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Supplement with Creatine

Creatine is a bodybuilding supplement that actually works. You can trust creatine for helping you put on more lean muscle mass. Anyone who is already working out should be supplementing with a bit of creatine, but here are some added advantages to the bodybuilding enhancer. Creatine has been found to raise both testosterone levels and DHT levels.

In this study, college rugby players were split into two groups. One was loaded up with creatine and the other was loaded with placebo over 7 days. The creatine group was given 25g of creatine and 25g of glucose per day as part of supplementation.

After the 7 days was over, each group went into a 14 day maintenance period. This was 5g creatine per day with 25g of glucose for the experimental group. After the study was over, there was a DHT increase of 56% after the 7 days and 40% after the 14 days among the experimental group. Clearly creatine is a powerful supplement for increasing DHT.

Ingest Sorghum

Sorghum is a grain that you can ingest in the form of Sorghum flour. Sorghum works by increasing 5-alpha reductase, which in turn will raise DHT levels.

In this study, it was found that eating sorghum can increase 5-alpha reductase activity by 54%.

That’s quite a jump from one grain.

Avoid These Direct 5-Alpha Inhibitors

There are certain foods that are known for their effects on reducing 5-alpha reductase enzyme activity. This reduced activity will result in less active DHT.

Here are some examples of the foods you should avoid:

• Fenugreek
• Saw Palmetto
• Astaxanthin
• Safflower
• Finasteride
• Reishi

Supplement with Boron

Boron has some very interesting effects on the endocrine system. Some, but not all, of those include lowering estrogen and increasing your DHT and testosterone levels.

This is most likely due to the decreasing effect boron has on the sexual hormone binding globulin in the blood. To depict this, in the following study, researchers required subjects to supplement 10mg of boron every morning for 7 days.

After just 7 days, free testosterone levels had risen by 28% and estrogen levels had dropped by 39%

Eat Dietary Fats

There are good fats and bad fats. When I speak of pro-testosterone dietary fats, I am talking about saturated and monounsaturated fats.

These along with cholesterol are the major building blocks of testosterone production.

Which means that they are also builders of DHT levels.

In this study, researchers looked at the effects of a protein-filled, dietary fat-filled diet along with resistance exercise and found that the two combined greatly increased resting and post exercise DHT and testosterone levels.

Eat a Moderate to High Carb Diet

Restriction of natural starchy carbohydrates causes a drop in testosterone levels. Higher carbohydrate diets have also been shown in studies to increase DHT.

Low carb diets are hyped up a lot for their effects on short term insulin sensitivity for weight loss, but a low carb diet has long term negative effects on testosterone levels.

To optimize testosterone and DHT levels for long term effects on weight loss, enjoy a moderate to high carb diet with a suggested 2:1 or 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein.

Eat More Meat

Studies show that men eating regular meaty diets have higher DHT levels than men on vegetarian or vegan diets.

This is because meats contain pro-testosterone ingredients like creatine, protein, saturated fat and cholesterol.

Cognition

Phosphatidylserine enables our brain cells to metabolize glucose and release and bind with neurotransmitters, which are important to many cognitive functions including memory and learning. By increasing intercellular communications, our brain is able to function at a higher capacity which allows us to be more alert, aware, and able to deal with life's stresses. 

With normal levels of PS, our brain is able to detect cognitive problems early on and work towards healing whatever systems are broken. When our cellular systems are working efficiently, our cognition is enhanced and protected against decline. Studies have shown that PS restores the brains supply of acetylcholine which is the neurotransmitter that is important to memory. With good memory, our brain is able to handle many things well and reduce stress levels because we are able to utilize our memory to deal with things well. 

Because Phosphatidylserine modulates the fluidity of cell membranes which are essential to our brain cells’ ability to send and receive chemical communications, we are more alert. When we are alert, there is a domino effect that happens in our brains because we are quicker and better equipped to deal with things as they come. This ability to tackle things head on gives us a sense of accomplishment rather than guilt for not having the focus to complete needed tasks.

Fitness

PS is popular within the fitness world for a variety of reasons, one of which is performance. PS has been shown to not only improve performance, but to also decrease muscle damage.

Scientific research has shown it to be effective for withstanding exercise induced stress by stunting the increase in cortisol levels. 

For those of you who like to train hard, PS is exceptionally useful because it helps speed up recovery and lowers the negative effects from overtraining. Phosphatidylserine is also highly regarded in the fitness world for its ability to repair damaged muscle cell membranes and relieve soreness. In addition, although exercise has many great benefits, it does increase cortisol levels which is not good. 

PS helps regulate the spikes in cortisol levels in people who regularly exercise, making their experience more pleasant which in turn motivates them to exercise more regularly (which in turn helps improve muscle mass). It’s a positive cycle that is beneficial to both the body and the mind.

Memory

When we have low levels of Phosphatidylserine in the brain we experience memory loss. In extreme cases, very low levels of PS are associated with major health problems such as Alzheimers disease. 

By increasing our PS levels we prevent the decline of memory loss and even restore memory to some degree. PS supplementation has been shown to increased spatial memory and recollection. With continued intake of PS supplements, the brain's ability to process and recall experience improves significantly while preventing decline.

Is Creatine Safe?

As long as you follow dosage recommendations, there is little risk associated with creatine use. This isn’t to say you won’t experience side effects.

According to the Mayo Clinic, unwanted symptoms may include:

• Low blood pressure
• Dehydration
• Muscle strains and cramps
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Increased risk of heat-related illness, such as heat cramp or heat exhaustion

Excess dosages may also stress the kidneys. Creatine not used by the muscles is converted into a waste product known as creatinine, which the organ has to work overtime to remove.

Remember, though, that creatine is produced naturally in the body, so there’s no reason to believe moderate dosages carry serious health implications.

In a 2003 long-term study, football players were given 5-grams of creatine each day over a 21-month period. The athletes did not exhibit any ill-effects and in fact had fewer episodes of muscle pulls and cramps compared to their non-creatine-using counterparts.

In another study in 2005 consisting of 200 subjects who consumed 10-grams a day, results showed no significant health differences compared to a placebo group.

How Do I Increase Creatine Levels?

Creatine is found naturally in most meat products, such as beef, poultry, pork, and fish.

Organ meat is especially chockfull of the stuff. Keep in mind, however, that creatine breaks down under high temperatures, so it’s best to aim for meats that can be safely consumed raw.

Can I Take Creatine in Supplement Form?

Some health enthusiasts are purists and shun anything that comes in the form of a pill or powder. Yes, it’s true that most supplements will do nothing other than flatten your wallet. Creatine, however, is certainly an exception.

It’s also a lot more convenient to acquire creatine in this manner rather than stuffing your fridge with raw fish.

Unlike most other supplements, plain creatine monohydrate is also inexpensive. In most supplement stores, a 1,000-gram container of creatine usually costs no more than $20. An average daily serving is about 5-grams.

This means that a single bottle will last you a little over six months. That, right there, is one hell of a bargain.

How Do I Take a Creatine Supplement?

When taking a creatine supplement for the first time, you have to begin with a loading phase. For the first 5-7 days, take 20-grams per day. Spread the dosage out and preferably take it with a meal. After the loading phase, you can continue on with a maintenance phase of 5 to 10-grams each day.

Creatine is best blended in with a beverage like juice or milk. You can mix it with plain water if you wish, though you’ll have to fight through the grit.

While at it, you also need to drink plenty of water. Creatine increases muscle fullness by driving water into the tissue. This puts you at risk of dehydration, so get used to filling your bellies with good ol’ H2O.