#106 How To Increase Your Testosterone Levels Naturally | Derek from MPMD

What It Covers

Rhonda Patrick interviews Derek from More Plates More Dates on testosterone optimization for men and women. They cover accurate measurement protocols, lifestyle factors that suppress testosterone, evidence-based natural interventions including diet and supplements, testosterone replacement therapy protocols, and practical strategies to assess and optimize hormone levels through blood work interpretation and symptom management.

Key Questions Answered

• •Testosterone measurement protocol: Test early morning when levels peak from diurnal rhythm, get fasted blood draw, avoid biotin-containing supplements for several days prior as they cross-detect with hormone assays, stay hydrated to avoid falsely elevated hematocrit readings, and obtain repeat measurements before making treatment decisions since single snapshots can vary significantly based on stress, sleep, and other transient factors affecting hormone production.
• •Free versus total testosterone: Total testosterone reflects overall production capacity including hormone bound to proteins, while free testosterone represents only two to three percent that actively binds androgen receptors. Sex hormone binding globulin binds approximately sixty percent of testosterone, albumin binds thirty-eight percent. High SHBG levels can cause symptoms despite adequate total testosterone because insufficient free hormone reaches target tissues to exert biological effects.
• •Age-related decline patterns: Total testosterone decreases one percent annually after age thirty, but free testosterone drops two percent yearly because SHBG levels increase faster with age. This means the biologically active hormone available to tissues declines at double the rate of total production. The differential between total and free testosterone decline explains why older men experience more severe symptoms than total testosterone numbers alone would suggest.
• •Body composition impact: Obesity dramatically suppresses testosterone through elevated aromatization of testosterone to estrogen in fat tissue. Excess estrogen provides negative feedback to the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, signaling adequate hormone levels when testosterone production is actually insufficient. Weight loss from obese to twelve to fifteen percent body fat can increase testosterone by over one hundred nanograms per deciliter, potentially eliminating need for replacement therapy in many cases.
• •Essential micronutrients: Zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D deficiencies can each reduce testosterone by one hundred to one hundred fifty nanograms per deciliter. Magnesium requires separate supplementation since multivitamins rarely contain adequate doses due to weight constraints. Vitamin D functions as a hormone affecting androgen receptor activity and gene transcription. Correcting deficiencies in all three provides additive benefits for testosterone production and utilization at target tissues.
• •Ashwagandha mechanism: Standardized extracts containing five to ten percent withanolides at six hundred milligrams daily suppress cortisol and stress response, indirectly increasing testosterone by approximately one hundred points. Use patented extracts like KSM-66 or Sensoril rather than generic ashwagandha. Some individuals experience anhedonia or emotional numbing from excessive stress response suppression, particularly those already low in emotional reactivity. Works best for anxious phenotypes with elevated baseline stress.
• •Tongkat Ali efficacy: High-quality extracts standardized for eurycomanone content suppress SHBG levels and upregulate steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, increasing intratesticular testosterone production by one hundred to two hundred nanograms per deciliter. Verify HPLC testing for eurycomanone rather than relying on meaningless concentration ratios like one hundred to one. More effective than generic supplements for men with high SHBG or those who have optimized lifestyle factors but still have suboptimal levels.