I Tried Andrew Huberman's Testosterone Boosting Protocols for 30 Days

Summary

In this motivational video, the creator shares his journey to boost his low testosterone levels. After discovering he's below average for his age, he adopts various strategies from the Huberman Lab podcast, including proper breathing, light exposure, and supplementation with zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D3. He emphasizes the importance of competition and discipline in his training, facing challenges and emotional struggles along the way. The video concludes with a significant improvement in his testosterone levels, demonstrating the effectiveness of his 30-day commitment to change.

Takeaways

• 😔 The video creator discovered he had low testosterone levels, which can lead to issues like weight gain, depression, and erectile dysfunction.
• 📉 Testosterone levels in men decrease by about 1% per year after the age of 30, which is concerning for the creator who just turned 30.
• 🌞 Exposure to bright light early in the day is one of the recommended protocols to improve testosterone levels.
• 💊 Supplementation with zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D3 can be beneficial for hormone optimization.
• 🤼‍♂️ Competition and the act of striving for improvement can naturally increase testosterone levels.
• 🏋️‍♂️ A specific workout protocol involving six sets of ten repetitions with ample rest was suggested for testosterone release.
• 😕 The creator's initial lack of competitiveness and low motivation were seen as signs of low testosterone.
• 🤔 The creator struggled with the idea of competition and the pressure of a high-stakes game, which he used as a motivator.
• 💪 The creator's discipline and persistence with the protocols led to noticeable improvements in his testosterone levels.
• 🧘‍♂️ The importance of staying in the moment and not being controlled by emotions was highlighted through the creator's experiences.
• 📈 The final outcome showed a significant improvement in the creator's testosterone levels, moving him from below average to average.

Q & A

What health issue was the speaker addressing in the video?

The speaker was addressing the issue of having low testosterone levels.

What are some of the symptoms associated with low testosterone levels in men?

Symptoms of low testosterone in men can include weight gain, depression, loss of sex drive, and erectile dysfunction.

Why is it concerning that the speaker's audience wasn't surprised by his low testosterone levels?

It's concerning because it suggests that the audience might also be experiencing similar issues, indicating a widespread problem.

What is the average annual decrease in testosterone levels for men after the age of 30?

Testosterone levels in men decrease by an average of one percent every year after the age of 30.

What protocols from the Huberman Lab podcast is the speaker planning to implement?

The speaker plans to implement protocols such as nose breathing, getting bright light exposure early in the day, ensuring adequate zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D3 intake, and engaging in competitive activities.

How does the speaker plan to increase his testosterone levels through exercise?

The speaker plans to increase his testosterone levels through a training protocol involving six sets of 10 repetitions with 120 seconds rest in between sets.

What is the significance of competition in relation to testosterone levels?

Competition can increase testosterone levels, as it stimulates the body's response to effort and challenges.

What was the speaker's strategy to stay motivated during the 30-day challenge?

The speaker's strategy included staying disciplined with the protocols, especially the easy ones, and raising the stakes by introducing a monetary reward for winning a competition.

How did the speaker's body language reflect his low testosterone levels?

The speaker's body language appeared deflated or defeated, which is indicative of low testosterone levels.

What was the speaker's initial reaction to his testosterone levels compared to his age group and older individuals?

The speaker was surprised and concerned to find that his testosterone levels were below the 90th percentile for his age group and even lower when compared to an 88-year-old.

What supplement does the speaker take to improve his nutrition and overall health?

The speaker takes AG1 by Athletic Greens, which provides 75 different vitamins, minerals, and whole food-source superfoods.

How did the speaker's mindset change during the 30-day challenge?

The speaker's mindset changed from being complacent and unmotivated to becoming more disciplined and competitive, which he believes contributed to his improved testosterone levels.

What was the speaker's final result after completing the 30-day challenge?

