Testosterone booster and optimizer support Supplements at our Columbus OH store -

The entry above sums up most of what I have read about boosting testosterone without supplements. Here is some more info:

Testosterone is a powerful anabolic hormone that stimulates and controls the development of different organs such as muscle, bone, skin, sex organs, and most other masculine, physical features. Male testosterone is produced in the testes by a group of cells known as the Leydig cells. They begin secreting high doses of testosterone during puberty to trigger increased lean muscle mass, sex organ development, bone formation and higher energy levels. Testosterone levels peak during a man's early to mid twenties.
Luteninizing hormone gradually slows down and diminishes as we age. Tribulus terrestris can naturally boost levels of LH -- the increased LH then leads to more healthy testosterone production once again. Zinc and magnesium also help maintain testosterone levels (ZMA).

from Mike Mahler - andropause is considered normal for men in their fifties. The essential factor in optimizing hormones is your ability to handle stress. the stress hormone, cortisol, must be within reasonable range to optimize your hormones and thus feel great. Too much cortisol cannibalizes the sex hormones, such as pregnenelone, and in turn DHEA, androstendione, and finally, testosterone.

Another critical component in natural hormone optimization is maintaining insulin levels within ideal ranges. Insulin levels within the optimal range are balanced with the hormone glucagon. Protein provides the body what it needs to make glucagon, so a simple rule of thumb is to eat protein and carbs at every meal.
The fatter you are, the more estrogen receptors you'll have, which reduces the cellular access to testosterone. This is why you can't utilize extra testosterone, no matter how much you are making (or supplementing) if insulin is not properly managed.
Don't let your cholesterol get below 180. The body stops making hormones then. IGF 1 is a wonderful anti aging, muscle-sustaining hormone that gets low with high stress levels.

from Sean Nalewanyj - Quite simply, testosterone is the most important muscle-building hormone in your body and is one of the limiting factors that determines how much muscle a person can build.
First, the brain releases a substance called Luteinizing Hormone, LH basically �tells� the body to start producing testosterone. Once this occurs, the adrenal glands release DHEA into the bloodstream. LH and DHEA then travel together to the testes where testosterone production begins. Testosterone can now be released into the bloodstream.
Do compound exercises with intensity, train legs hard, increase Essential Fatty Acids, limit soy and alcohol, increase broccoli & cauliflower, lower stress and get more sleep.

from Tom Incledon - So, what is the best type of diet to follow if your only concern is to increase T levels and make more of it available to the body for the purpose of improving lean body mass and/or performance? It would seem that CHO intake must exceed PRO intake by at least 40% to keep the bioactive fraction of T high.
Fat intake should be at least 30%, saturated fat needs to be higher than PUFA, and fiber intake needs to be low. A sample diet would have roughly the following calorie breakdown: 55% CHO, 15% PRO and 30% fat.

Most prohormones that were available through 2009 are now classified as steroids by the Drug Enforcement Administration effective January 4, 2010 as detailed here. These include:
Boldione ( Androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione)
desoxymethyltestosterone (17[alpha]-Methyl-5[alpha]-androst-2-en-17[beta]-ol) and (madol)
19-nor-4,9(10)-androstadienedione (19-Norandrosta-4,9(10)-diene-3,17-dione; and estra-4,9(10)-diene-3,17-dione)

The DEA uses this criteria - "a drug or hormonal substance as an anabolic steroid if the following four criteria are met: (A) The substance is chemically related to testosterone; (B) the substance is pharmacologically related to testosterone; (C) the substance is not an estrogen, progestin, or a corticosteroid; and (D) the substance is not dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)."
Anabolic Steroids (hormones) are generally a synthetic form of testosterone, which is why they are effective at boosting muscle and strength. Pro-hormones are generally a few steps removed from the actual testosterone hormone and require a few processing steps in your body to convert to testosterone. Test-Boosters generally cannot convert into testosterone - their purpose is to set the conditions for your body to use more of your own testosterone by optimizing your body's testosterone receptors, minimizing the estrogen receptors, reduce the aromatizing of testosterone into estrogen, or by some similar action.
This is the best summary that I can come up with after reading through a lot of information. You really need to read up on this yourself and know what you are doing if you use these test-booster supplements Click on any product above and read all of the information Do NOT buy these test boosters if your are under 21.

from Dave Draper's site - Fat cells, especially in the abdominal region, produce aromatase enzyme, which converts testosterone into estrogen. More estrogen causes more body fat, which produces more aromatase enzyme. If the aromatase enzyme is not inhibited, more testosterone may just convert into more estrogen. There is much more information in this article.....

