levels.

Hence, it indirectly prevents the blockage of testosterone and increases the level of free serum testosterone in your body.

Clinical Evidence

A random assignment study measured changes in baseline levels and acute response to laboratory stressors for four hormones, GH, testosterone, cortisol, and TSH.

The study went on for over 4 months in two groups. 

The first group practiced transcendental meditation, and another group belonged to stress education control conditions.

According to the results:

• There was a reduction in cortisol levels 
• Increase in testosterone levels
• Boost in GH group

#4. Meditation Helps in Managing Weight 

A study conducted over 900 men with prediabetes found that overweight men tend to have lower testosterone levels.

So, weight loss can help to reduce the prevalence of low testosterone levels in overweight middle-aged men. 

Meditation is helpful in fastening the results of weight loss programs as it helps in controlling your diet, portion, and even binge eating habits.

Clinical Evidence

Quasi-experimental research was done on over 60 individuals who had a BMI of more than 30. 

Four groups were divided, out of these some were control groups and others were groups that went to mindfulness or meditation training.

The results showed that mindfulness training or meditation accompanied diet resulted in weight loss in obese participants.

However, there are mixed opinions about certain effects of meditation that help boost testosterone.

Types of Meditation That Increase Testosterone – Try These for Results

Mindful meditation is quite popular, especially in the West. Buddhist monks discovered this practice, which works by keeping your mind in the present movement.

Studies have shown that people who practice this meditation generally have less stress in comparison to normal people. The decrease in stress levels means a reduction in cortisol hormone, which is linked to increased levels of testosterone.

Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental Meditation is one of the most underrated types of meditation. The practice is not known to many people, despite the benefits of Transcendental Meditation.

A study published in Psychoneuroendocrinology suggests that the Transcendental Meditation technique can alter testosterone levels positively. In this particular meditation type, you sit quietly with your eyes closed and chant a mantra in your head for at least 20 minutes. It brings your body to a restful alertness.

Meditative Body Movement

While tai chi is not exactly meditation, it does center around a meditative focus that brings your senses to the present moment. Tai chi is also used to improve male sexual health. While there are no scientific studies about how it affects testosterone directly, tai chi is proven to have benefits for secretion of steroid that usually gets affected as you age.

However, research published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine suggests that tai chi qigong is beneficial for steroid secretion patterns, and testosterone hormone is also a steroid. And according to this study, all you gotta do for these effects is include tai chi in your routine at least 4 times a week.

Taking this study into consideration, we can say that Tai Chi may help improve testosterone.

Study Contradicting the Effects of Meditation on Testosterone

Three groups of normal young adults were studied to assess the effects of transcendental meditation on cortisol and testosterone levels.

Firstly, these groups were control groups. 

Later, they were observed after 3 to 4 months of practicing meditation compared with long-term meditation practitioners.

According to the results, there was a significant decrease in cortisol levels for long-term practitioners, but there was no increase in testosterone.

Nonetheless, many other benefits of meditation do have a link with testosterone increase, and hence, you might want to try out the following method of meditation.

How To Meditate? Meditation Guide For Beginners

Meditation is a simple process that anyone can do anywhere they want to.

Here are a few steps that you can follow for a perfect and beneficial meditation:

• Find a place with peaceful surroundings for better focus and concentration.
• When starting meditation for the first time, fix a time limit. Keep it short like for 5 to 10 minutes. Gradually, as you practice meditation for a longer time, you can increase the time.
• Sit in a comfortable position either in a chair or on the floor cross-legged. You can even kneel as per your comfort. Make sure you sit in a way that you can stay in for a while.
• Focus on your breathing, as you inhale and exhale.
• Your attention might distract from your breathing. Once you notice that your mind is wandering off, bring back your focus on your breathing.
• Gently lift your gaze and notice the sounds around your environment once you complete the session.

For making your practice better, you can even use different focal points than your breathing.

Apart from mindfulness practices, you can even try the following methods to increase your testosterone levels.

Precautions While Meditating

Meditation has a positive image in all of our minds as it is full of health benefits. But it can also harm you if you don’t take precautions.

Start slowly and gradually increase the intensity and time as you get experienced in it. Also, when possible, take advice from experts because different types of meditation work may affect your body differently. It is also suggested not to meditate while using heavy machinery as it can harm your health.

How to Increase Testosterone Naturally?

Consistent yoga practices focused on breathing, core exercises, and some other lifestyle changes can help boost testosterone naturally.

Here are some of the proven ways that help restore healthy testosterone in your body:

#1. Exercises and Lifting Weights

Resistance training is the best exercise for boosting testosterone for both the short term and long term.

You can even try high-intensity interval training for the same.

#2. Adding Proteins, Carbs, and Fats to Your Diet

Proteins help in losing weight, which further helps in boosting testosterone.

According to studies, adding carbs to your diet helps optimize testosterone levels during resistance training.

Choose foods based on whole grains with healthy nutrients for better testosterone release.

#3. Take Ice Cold or Cold Showers

According to studies, taking cold showers improves blood flow, enhances metabolism, and even helps in balancing your hormones.

• Eat Brazilian nuts: Take 3 Brazilian nuts in the morning and 3 in the evening. Their high content of selenium has the potential to boost testosterone. 
• Limit sugar consumption: Avoid artificial sugar as much as you can. They increase your blood sugar levels to a large extent. This results in higher secretion of insulin, which causes a decline in testosterone levels.
• Get 8 hours of quality sleep: An adequate amount of sleep helps increase the daily release of testosterone.
• Minimize alcohol intake: Alcohol lowers your testosterone level by hindering many sexual functions.

Well, now you have some handy tips at your disposal to increase testosterone all naturally. 

Don’t think twice and get down on your mat. A little session of meditation is not going to harm you, anyways.

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The Takeaway

Meditation has been linked with a better physical and mental balance for quite a long time now.

But the number of studies available that link it with testosterone surge is quite limited.

However…

According to some studies, the hormones released during meditation like GH, TSH, dopamine hormone, and even DHEA are responsible for their indirect influence on testosterone.

While other studies also link transcendental meditation and cortisol levels stating that meditation can reduce stress-induced testosterone decline.

Amidst all these studies, what we find is that meditation does support emotional well-being and, hence, could be vital for your hormonal balance.

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