After the 30-day challenge, the speaker's testosterone levels improved to just short of the 50th percentile, making him average for his age.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Boosting Testosterone Levels with Lifestyle Changes

The speaker discusses their personal journey of discovering low testosterone levels and the associated risks. They decide to follow protocols from the Huberman Lab podcast for 30 days to improve their condition. The summary includes the importance of nasal breathing, early morning light exposure, proper sleep patterns, and supplementation with zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D3. The speaker also touches on the psychological benefits of competition and the physical demands of a high-intensity workout routine, aiming to stimulate testosterone release. A personal challenge is issued to engage in competition with a monetary incentive to ensure commitment to the 30-day protocol.

05:00

😔 The Struggle with Low Testosterone and the Quest for Answers

In this paragraph, the speaker delves into the reasons behind their low testosterone levels, exploring factors such as illness, sleep apnea, and life changes that can affect hormone levels. They reflect on the role of testosterone in promoting sex-seeking behavior and the potential impact of complacency in their life on their current health status. The speaker also mentions their daily routine of taking AG1 by Athletic Greens to support their nutritional intake and overall health. Despite the initial motivation, the speaker experiences a period of unmotivated laziness, highlighting the challenge of maintaining discipline throughout the 30-day challenge.

10:01

🤼‍♂️ Embracing Competition and Overcoming Personal Struggles

The speaker brings in the element of competition by inviting their brother to a workout, using the challenge to push through personal limitations, particularly with pull-ups, which they find difficult. They discuss the mental battle of wanting to quit when faced with public struggle and the importance of retraining the brain to compete effectively. Seeking advice from a successful competitor, the speaker learns to manage emotions and stay focused on the task at hand. As the final basketball game and workout approach, the speaker is determined to apply the lessons learned to avoid past mistakes and to persevere through the challenges.

15:02

🏀 The Final Challenge and the Impact of Discipline on Testosterone Levels

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker recounts their final challenge, which includes a basketball game with high stakes and a workout that tests their limits. Despite injuring their thumb, they manage to maintain focus and push through the pain by adopting a mindset of taking things one step at a time. The speaker reflects on the importance of discipline and the positive changes they've noticed in their life as a result of their efforts. They end with the revelation of their improved testosterone levels, now reaching the average range, and express determination to continue their healthy habits.

Keywords

💡Testosterone

Testosterone is a hormone that plays a crucial role in the development of male reproductive tissues and secondary sexual characteristics. In the context of the video, it is associated with qualities like strength, resilience, and competitive drive. The script discusses the negative effects of low testosterone, such as weight gain, depression, and erectile dysfunction, and the creator's personal journey to increase his levels.

💡Nasal Breathing

Nasal breathing is the process of inhaling and exhaling through the nose. The video emphasizes its importance for improving gas exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the body, which can positively impact hormone levels, including testosterone. The script suggests that being a nasal breather can contribute to hormone optimization.

💡Bright Light Exposure

Bright light exposure refers to the practice of getting sunlight or bright light in the eyes early in the day. The script mentions that this practice is well-established for its role in hormone optimization, specifically in promoting deep sleep and proper sleep patterns, which are crucial for maintaining healthy testosterone levels.

💡Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin D3

Zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D3 are essential nutrients that can be taken in supplement form to support hormone levels. The video script suggests that ensuring adequate intake of these nutrients is important for optimizing testosterone levels, as they can be deficient in some individuals.

💡Competition

Competition, in the context of the video, is presented as a behavior that can naturally increase testosterone levels. The script discusses the idea that engaging in competitive activities can stimulate the release of testosterone, which is linked to motivation and drive.

💡Training Protocols

Training protocols refer to specific exercise routines designed to achieve certain physiological outcomes. In the script, the ideal training protocol for stimulating testosterone release is described as doing six sets of 10 repetitions with 120 seconds rest in between sets, which is intended to be challenging and promote hormonal response.

💡Body Language

Body language encompasses the non-verbal cues and gestures that individuals use to communicate. The video creator uses his own body language as an example to illustrate the connection between low testosterone and non-competitive or defeated postures, highlighting the psychological impact of hormonal imbalances.

💡Discipline

Discipline is the ability to control one's behavior and emotions in accordance with a set of rules or standards. The video emphasizes the importance of discipline in following through with the various protocols aimed at increasing testosterone levels, especially when motivation wanes.