Muscle Gain is not a simple matter of boosting testosterone as high as possible because the aromatase enzyme can convert excess test into estrogen - they are structurally very similar. High estrogen levels in your blood increases SHBG which reduces free testosterone. Too much unbalanced test can also elevate DHT which causes hair loss. That's why it is important to understand what you are taking.
Testosterone and estrogen are both necessary in the appropriate balance in both men and women, produced through a complicated series of steps, and simplified as follows.
Testosterone is both an anabolic (increases muscle tissue) and androgenic (stimulate secondary sex characteristics) steroid hormone.
First, Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's) must be available in your body to provide the cholesterol used in the production of base hormone de-hydro-epi-androsterone DHEA by the adrenal glands. This DHEA raw material will convert into male (androgen) and female (estrogen) hormones.
The adrenals also manufacture cortisol, which is in direct competition with DHEA for production. When cortisol is high for prolonged periods, your adrenals can wear out, and DHEA production will drop.

HPTA (Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Testes-Axis)
The conversion process begins in the brain at the site of the hypothalamus, which releases gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH), which travels directly to the anterior pituitary gland where it stimulates luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) release into the blood stream. The LH and FSL these reach the gonads (testes) and stimualte the Leydig cells to produce testosterone from DHEA.
Tribullus and other natural herbs can stimulate the release of lutenizing hormone to start this process, producing more test and estrogen in a normal balance. Adolesence and puberty does the same thing.
When testosterone is boosted above the normal test/estrogen ratio, the excess testosterone can aromatize or spill-over into estrogen as the body tries to restore balance. D-aspartic acid might do this to some degree.
Prohormones definitely will cause estrogen spill-over from unnaturally high levels of testosterone, because they are derivatives of synthetic testosterone - essentiallly testosterone replacement. Your body will sense that your natural testosterone is not needed, and shut down production.
Testosterone and estrogen are structurally similar. Adult men produce 3-11 mg test per day - women1/4 mg per day
Testosterone is 17-beta-hydroxy-4-androstene-3-one

Testosterone & Women
Small amounts of testosterone are produced by the ovaries and adrenal glands.
Even slight increases in testosterone production can disrupt the balance of hormones and cause symptoms such as amenorrhea, infertility, acne, and hirsutism

SARMs - Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators - a class of compound (synthetic ligands) that can bind to the androgen receptor, but is not actually a steroid hormone. They are not classified as dietary supplements, but as research chemicals. More information from US Pharmacist website.
Certain SARMs are effective at accelerated muscle growth, but from the US Pharmacist link - SARMs have been found to reduce endogenous testosterone, affect cholesterol levels, alter liver function, alter vision (i.e., yellow-tinged), result in low libido, and male contraception. ALSO - you will likely lose that quick muscle a few months after you stop.

$45.00
Animal Stak 21 paks
Zinc, Magnesium, Tribulus, Long Jack, Fenugreek, Maca, Milk Thistle, Astragalus, Ashwagandha, R-ALA, Co-Q10, Mucuna Pruriens, Humanofort, Alpha GPC, Agmatine, GlycoCarn, Quercetin, L-Carnitine Furnarate, DIM, Resveratrol, Calcium D-gluc.

$78.00
Animal Test
21 paks
Arachidonic Acid
Urtica Dioica, Cissus
Polygonum- Cuspidatum
etc.

Safed Musli (chlorphytum-borivilanium) - a natural testosterone booster

DHEA - Dehydroepiandrosterone is a natural hormone of the adrenal glands. It is called the �mother hormone� as it is a precursor to other hormones including testosterone and estrogen.

Horny Goat Weed, Epimedium, Yin Yang Huo, Icariin, -

Testofen is a Fenugreek extract standardised for the saponin Fenuside. It stimulates the hypothalamus to produce corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), which then acts on the pituitary gland, leading to an increase in the production of adrenocorticotrophin hormone (ACTH). ACTH then acts on the adrenal cortex to raise androgen levels, which are then converted into testosterone.

d-aspartic acid - is based on a naturally occuring amino acid found in the body. It is absorbed into the body and taken up by the hypothalamus, pituitary, and testicles where it stimulates the activity of what are known as NMDA receptors, which leads to the production of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) which then stimulates the pituitary gland to release luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). LH and FSH then in turn travel to the testicles to initiate the process of steroidogenesis, which leads eventually to the release of testosterone into the blood stream. This also leads to the release of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) which in turn promotes the release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland.

Maca Root can boost libido and sex drive and increases energy and stamina. May also help balance hormones.

Eurycoma Longfolia Jack (Long Jack) (Tongkat Ali) may boost sex drive and testosterone.

Avena Sativa (Oat Straw) can improve sexual function.

Massularia Acuminata a Nigerian herbal testosterone booster

3,4-Divanillyltetrahydrofuran (Stinging nettle Urtica Dioica) occupies binding sites of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) to increase free testosterone

3,7 Keto DHEA (Androsta-3,5-diene-7,17-dione) is an aromatase inhibitor (estrogen blocker)

Arachidonic Acid - ARA is a form of Omega 6 fatty acids found in egg yolks, meats (organs in particular), and other animal based food items. It is necessary for the adaptive growth response to training. Stored in your muscle cell mebranes until release is stimualted by heavy exercise. It can be diminished by hard training.

