Building muscle requires testosterone and lots of it. Everyone wants to “boost testosterone” using either herbal supplements, amino acids, aromatase inhibitors or prohormones but do they know the side effects of boosting your testosterone using supplements? Most men need to understand the risks vs the rewards for using supplements to boost testosterone. The biggest risk when boosting testosterone is increased estrogen via aromatase (the enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen).
The rewards for boosting testosterone are pretty obvious. You need high testosterone to get mass and strength. It’s the male “feel good” hormone that each and every man needs to be at their best. It’s important to make sure that your testosterone is in the optimal range. The effects are important. They are desirable by all men and give you an edge over everyone in the gym.
- More Muscle
- Bigger Erections
- More Confidence
- Reduced Fat
HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS TO BOOST TESTOSTERONE
There are a variety of herbal testosterone boosters on the market ranging from Tribulus to Fenugreek to Bulbine extracts. These herbal boosters can cause an increase in testosterone but may have side effects like:
- Hair Loss from increased DHT
- Prostate Enlargement from increased DHT
- Increased Estrogen
- Increased Sex Drive
- Aggression
Herbal testosterone boosters will only get you to the high side of normal (800ng/dl) but don’t reduce estrogen at all, so the major risk with these items is estrogenic side effects which can cause gyno (bitch tits) in a very small amount of people.
AMINO ACID SUPPLEMENTS TO BOOST TESTOSTERONE
Amino acids like D-Aspartic Acid (D-Aspartate), Lactate and Carnitine like those found in Rise and Swell can also be used to boost testosterone but share many of the same side effects like herbal boosters. While they do work better (getting your testosterone up to higher ranges (1000ng/dl) they do often also increase estrogen and share the same set of side effects as herbal supplements. These have been shown to increase estrogen along with testosterone in some people.
- Hair Loss from increased DHT
- Prostate Enlargement from increased DHT
- Increased EstrogenM1D Andro from LG Sciences
- Increased Sex Drive
- Aggression
AROMATASE INHIBITORS TO BOOST TESTOSTERONE
Aromatase inhibitors can also boost testosterone to very high levels. These do this by inhibiting the conversion to estrogen, which in turn boosts testosterone. This is a much better way to boost testosterone and products like A-Dex from Liquid Labs and Form-XT from LG Sciences both contain a potent aromatase inhibitor called Arimistane. Here are the side effects from using it:
- Hair Loss from increased DHT
- Prostate Enlargement from increased DHT
- Increased Sex Drive
- Aggression
PROHORMONES TO BOOST TESTOSTERONE
Prohormones such as Te from Liquid Labs, 4-Andro from LG Sciences and Androdiol from Hi-Tech use the patented ingredient 4-Androstenolone to boost testosterone. Unlike the other methods, which rely on your body to make more testosterone, prohormones give you the materials to convert into testosterone by usually changing the molecule by one atom. Thus, prohormones can get you to nearly injectable testosterone levels. Unfortunately, there can be some estrogen conversion which is why M1D Andro from LG Sciences is good to stack with any other prohormone to reduce estrogen while still giving you a prohormone along with an aromatase inhibitor.
THE BEST STACK FOR A TESTOSTERONE BOOSTER
The best thing to do is to take an aromatase inhibitor along with your testosterone booster. This will keep estrogen low while giving you a better boost in testosterone:
Examples:
A-Dex + Testalensis = Herbal Boosters No Estrogen
A-Dex + Rise and Swell = Amino Acid Boosters No Estrogen
A-Dex + Te = Prohormone Booster No Estrogen
Source: http://mindandmuscle.net/articles/testosterone-booster-side-effects/
