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You know you want to boost your testosterone, but how can you effectively do it? If you google your way through the internet you will find loads of different ways – and different substances and supplements – to supposedly boost your t-levels. This article (and there are loads more like it on our blog) gathers the research for you and separates fact from fiction. In this case, we’ll have a closer look at the connection between magnesium and testosterone and answer that pressing question: does magnesium increase testosterone?
Do you think you know? You’ll find the answer below!
What is Magnesium?
Natural ways to increase magnesium
Link between magnesium and testosterone
Testosterone and magnesium for bodybuilding
Benefits of magnesium supplementation
What is Magnesium?
Magnesium is one of the most common minerals in our body. You probably know it’s important to get enough of it, but do you actually know HOW important? Magnesium is involved in over a whopping 600 reactions in your body, including protein synthesis and energy metabolism (that’s right; it’s a natural power booster!). With magnesium being connected to so many processes that are essential to your health, you get why keeping an eye on your magnesium intake is of vital importance.
Related article: How Often Should You Eat To Increase Your T-Levels?
Before going into the natural ways to increase magnesium, and investigating whether the magnesium testosterone connection is real, let’s first get more scientific: what is magnesium?
| Name: | Magnesium |
| Symbol: | Mg |
| Atomic number: | 12 |
| Atomic weight: | 24.305 |
| Element category: | Alkaline earth metal |
| Appearance: | Shiny grey solid |
Magnesium is all around you; literally. There are only eight elements in the universe that are more abundant than magnesium, and on earth, magnesium is even the fourth most common element. It is made in aging stars, which blast the element all across the universe once they explode. You can find magnesium in the earth’s crust and the planet’s mantle, but also in seawater for example.
With so much of the element about, you’d think it’s not that hard to get enough of it, right?
Wrong.
Magnesium deficiency: causes, signs and symptoms
Despite its abundance in the universe, it’s not always as bountiful in our bodies. To actually absorb enough of it to reach the recommended intake can be difficult, and there are many factors that can cause magnesium deficiency. To name but a few:
- Low magnesium diets
- Aging
- Illness
- Genetic factors
- Use of certain medication
“Ok, but do I actually notice anything from that magnesium deficiency?”
Let’s be honest here: not always, no. There is a very good chance you are technically low on magnesium, but effectively not suffering from any problems.
If you have to believe some of the sources, an alarming 75% of Americans aren’t meeting their recommended intake, but this doesn’t mean they actually notice it in their day-to-day lives. Many people can live their lives happily, despite a slight magnesium deficiency.
But for some: low magnesium CAN cause problems. Especially when you show some of the common signs and symptoms of magnesium deficiency you might need to start looking into ways to boost your magnesium levels. To help you out, here is an overview of some of the most common symptoms of magnesium deficiency:
- Muscle twitches
Twitches, tremors, cramps – all such muscle problems can be a sign that you are low on magnesium - High blood pressure
Another common symptom of magnesium deficiency is high blood pressure, which in turn can result in heart disease - Muscle weakness and general exhaustion
Feeling weak and tired, both physically and/or mentally, can be caused by a magnesium shortage in your body. Another word for this is fatigue. - Asthma
Asthma and magnesium deficiency have been linked in several pieces of research, showing how a lack of magnesium can eventually result in tighter airways - Irregular heartbeat
Low magnesium levels can affect your heartbeat, causing so-called heart arrhythmia. Symptoms can range from a bit of lightheadedness to an increased risk of heart failure - Osteoporosis
This disorder makes your bones weaker, resulting in a larger risk of bone fracturing
These are just a few of the symptoms associated with a lack of magnesium. Interestingly, just going through that list you can already imagine magnesium being linked to testosterone, as some of the symptoms – fatigue, tiredness, muscle weakness – are exactly what you are feeling when you are low on testosterone. But, we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves just yet.
With all of the above in mind, it seems logical to find ways to boost your magnesium levels, right? So let’s have a look at how we can actually obtain magnesium and increase it in our bodies.
Natural ways to increase magnesium
Luckily for us, there are several natural ways we can increase our magnesium levels and stay on top of things. The list below shows you the most powerful ways to boost your magnesium levels.
Avoid things that waste magnesium
Sorry for stating the obvious here, but it’s always good to look at the source, not just the solution. Before you look at natural ways to increase magnesium, you should also look at ways that decrease magnesium.
Some things to avoid are:
- Gluten
- Alcohol
- Over-cooked foods
- Refined sugar
These are just a few examples. In general, try to stick to a nutritious diet with enough nuts and vegetables. And that brings us to our next point…
Magnesium-rich foods
Diet, diet, diet! It’s absolutely essential for your general wellbeing to maintain a healthy diet, and the same thing goes for when you’re battling with low magnesium levels. Feeling a bit flustered? Just add some of these magnesium-rich foods to your diet:
| Cashews | Kelp | Whole Wheat |
| Spinach | Avocado | Pecans |
| Black Beans | Almonds | Cultured Yogurt |
| Peanuts | Tofu | Edamame |
| Dark Chocolate | Seeds | Quinoa |
Supplement
So you’ve been stuffing yourself with nuts for breakfast, spinach with quinoa for dinner, and yogurt with dark chocolate for dessert, and still, you feel like your magnesium levels haven’t changed? Then it might be time to supplement.
