16 Ways To Increase DHT

Are you looking to increase your DHT level in a way that makes a significant difference? If so, here is a list of ways you can start improving it this week.

What Is DHT?

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is considered the master hormone that makes men the beasts that we can be. It’s the very thing inside our body that makes us alpha and yes, it’s more manly than plain old testosterone. Both have similar functions but unlike testosterone, DHT is immune to estrogen conversion via the aromatase enzyme, [1] ensuring its effect concentrates purely on what makes us male. In fact, DHT is considered super testosterone since it can do what testosterone does but better.

DHT is responsible for the following:

• Body hair growth [2]
• linear beard growth
• Boosting mood, energy, and confidence [3]
• Increasing cAMP levels in tissue which in turn stimulates lipolysis (fat burning) and enhances thyroid function.
• Promotes strength and nervous system function. [4]
• Responsible for all masculine body and facial characteristics (wide jaw, broad shoulders, etc.)
• Increased DHT levels are strongly linked to higher brain GABA levels, [5] promoting that calm “alpha male” relaxation in any situation
• Even more potent than testosterone at promoting libido and erection quality [6]

With all the benefits provided by DHT, only around 5% testosterone is converted to this superior form so naturally, the best way to increase DHT is to first increase testosterone. Here are a few scientifically proven ways to boost your testosterone and in turn get your DHT growing exponentially!

1. Burn All the Body Fat

When it comes to maximizing DHT, you really have to get your body ripped. We’re not talking about insane single-digit levels but try to get it down to 15% if you want to maximize DHT production. Having a low-fat percentage may also help prevent the extra adipose tissue won’t convert most of that T into estrogen by increased aromatase activity.

It has been well-documented that fat men have significantly lower testosterone levels than lean men according to several studies [7], [8], [9], [10], and not surprisingly accompanied by elevated aromatase activity. [11]

And hey, if you got less fat you’ll also look sexier and prevent the worst thing any guy could have: manboobs.

2. Increase Your Testosterone!

As mentioned earlier, the amount of DHT you have is heavily dependent on how much testosterone you have. Therefore logically, as your increase testosterone production, so does your DHT production.

Testosterone replacement therapy is one direct way of increasing testosterone in the body. Studies show promising results when it comes to serum testosterone levels as well as DHT levels. [12], [13], [14]

3. Lift Heavy Weights

The benefits of resistance training are without question but we just have to mention how great it is for a guy’s testosterone levels whatever their current condition. The boost each lift gives is more than enough to improve DHT levels. [15]

4. Don’t Jog, Sprint!

Any type of exercise that promotes explosiveness is healthy for testosterone and DHT. A study shows DHT levels go through the roof after a good sprinting session. [16] Another study notes all anabolic/androgenic hormones skyrocket with sprints, but it has to be an all-out spurt to actually stimulate DHT production. [17] That means running at your absolute maximum to get accelerated benefits not found with other intensities of exercise.

5. Wear a Mask

Not just any mask but one of those funny-looking altitude masks. These masks help get your body adjusted to a low-oxygen environment but why would you want to simulate suffocation during training? As it turns out, intermittent hypoxia or short-term low-oxygen exposure promotes testosterone production by speeding up cAMP and other testicular enzymes. [18] Low-oxygen states also boost testosterone-DHT conversion in the skin and hair. [19]

6. Eat Enough Quality Calories

Starving yourself (outside the context of intermittent fasting) is really bad for your DHT as in the case of bodybuilders who want to have that really veiny/dried-up look. That involves extremely low-calorie meals + excessive amounts of exercise and often results in terrifyingly low levels of testosterone.

But you don’t have to be a bodybuilder to get extremely low levels of testosterone. A 7-year study (yes, it can really get that long) monitored two groups of men where one maintained a calorie-deficit diet and the other ate normal amounts. Unsurprisingly, long-term caloric restriction resulted in significantly lower testosterone levels than the normal calorie group. [20] And low T = low DHT.