💡Pull-Ups

Pull-ups are a type of bodyweight exercise that targets the upper body muscles, particularly the back and biceps. The script describes the creator's struggle with pull-ups as a metaphor for overcoming personal challenges and the role of competition in pushing through discomfort to achieve goals.

💡Emotion Regulation

Emotion regulation refers to the ability to manage and control one's emotions effectively. The video script discusses the importance of understanding and accepting emotions to avoid being controlled by them, especially in high-pressure situations like competition.

💡Athletic Greens

Athletic Greens is a nutritional supplement mentioned in the video that provides a variety of vitamins, minerals, and superfoods. The creator discusses how taking Athletic Greens contributes to his overall health and serves as a starting point for developing other healthy habits.

💡Estrogen

Estrogen is a hormone that is often contrasted with testosterone, particularly in discussions about gender differences. The video script clarifies that the opposite of testosterone is not estrogen but rather a state of being quiescent or inactive, highlighting the role of testosterone in promoting active and competitive behavior.

Highlights

Low testosterone levels are associated with negative qualities such as weight gain, depression, and erectile dysfunction.

Testosterone levels in men decrease by an average of one percent per year after the age of 30.

Implementing protocols from the Huberman Lab podcast for 30 days to boost testosterone.

Nose breathing promotes positive gas exchange and impacts hormones positively.

Early morning bright light exposure is crucial for hormone optimization.

Adequate intake of zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D3 is essential for testosterone levels.

Competition can naturally increase testosterone levels.

Ideal training protocols for stimulating testosterone involve six sets of ten repetitions with 120 seconds rest.

The speaker's body language indicates a lack of competitiveness and potential low testosterone.

Discipline with the implemented protocols is key to seeing noticeable improvements in testosterone levels.

The speaker's testosterone levels are below average for his age and even lower when compared to older age groups.

Behaviors that decrease testosterone include illness, sleep apnea, and expecting fatherhood.

Testosterone promotes sex-seeking behavior and is linked to competitive and parenting behaviors.

Taking AG1 by Athletic Greens every morning contributes to a healthy habit and positive nutritional benefits.

The speaker struggles with maintaining motivation and discipline throughout the 30-day challenge.

The speaker seeks advice from a top competitor on handling emotions and competition.

The speaker experiences a motivational resurgence thinking about the potential loss of $1000 in a basketball game.

Injury during the final workout challenges the speaker's focus and determination.

The speaker's testosterone levels improve to just below average after the 30-day challenge.

Transcripts

in my last video I found out that I had

low testosterone I'm below every

and many of you weren't surprised

which is concerning because high levels

of test osterone are associated with

qualities like strength resilience and

competitive drive while men with low

testosterone are more likely to

experience things like weight gain

depression loss of sex drive and even

erectile dysfunction and the scariest

part is that after the age of 30

testosterone levels in men decrease by

an average of one percent every single

year

and I just turned 30 which means if I

want to boost my testosterone back to a

healthy level I need to do something

drastic

[Music]

yeah uh not that drastic but I am gonna

be implementing some protocols from the

huberman Lab podcast for the next 30

days for those that have lower than

desired levels of testosterone or if you

want to increase testosterone we have to

be breathing properly so nose breathing

in wakefulness and in sleep promotes all

sorts of positive things related to the

Improvement of gas exchange of carbon

dioxide and oxygen in the body so being

a nasal breather can actually positively

impact hormones the second thing getting

anywhere from two to ten minutes of

bright light exposure in your eyes early

in the day and it's well established

that deep sleep and getting the proper

patterns of slow wave sleep and REM

sleep are important for hormone

optimization make sure you're getting

adequate zinc magnesium and D3 many of

which can be taken in supplementation

form so let's talk about competition

so it is the case that competition

itself can increase testosterone

[Music]

come on

[Music]