Supplementation is an easy way to increase your magnesium levels, but you should have a look at what type of supplement you want. For example, do you just want to focus on magnesium, or do you want to boost other essentials – like zinc or vitamin D – as well? Whatever you do, just make sure you check that the ingredients are 100% natural and there are no nasty chemicals mixed in with it. Natural is ALWAYS the safest, best way to go.
Link between magnesium and testosterone
By now, you’re an absolute pro when it comes to magnesium. At least; that’s what you think…
Truth is, we haven’t even started talking about the connection between magnesium and testosterone. So far, we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. So let’s move on: can you use magnesium for testosterone boosting?
To find the answer, we need to have a look at the science.
One study, for example, tested the effects of magnesium supplementation on testosterone levels, and the results were indeed favorable. Subjects taking magnesium supplements showed increased levels of both free testosterone and total testosterone levels, supporting the idea that one can use magnesium for testosterone boosting.
Of course, one study doesn’t prove the connection. Luckily, it’s not the only study! For example, a group of Italian researchers tested magnesium and anabolic hormones in older men, and they too witnessed a testosterone increase linked to magnesium intake.
These are just two examples, but the list of studies proving the magnesium testosterone connection seems endless. It seems like we can safely assume that the two are linked, so time to supplement: time to boost testosterone and magnesium!
Testosterone and magnesium for bodybuilding
Before looking at possible supplementation, let’s look at one of the key reasons why people want to boost testosterone and magnesium: for muscle building.
Testosterone for muscle building
This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s still good to get our facts straight. Testosterone – the primary male sex hormone plus an anabolic steroid – is essential for muscle growth. Testosterone is one of the driving factors in promoting muscle and bone mass. Aside from providing energy, testosterone increases strength and muscle mass. This makes testosterone and muscle building inseparable.
Magnesium for muscle building
So that one we know, but how about magnesium? Magnesium and muscle building go hand in hand as well, just like testosterone and muscle building.
One of the many processes magnesium supports is that it assists your body in the production of insulin-like growth factor, which is an integral part of muscle strength and growth. So yes, magnesium for muscle building is definitely a thing!
Furthermore, the fact that magnesium helps with earlier-mentioned aspects like strong bones, battling fatigue, blood pressure, etc. all indirectly assist you in your efforts to build muscle because you will be stronger and more fit overall.
Benefits of magnesium supplementation
With all these benefits of magnesium (and testosterone) just piling up, its time to discuss supplementation. By now, you are probably just as convinced as we are about the benefits of magnesium supplementation. The question remains though: if you’re gonna take them, which ones to take?
More minerals
Before you straight away start ordering magnesium supplements, you want to consider what other minerals and vitamins you might be missing in your diet.
Why just stack up on one thing, when there are supplements on the market that contain many more essential ingredients, not just magnesium? Zinc, boron, vitamin D, vitamin B6… The list of vitamins and minerals you want to add to your diet goes on and on, and before you know it you have stacks of supplements filling your cupboards…
Solution? Get a supplement – like TestoGen – with many other minerals and vitamins mixed into the formula so you can hit many different areas at once. Why focus just on boosting testosterone, or just on weight loss, when you can combat all these areas with just one supplement instead of 10 different ones?
Conclusion
Looking at all the research we discussed it seems clear: there is a clear link between testosterone and magnesium. Therefore, it makes sense to use magnesium for testosterone boosting, increasing your t-levels in a safe and natural way. To do so, you can definitely benefit from some easy measures, like eating magnesium-rich foods or changing your lifestyle a bit to try and avoid things that cause a magnesium deficiency.
Finally, you should use the right supplement to boost your magnesium, in turn increasing your testosterone. Whatever you do though; make sure it uses 100% natural and safe ingredients, and avoid any nasty chemicals you find in some of those dodgy products. Trust us, you will be thankful in the long run!
Scientific research
Brilla, L.R. and Victor Conte (2000). “Effects of a Novel Zinc-Magnesium Formulation on Hormones and Strength.” JEPonline, 3(4), 26-36.
Cinar V., Polat Y., Baltaci A.K., Mogulkoc R. (2011). “Effects of magnesium supplementation on testosterone levels of athletes and sedentary subjects at rest and after exhaustion.” Biological Trace Element Research, 140(1),
18-23.
De Baaij J.H., Hoenderop J.G., Bindels R.J. (2015). “Magnesium in man: implications for health and disease.” Physiological Reviews, 95(1), 1-46.
Maggio M., Ceda G.P., Lauretani F., Cattabiani C., Avantaggiato E., Morganti S., Ablondi F., Bandinelli S., Dominguez L.J., Barbagallo M., Paolisso G., Semba R.D., Ferrucci L. (2011). “Magnesium and anabolic hormones in older men.” International Journal of Andrology, 34(6), 594-600.