7. Maintain a Stable Carb Level

I’m a fan of the ketogenic diet but it’s not as foolproof as it’s made out to be. A study noted higher carb intake (with a 2:1 carb-protein ratio) is associated with higher testosterone and reduced cortisol and low-carb diets like ketogenic diets definitely don’t have this perk. [21]

This is the reason why it’s important to cycle low-carb diets or at least eat foods rich in testosterone-boosting vitamins and minerals during a low-carb cycle.

8. Moderate Your Protein

Protein is the cornerstone of our bodies but it’s one of those nutrients that fitness enthusiasts can take too much of. Sure, good amounts of protein are required to build and maintain muscle mass which is great for testosterone and consequently, DHT but too much [22] can wreak havoc on your hormones too. [23]

9. Get Plenty of Healthy Fat!

Several studies show increased amounts of dietary fat result in elevated levels of testosterone – and as to be expected – higher DHT levels too. [24] [25] The types of fat you should be eating are saturated fat and monounsaturated fat. You should definitely avoid polyunsaturated fat as it has deleterious effects on testosterone.

Your fat sources should come from eggs, grass-fed butter, red meat, coconut oil, olive oil, and avocados. Reduce the number of vegetable oils (especially hydrogenated ones) since these are mostly polyunsaturated in nature.

10. Drink Good Coffee

No, we’re not pulling your tail. Coffee has been shown to be beneficial to testosterone and DHT. One rodent study notes a 57% DHT increase when they used human equivalents of 2-4 mg/kg caffeine. [26]

Supplements To Increase DHT

We love to eat nutritious substances but sometimes the food is just not available or too expensive for the amount we get. This is where supplementation comes in when you want to increase DHT.

We’re not going to list a lot, only the top 6 supplements you should consider buying even if you have T-boosting ingredients in the fridge. We’ll focus mostly on studies that show testosterone boosting as high testosterone leads naturally to higher DHT.

1. Tongkat Ali

Tongkat Ali is a popular supplement traditionally used for its benefits on erections, and according to a study, it could raise testosterone by as much as 37%. [27] The good thing is this supplement is as common as vitamins and minerals and you only really have to watch out for quality as well as the standardization of the extract.

2. Creatine

Creatine is the number one supplement when it comes to fitness benefits and the number of studies. [28], [29], [30] Granted you can get good muscle without supplementing creatine but even the guys at the Paleo group admit creatine supplementation is good if done correctly.

For testosterone, creatine has been cited to increase testosterone levels in several studies, and it does so even at rest, without even needing the exercise-induced testosterone stimulation to actually be effective.

Plain creatine monohydrate should do as even the more expensive ones have more or less the same benefits.

3. Boron

Boron isn’t exactly your everyday supplement but many multivitamins and mineral products are now including it in their roster due to its hormonal benefits, especially for men. Boron optimizes T-helpers magnesium and vitamin D while fighting “T-killers” estradiol and sex hormone-binding globulin. Research shows taking 10 mg of Boron significantly raised blood testosterone levels in only one week. [31]

Look for Boron available as an amino acid chelate, it’s more bioavailable and could boost testosterone at smaller doses.

4. D-Aspartic Acid (DAA)

This sex hormone supercharger signals for testosterone raw material delivery sparks testosterone synthesis and boosts T-helper hormones. Human research shows a 42% testosterone increase in just 12 days. [32]

The form D-AA-CC is what you want but even plain DAA shows solid results.

5. Zinc

Zinc is concentrated in the testes, where it triggers testosterone synthesis, serves as a testosterone building block & neutralizes testosterone-restricting prolactin. [33] Zinc Citrate is great and it’s not as expensive compared to Zinc Picolinate.

6. Vitamin D

The vitamin from the sun! While nothing beats natural sunlight, taking vitamin D supplements will still benefit your testosterone. [34] The best form you can take is D3 or cholecalciferol which mimics the natural form we get from the sun. D2 is up to three times less efficient than D3 so should be avoided unless the better form is not available.

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References   [ - ]

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