Increasing Libido In Men: What To Do And What To Avoid

Testosterone (0:34)

I’m sure you remember when you were a teenager and in your twenties, when all you wanted to do was get busy. Obviously, back then your testosterone levels were sky-high, but that wouldn’t have been the only reason you had a high libido. Although your testosterone levels decrease 1% per year after 30, there is still a difference between testosterone levels and libido. Your T could be normal in your 30’s and 40’s, but your libido could still be low.

Medication (1:30)

When I talk about increasing libido in men over 40, I have to start with common medications that can have a huge effect on you. Statins are one of the main culprits, as they lower your cholesterol. Cholesterol is one of the main compounds that helps your body produce testosterone, so if you’re taking these, your T is being slashed, without a doubt.

Other medications that many men take on a regular basis can have contributing factors to low libido. Anti-depressants, opioids, medical marijuana, alcohol, and even some anti-histamines have the side effect of killing libido.

Stress (2:59)

If you’re in a stressful situation, maybe at work or through a hectic family schedule, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is having fun in the bedroom. Even if you have a partner that you’re very attracted to, the stress you’re going through will lead to low libido in men over 40. Stress also tends to lead to poor sleep, which in turn can lead to more stress. The cycle goes on!

My recommendation for a way to improve libido for men in this situation is to take an audit of what the stressors are in your life and make action plans of how you can clean them up and have them be less stressful. You should also make sure you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night, so you feel more refreshed, less irritable, and less stressed each morning.

Low Testosterone (4:32)

Although low testosterone is not always the main reason for low libido in men over 40, or at any age, it does have an impact. As your testosterone naturally lowers, one of the best things you can do is regular strength training. It has a huge impact on your testosterone levels and getting them to a good level for your age will help identify whether low T was an issue.

Another thing that helps with increasing libido in males, when it comes to low testosterone, is diet. You should be eating a balanced diet that contains healthy fats such as avocado’s, olive oils, and egg yolks. These fats are good sources of cholesterol, which is the main building block of testosterone. You should also be aware of things in and around your food that can LOWER your testosterone levels, such as estrogenic pesticides and plastic packaging (which include BPA’s that are estrogenic too).

Testosterone Replacement Therapy (7:19)

If you have exhausted all of the steps above (avoiding the medications we noted, decreasing stress in your life, strength training regularly, removing pesticides and plastics from your eating environment, sleeping well and drinking good quality water), you should seek advice from your Doctor about whether you should entertain TRT treatment.