Testosterone Boosters - Benefits and Side Effects
Similar in many ways to steroids, testosterone boosters are a very effective (although sometimes dangerous) way of increasing muscle mass and expediting muscle recovery times. There are many testosterone boosting supplements on the market today and it is important to know what to look for in a testosterone booster.
What is Testosterone?
The hormone testosterone is found naturally in the bodies of both men and women. The presence of testosterone is greatly increased after puberty - especially in the male body. Used as a helper for the male and female libidos, the testosterone hormone is also responsible for healing damaged muscles and rebuilding them into a larger muscle mass.
It is a misconception that testosterone or steroids actually make you bigger. A testosterone supplement will only help to lessen recovery time so that you can hit the gym more often, thus developing bigger muscles in a shorter period of time.
Testosterone Boosters for Men
There are many ways to speed up recovery time between workouts, but none is quite so effective or as potent as testosterone. When you take a testosterone supplement, you will literally increase the amount of the hormone found in your body. Your body chemistry will change temporarily and your muscles will actually heal faster than before.
You must be careful as to how much and which kinds of testosterone boosters you take. High doses of testosterone supplements can lead to liver damage, acne, growth of breast tissue and depleted sperm count.
Testosterone Boosters for Women
Women wishing to take a testosterone supplement must be especially careful. Although testosterone is naturally found in the female body, it is only found in small doses. That being said, there are professional female bodybuilders who do take testosterone boosters and successfully build larger amounts of muscle mass.
You have to consider whether or not the benefits of testosterone boosters outweigh the sideffects. With high enough doses, females will suffer from increased facial and body hair, acne and voice deepening. Women will also have irregular menstrual cycles while taking testosterone supplements.
Boosting Your Testosterone Naturally
Luckily, there are certain plants that can act as natural testosterone boosters such as the tribulus terrestris (known commonly has caltrap, cathead or yellow vine) which are sold in pill form. Similarly, ZMA (which is made up of Zinc, Magnesium and Vitamin B-6) is considered a safe way to boost testosterone. Testosterone supplement users are better off using a natural booster to get their desired results.
Disclaimer: Before attempting any exercises, programs, routines, or modifying your current diet/supplement program you must get approval from a licensed medical practitioner. Any methods or advice given in this web site must be reviewed with your physician. Before attempting any new exercises or routines a full physical examination is highly recommended.
