For the entire 26 years I’ve been in the health and fitness field, I’ve maintained that in order to get useful information, you’ve got to ask the right questions. And there’s no better example of that than the question, How do I boost Testosterone? When you decode that question—as I have, dozens of times—you almost always find that what the asker really wants to know is one of three things:

• How do I improve my libido?
• How do I increase my energy?
• How do I get better erections?

After all, do you really care what your lab results show when they measure testosterone? Do you even know what those lab measurements mean? Most guys haven’t a clue. They just know that testosterone is related to performance, energy and erections, three things every man wants more of. So they figure it’s simple: If I could boost my testosterone, my life would improve. Well, maybe. First, the bad news. If you really want to boost your testosterone, there’s only one way to do it—get testosterone replacement therapy. That’s it. Stop wasting your money on that internet crap that promises to “boost T”. None of it works. None of it. It’s all bullshit. The only way to boost testosterone in a measurable way is to take it, by injection, gel or patch. Period. Everything else is marketing. Here’s the good news: How do I boost testosterone? isn’t really what you’re interested in. The better question is how do I boost libido and energy? Don’t get me wrong– I’m a huge fan of hormone replacement, and we’ll return to that in a minute. But don’t think for a minute that getting testosterone shots every week is going to solve all your problems. There’s a lot you can do, right now, without getting hormone replacement, that will make a noticeable, measurable, difference in the things you really care about, which, just to be clear, is energy, erections and performance. What’s more, if you don’t do the things we’re going to talk about, testosterone replacement won’t matter nearly as much as you think it will.

1. Change your sleeping habits. If you heard hoof beats outside your window, your first thought wouldn’t be “Must be zebras”. No, you’d look for the most obvious cause, which would probably be horses. The most obvious cause for lack of energy is not lack of testosterone, it’s lack of sleep. Go to bed a half hour earlier. Turn off the TV. Keep the temperature in the bedroom at 68 degrees. And keep the room dark.
2. Take foundational nutrients. At the absolute least take a multivitamin, vitamin D, magnesium, fish oil and probiotics on a daily basis. (I’ll talk more about foundational health supplements in future articles.)
3. Train with weights. Testosterone doesn’t make muscles grow, workouts do. If you’re working out smart, you’re going to look better whether you’re on hormone replacement therapy or not.
4. Pay attention to the other ED. ED is the acronym for erectile dysfunction, but it’s also the acronym for endothelial dysfunction, which basically means that your blood vessels aren’t functioning all that well. Endothelial dysfunction is a serious problem and a major contributor to hypertension, atherosclerosis and diabetes. What’s the connection between the two kinds of ED? My friend, cardiologist Mark Houston, puts it best when he says “I’ve never seen a case of ED that isn’t also a case of ED”. Take home point: take care of your arteries. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet with lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts and beans, go easy on the sugar, lay off substances that may cause inflammation (gluten), get some fresh air and take walks as often as possible.
5. Love your erogenous zone. The most erotic part of your body is between the ears. Your imagination is limitless. Get in touch with it, embrace it and enjoy it. And when the time is right, share it. Remember, erections start in the brain, not the sex organs.

Testosterone replacement therapy can be awesome when prescribed and monitored by a knowledgeable physician. I’m all for it. Just don’t think it’s a magic bullet. But if you do decide to do it, just know that you’ll get way more out of it if you get the basics right first.