[Music]

don't you still have a workout to do

the ideal training protocols for

stimulating testosterone release that

involved doing six sets of 10

repetitions

with about 120 seconds rest in between

sets which even if it requires

lightening the weight is pretty darn

hard work

[Music]

all right

and

[Music]

while my day one workout is humbling

the day after is equally as humbling

so I was editing through some of

yesterday's footage and I found

something that

is a bit concerning let me show you look

at my body language here

or here or here this is not someone who

is competing this is someone who is

deflated or defeated this is low T and

if I want to find a way to boost this

I'm gonna have to learn to actually

compete

if I want to see actual noticeable

improvement with my testosterone levels

I need to make sure I'm being

disciplined with all the protocols

especially the easy ones

and seeing as how I struggle to compete

early on I think it's time to raise the

stakes

yo I want to play one-on-one again

and if you win I'm gonna give you a

thousand dollars

deal

[Music]

with my money at stake I'm hoping this

helps me lock in for the next 30 days

and really see some noticeable

improvements in my next blood test

[Music]

thank you

I was researching average testosterone

levels based on age just to just to see

where I was at and when I plugged in my

numbers into the graph

for my age I am just above the 90th

percentile for testosterone levels which

means that 90 percent of people my own

age have higher levels of testosterone

than I do and if that wasn't bad enough

I took the age and I moved it over to

see where I'd be at and I would still be

in the 70th to 80th percentile if I was

88 years old

88 it's one thing to be low for your own

age

it's another thing to be low for the

senior center how did this happen why is

this happening to my body I'm a pretty

healthy person

not like 90th percentile

how

so just as there are behaviors that can

increase testosterone their behaviors

that can decrease testosterone things

like illness apnea and becoming apparent

expecting fathers have an almost 50

percent decrease in testosterone levels

Peaks and testosterone cause individuals

to seek sex not promote parenting

whereas reductions in testosterone move

individuals of both sexes toward

parenting behavior and less toward

reproductive Behavior

Hillary

you're not pregnant are you

okay what thank God

oh my gosh no no no no no sorry that's

not so testosterone promotes sex-seeking

behavior when people participate in sex

they had 70 increases in testosterone

the saludogenesis model as much as I

look for answers on why my testosterone

is so low I can't really seem to find a

solid answer

so I decide to call it a night and maybe

try again tomorrow

the males that have higher testosterone

forage further and will fight harder and

will promote competitive interactions

and I think it's starting to make sense

this year I have been complacent I'm

happy with my marriage I'm content with

how much I'm seeing my friends and my

family which is all really good things

but on the other side of that I have

become less driven and less motivated in

multiple areas of my life but

specifically with my health and I feel

like getting this blood test back was

the wake-up call that I needed to really

start taking ownership of some healthy

habits and one of the easiest healthy

habits I can think of is by taking ag1

by athletic groups I take ag1 by

athletic greens every single morning and

it gives me 75 different vitamins

minerals Whole Foods Source superfoods

and what I've found is that it not only

gives me all this nutritional benefits

but it also feels healthy and so I find

that taking it in the morning is

something that I look forward to it

makes me feel accomplished in a weird

way and it has this like domino effect

of pushing me towards other healthy

habits just from feeling healthy and

feeling positive about the choices and

the decisions that I'm making in my

morning with your first purchase right

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control of your nutrition get those

healthy habits all right back to the

video

the trickiest part of this challenge is

not knowing if the effort that I'm

putting in is actually having an impact

on my testosterone levels so all I can

do is try to stay disciplined and keep

pushing myself even when things get hard

people think that the opposite of

testosterone is estrogen but it's not

the opposite of testosterone is

proactive which makes us feel quiescent

and not in pursuit of things Etc the

major effect of testosterone is to make

effort feel good when effort feels good

life just gets way better and after the

first two weeks of this challenge I

start to notice that effort I'm exerting

in my workouts starts to extend into

other areas of my life

things go really well for the first two

weeks by day 20 the initial excitement

of this challenge feels like it's

starting to wear off

[Music]

currently 10 53 and I have done nothing

today I'm just having a very unmotivated

lazy day today what's even worse is I

know what will help me get out of this I

know what to do to make myself feel

better and wake up and get going but

I just don't want to do it I just do not

want to do it

all right let's just let's just do it

get it over with get this day back on

track here we go

[Music]