DIM (diindolylmethane) - a stable indole found in cruciferous vegetables which promotes a beneficial estrogen metabolism in men. It helps get rid of the �bad� excess and �unneeded� estrogen through a benign pathway (C-2 pathway)

Brassaiopsis glomerulata an estrogen blocker

Link to hormones & your endocrine system

supplement definitions at Examine.com

40% of your body's testosterone is bound tightly to "sex hormone binding globulin" (SHBG) making it unavailable.
58% is bound to albumin and is available to most tissue.
2% circulates freely in the blood.
Testosterone support supplements help to "free up" your own testosterone and boost your natural testosterone release. Prohormones and some SARMs can shut down your natural testosterone production.
Read this great medical article on Low Testosterone.

William Llewellyn explains this in his book Anabolics 2006 Your natural testosterone production is down after supplementing with synthetic test (steroids or pro-hormones, and now SARMs) He states that it can take weeks or even months for your body to get natural production back up to speed. Without enough of your own anabolic testosterone to counter the catabolic effect of your own cortisol, much of that new muscle can be broken back down. Most test boosters and anti-estogen supplements will stimulate LH-lutenizing hormone to start the natural test production cycle. However, after repeated pro-hormone (or SARM) use your testicles may be too desensitized to respond quickly. Llewellyn concludes that your system may need to be overwhelmed with LH to jump start the testicles into production with pharmaceutical HCG. Men with a clinical need for HCG shots can be evaluated and treated at a LowT Center.

$42.00
Liver & Organ
270 caps

$53.00
Old Mans Tune-Up 30 serv
Zinc, Magnesium, Vit-C, D-3, B-12, Boron, DIM, DHEA, chromium, Citruline Malate, Cellflo6, Creatine, NAC, Glutathione, Quercetin, ElevATP, KSM-66 Ashwaganda,
3,000 mg D-Aspartic Acid

$--.--
Stage-1 180 caps
D-Aspartic Acid, Fenugreek, Tribulus, Tongkat Ali, Fagoda,
3-deoxy-delta-3,7-oxo-DHEA, zinc, etc

$45.00
Tribesterone 60 tabs
Bulgarian Tribulus standardized for Ptotodioscine and Furostanol saponins

$40.00
King
180 caps
Zinc, Magnesium,
Tribulus, Fenugreek, Ashwaghanda, Boron

$38.00
Harmonize (women)
120 caps
Estrogen Blocker/balance
Maca, Tumeric, Mucuna, Epimedium, Damiana, etc
Androsta-3,5 diene 7,17-dione

$49.00
Apex Male 240 caps
D-Aspartic Acid, Tribulus, Fenugreek, Maca,Bulbine Natalensis, DIM, etc

$47.00
PCT-IV 60 caps
Estrogen Blocker
Tribulus, NAC, Saw Palmetto, Laxogenin
Androsta-3,5 diene 7,17-dione

$34.00
Gear Support
90 caps

$37.00
Eradicate
90 caps
Estrogen Blocker
Chlorophytum, Androsta-3,5 diene 7,17-dione

Androsta-3,5 diene 7,17-dione - Arimistane

$39.00
Viradex XT 90 caps
Tribulus, Fenugreek, Long Jack, Maca, Avena Sativa, DIM, Boron, Urtica, Chrysin, Calcium D Glutacate, etc

$25.00
Liver Rx
90 tabs

$36.00
Arimistane
60 tabs
Androsta-3,5 diene 7,17-dione
Estrogen Blocker

$45.00
ArimiPlex 60 tabs
Estrogen Blocker
Androsta-3,5 diene 7,17-dione,
Fenugreek, NAC, Milk Thistle, Saw Palmeto, Pine Bark, Grape Seed, etc

$47.00
Test 90 caps
Tongkat Ali,
Ashwaganda, Boron, Fenugreek, DIM, Shilajit, Zinc, D-3

Real prohormones were banned in 2010 by the DEA as detailed here The remaining "gray area" products were banned on December 18, 2014 along with all future variations by the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act (DASCA) If its chemically, structurally or pharmacologically substantially similar to testosterone, or 1 or more anabolic steroids it is now legally considered to be an anabolic steroid.

"legal prohormones" are DHEA with a "scientific liposomal delivery system" to convert it into 1-T 1-testosterone, 4-DHEA, or 1-AD 1-androstene-3beta. They are about $50 on ebay - may work better than regular inexpensive DHEA. Selling real prohormones is a $1,000 per bottle penalty

If you have used pro-hormones / steroids, avoiding the "post cycle crash" and minimizing liver damage requires specific supplements.

$20.00
Milk
Thistle
60 tabs

D-Aspartric Acid products

...if it's labeled for "Research Purposes Only" - you are the research - know what side effects to expect
Do Not combine them - you might compound the adverse effects. Don't ingnore them. Do Not use any product that causes internal pain kidneys, liver, etc

Do you think you have Low-T? Get your levels checked for $80 at healthonelabs.com/test/testosterone-total-free/
and for $64 more get healthonelabs.com/test/basic-health-panel-cmp-lp-ua - blood is drawn at a local Quest Diagnostics clinic