Looking for an Edge? The Science of Optimising Testosterone for Peak Performance - By Rob Underwood

If you’re an entrepreneur, executive, or high achiever, you’ve probably read or at least heard about testosterone. That, it’s a hormone that can be naturally optimised to help you not only look better but also to perform at your cognitive peak. Testosterone isn’t something only ‘gym bros’ should be looking at and both cutting-edge research and top biohackers alike now agree that this molecule is a key player in your mental sharpness, drive, resilience and motivation, for both men and women.For optimal performance, you want a healthy supply of both total and free testosterone and while testosterone’s physical effects are well known, its mental and emotional benefits are just as crucial for high performers.

• In your prefrontal cortex (the area of the brain responsible for strategic thinking and impulse control), testosterone enhances your ability to make fast, confident decisions and filter out distractions. This is essential for anyone leading teams or making important on the spot decisions.

• Testosterone helps regulate your brain’s response to stress, particularly in the amygdala (emotion processing) and anterior cingulate cortex. The result is more poise under pressure, a ‘healthy’ appetite for risk and better emotional control during acute stress.

• Testosterone also supports the hippocampus, the brain’s memory centre, where it works to promote the growth of new brain cells and protects against the damaging effects of chronic stress. This means better recall, faster learning and an improved ability to adapt to changing environments.

• Finally, testosterone influences the neural circuits that regulate motivation, ambition, and optimism. Often, low testosterone first appears as low energy, brain fog, or a lack of drive, even before any changes in muscle or libido.

  
  

Pro Tip - If you want to think faster, lead better and stay ahead, optimising your testosterone can be a game-changer. Here’s what you need to know and how to optimise your levels.First though, a quick biology lesson.Testosterone is a steroid hormone and can be thought of as one of your body’s performance messengers and it’s produced by men and women, though men produce 10–20 times more. Production starts in the hypothalamus, a central brain region, that sends out an initial signalling molecule (GnRH) to the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is the body’s hormone conductor and when it receives the aforementioned GNRH signal, it then creates and sends out luteinising hormone (LH), which travels to the testes in men, or the ovaries and adrenal glands in women. There, additional molecules called enzymes transform cholesterol into testosterone. It’s worth noting that most of the testosterone in your bloodstream is “bound up” by proteins, but a small fraction is “free” and able to enter your cells and brain.

Here's the crucial point about this wonder molecule, though. It doesn’t act alone and its effects on the brain are tightly interlaced with another vital neurochemical called dopamine.

Dopamine is your brain’s “reward” and “motivation” molecule, the chemical that lights up when you achieve something big and spurs you to keep aiming higher. What’s more is that recent research indicates that testosterone and dopamine are not just linked, but synergistic.

• Testosterone enhances dopamine activity and it boosts the enzymes needed for dopamine production and increases the number of dopamine receptors in critical brain areas. This means your brain becomes more sensitive and responsive to motivation and reward.

• Dopamine spikes drive testosterone. When you succeed, i.e. close a deal, win a competition, or reach a milestone, dopamine levels surge and these moments (the “winner effect”) actually raise testosterone temporarily, fuelling your motivation and readiness to tackle the next challenge.

• With higher testosterone, your dopamine system fires more effectively, enhancing motivation, persistence and focus. In turn, the positive behaviours that drive high achievement help keep your testosterone levels where they should be.

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For high performers of any sort, this ‘swipe-right’ neurochemical marriage is rocket fuel. It’s what sustains energy, sharpens focus and allows you to handle stress and setbacks with resilience.

So how do you optimise your own natural production without having to rely on TRT or HRT? Well, here’s a science-based action plan to help you get started.

Dial in your Circadian Rhythm

• Sleep. Aim for 7 to 9 hours nightly. Be consistent with bedtimes, even on weekends. Poor sleep can lower testosterone by 10–20% in just one week.

• Get outside within 30 minutes of waking, yes, even if it’s grey. Natural light is crucial for synchronising your hormone cycles. 

• Resistance train 3 to 4 times a week. It doesn’t have to be any fancy but building muscle is a proven testosterone booster.

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Sort your nutrition and body composition

• Aim to improve your body composition, 10–18% for men and 18–28% for women. Excess fat converts testosterone into oestrogen, blunting its benefits.

• Include healthy fats (avocado, olive oil), adequate protein and carbs. Extreme diets (such as keto or super low fat) do have their place but it’s an order- operations thing and if they’re used at the wrong time or for the wrong amount of time, they can tank your testosterone levels. 

• Ensure you have enough vitamin D, zinc, magnesium and copper in your diet to support your body’s ability to create this all important hormone.  

Stress ‘smart and detox

• Resistance train 2 to 4 times a week, this builds muscle and stimulates hormonal pathways that benefit both the brain and body. 

• Explore the use of cold therapy before training or in the morning. Data shows that regular cold exposure can stimulate the testes in men and the ovaries and adrenal glands in women to help boost testosterone levels.

• Ditch the plastic wherever possible and use glass or stainless steel to drink out of. Additionally, filter your water and avoid personal care products with synthetic fragrances to lower exposure to hormone disruptors like BPA, which are known inhibitors of testosterone.  

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Don't guess, test

• Checking your total and free testosterone levels, oestrogen and SHBG every quarter can help you determine if what you’re doing is working and whether or not your need to course correct.  

• In addition to Zinc, Copper, Magnesium and Vitamin D3, Tongkat Ali, creatine, and boron show evidence for supporting testosterone. It’s generally best to introduce one change at a time, so you can monitor your response. 

• Chronic stress suppresses testosterone. A daily mindfulness practice, deep breathing or Vagus nerve stimulation and after-work can make a difference.

Bottom Line

Testosterone isn’t just a “sex hormone,” it’s a master regulator for your cognitive prowess, your motivation and leadership abilities. By regularly detoxing and by optimising your sleep, nutrition, training and stress response, you can build the biological foundation for high performance in work and life.

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Corona, G., Rastrelli, G., Monami, M., Saad, F., Luconi, M., Lucchese, M., Facchiano, E., Sforza, A., Forti, G., Mannucci, E., & Maggi, M. (2013). Body weight loss reverts obesity-associated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

European Journal of Endocrinology, 168(6), 829–843. https://doi.org/10.1530/EJE-12-0955

Whittaker, J., & Wu, K. (2021). Low-fat diets and testosterone in men: Systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 210, 105878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsbmb.2021.105878

Vingren, J. L., Kraemer, W. J., Ratamess, N. A., Anderson, J. M., Volek, J. S., & Maresh, C. S. (2010). Testosterone physiology in resistance exercise and training: The up-stream regulatory elements. Sports Medicine, 40(12), 1037–1053. https://doi.org/10.2165/11536910-000000000-00000

Prasad, A. S., Mantzoros, C. S., Beck, F. W., Hess, J. W., & Brewer, G. J. (1996). Zinc status and serum testosterone levels of healthy adults. Nutrition, 12(5), 344–348. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0899-9007(96)80058-x

Scinicariello, F., & Buser, M. C. (2016). Serum testosterone concentrations and urinary bisphenol A, benzophenone-3, triclosan, and paraben levels in male and female children and adolescents: NHANES 2011–2012. Environmental Health Perspectives, 124(12), 1898–1904. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP150

Earp, J. E., Hatfield, D. L., Sherman, A., Lee, E. C., & Kraemer, W. J. (2019). Cold-water immersion blunts and delays increases in circulating testosterone and cytokines post-resistance exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 119(8), 1901–1907. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-019-04178-7