and while some problems are quick fixes

other ones are a bit more complicated

for instance pull-up day

pull-ups are my least favorite exercise

and with the goal of six sets of ten

I know that I am in trouble

and to add some competition I brought my

brother Brendan along who just so

happens to be really good at Pull-Ups

and while I'm struggling by set number

two Brendan is cruising through his sets

with these

you ready

yeah

[Music]

someone's unhappy

that

absolutely sucked

I hated

every second of that literally every

second I hated that it's like one thing

to be bad at pull-ups which I have

always been bad at pull-ups but having

like everyone just like walk by and see

me struggle and be bad at pull-ups like

that really bothered me and it just made

me like want to quit I wanted to quit

like every set as like some weird way to

like Preserve

my ego or something I guess and that's

just like so unhelpful I'm like trying

to retrain my brain how to compete when

everything in my head is like stop stop

stop

sorry shut up Siri if I want to compete

and I want to give effort to something

I need to cut out whatever that was

because that is not helpful that is not

helpful at all

with my emotions getting the best of me

yet again

can't help but worry about how I'm going

to handle the pressure of a game with

one thousand dollars on the line

so I go looking for answers from one of

the best competitors of all time all

right what I try to do is just try to be

still and understand that emotions come

and go the important thing is to accept

them all

to embrace them all

and then you can choose to do with them

what you want versus being controlled by

emotion you think about game-winning

free throws and people go to the free

throw line and they're nervous about it

well what are you really nervous about

if you unpack that okay you're nervous

that you're gonna miss the shot you're

gonna be embarrassed because thousands

of people millions of people see you

missed a shot people want to talk bad

about you right and so you're looking at

you go are those things even important

you know what you do on Monday is

fantastic but then Tuesday is a bad day

so are we just supposed to live our

lives like this the whole time you know

versus just staying like this and

understanding that it's really just a

journey of evolution every day to say

okay it's okay to fail and then it gives

you the confidence to go for it

we are one day away from the big final

basketball game and we are two days away

from the final workout and I am just

thinking through those two things how

bad I did on both of those things on day

one

and I'm thinking about the idea of

Brendan winning this basketball game

gloating celebrating taking my money

taking one thousand dollars from me

and as I'm thinking about that I feel

like something is just like switched in

my brain where

I'm going to fight

I'm gonna work as hard as I can and I am

going to win

[Music]

thank you

I'm gonna lose some money

nope

[Music]

there we go

my strategy for both challenges is to

stay in the moment

whenever I failed previously I would get

down on myself and beat myself up before

it was over but if I can just take these

one rep one possession at a time never

quitting never getting discouraged make

or Miss keep fighting one more

[Music]

[Music]

then up one

I jammed my thumb on a take to the

basket

and it did not feel good

whenever I feel pain or discomfort my

instinct is to let up and detach from

what I'm doing

and that is exactly what I did

soon enough I am completely in my head

and with one thousand dollars on the

line I need to get my focus back and

fast

I can do this

I can do this

I'm not dropping weight

I can do it

if I want to have any hope of winning

this game I just need to lock in one

possession at a time

[Music]

[Music]

foreign

[Music]

I just kept telling myself over and over

again like don't sit down don't lay down

don't like wallow in how bad it feels

just like breathe and think about the

next set think about how it's going to

be easy think about how you can do it

just one set at a time

and it literally worked like I feel like

I'm like pushing myself

like harder than I've pushed myself in a

long time and it just feels like it's

there it's like there you know but it's

just a matter of actually like doing it

like believing it

dude I need to just like bring this to

like all the areas of my life you know

I can't believe I just did that

with the final challenge is out of the

way it's time to finally see if I've

made any improvements with my

testosterone

this is day one and that's day 30. oh my

gosh it actually worked

it worked I am just short of the 50th

percentile I'm actually average now I

just gotta keep going I gotta do like a

blood test in three months and see how

it goes from there

let's go buddy let's go