health
Testosterone Level Increase
Testosterone Level Increase describes a higher measured testosterone level, treated as a biomarker-based outcome. It refers to a change in the measurement itself rather than a guaranteed change in how someone feels or functions.
Testosterone Level Increase is listed as a health effect.
These are research findings, not promises. Most options have little evidence, and results differ from person to person.
What may help
What studies found for each option, best evidence first.
9 options:1 some evidence4 not enough evidence1 not tested in people1 personal stories only2 no benefit found
Hot BathpracticeSome evidence it helpsSize of effect: Not known
Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.
All 3 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.
A pooled analysis of randomized trials found higher baseline testosterone after 4 weeks of repeated hot-water immersion among 18 people in its analysis. A separate trial of 18 also found higher testosterone with hot-water immersion than control, but no amount of change was reported.
Open the Hot Bath pageMeditationpracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.
Open the Meditation pageCardiopracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
1 of 2 studies found a benefit; 1 found none. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.
A pooled analysis whose designs were not recorded found a moderate increase in testosterone concentrations in men. A separate pooled analysis whose designs were not recorded found no statistically significant change, so the findings disagree.
Open the Cardio pageHigh-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)practiceNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
1 of 2 studies found a benefit; 1 found none. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.
In a trial of 28 people with PCOS, testosterone concentrations differed significantly between the HIIT and control groups; the reported p value was 0.044.
Open the High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) pageFastingpracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
1 of 3 studies found a benefit; 2 found none. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.
A review of randomized and non-randomized human studies reported that 16:8 or 18:6 time-restricted eating protocols in men with obesity were associated with total testosterone increases of +0.8 to +1.6 nmol/L alongside body-weight reductions of −3–7 kg. Findings differ: a meta-analysis of randomized trials involving 127 people found a non-significant effect of fasting on testosterone.
Open the Fasting pageSea Moss (Irish Moss)supplementNot tested in people
Only tested in animals, cells or theory. Results like these often do not carry over to people.
The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: an animal study. Studied for 48 days.
Testosterone increased by 22.6% in a study in animals; this finding does not establish the same effect in people.
Open the Sea Moss (Irish Moss) pageRed Light Therapy (Photobiomodulation)practiceOnly personal stories
Only people's own stories online. No study has tested it.
Based on one study.
Open the Red Light Therapy (Photobiomodulation) pageIce Bath / Cold PlungepracticeNo benefit found
Studies looked for a benefit and did not find one.
0 of 2 studies found a benefit; 2 found none. Strongest study: a randomized controlled trial.
A randomized trial of 12 healthy participants observed no changes in testosterone following cold-water immersion, so this finding does not support a testosterone increase.
Open the Ice Bath / Cold Plunge page
The expert view shows every study, dose protocol and source.
What may help
Linked to improving it9 listedStart here
Most likely to help, from the evidence we have
- →PracticesHot BathCertaintyMediumSourceRCT3 other sources
A pooled analysis of randomized trials found higher baseline testosterone after 4 weeks of repeated hot-water immersion among 18 people in its analysis. A separate trial of 18 also found higher testosterone with hot-water immersion than control, but no amount of change was reported.
Who was studied
- Healthy people
Open Hot BathStudy result
4 weeks of repeated HWI resulted in significantly higher baseline testosterone vs control (R² p=0.012).
Low probability(5)(0)(5)
- →PracticesMeditationCertaintyLowSourceRCT1 other source
alongside improvements in total testosterone levels and clinical hirsutism
Open MeditationWho was studied
- People with a condition
- Pcos
- →PracticesCardioCertaintyLowSourceRCTModerate effectconflicting findings2 other sources
A pooled analysis whose designs were not recorded found a moderate increase in testosterone concentrations in men (g = 0.565, 95% CI = 0.307 to 0.822, p < 0.001). A separate pooled analysis whose designs were not recorded found no statistically significant change, so the findings disagree.
How big is the effect
Moderate effectA clear difference on average.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
Open CardioStudy result
Aerobic exercise moderately increased testosterone concentrations in men (g = 0.565, 95% CI = 0.307 to 0.822, p < 0.001)
- →PracticesHigh-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)CertaintyLowSourceClinical2 other sources
In a trial of 28 people with PCOS, testosterone concentrations differed significantly between the HIIT and control groups; the reported p value was 0.044.
Who was studied
- Healthy people and patients
- Pcos
Open High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)Study result
Comparison of changes in variables between the HIIT and control groups revealed significant differences for MAS, VO2max, testosterone concentrations, and stress score (Table 3: testosterone p = 0.044)
- →PracticesFastingCertaintyLowSourceClinicalconflicting findings3 other sources
A review of randomized and non-randomized human studies reported that 16:8 or 18:6 time-restricted eating protocols in men with obesity were associated with total testosterone increases of +0.8 to +1.6 nmol/L alongside body-weight reductions of −3–7 kg. Findings differ: a meta-analysis of randomized trials involving 127 people found a non-significant effect of fasting on testosterone (WMD: −0.88; 95% CI: −2.37 to 0.61 ng/mL; p = 0.24).
Who was studied
- Healthy people and patients
- Obesity
Open FastingStudy result
Studies employing 16:8 or 18:6 TRE protocols in obese men reported modest but consistent improvements in total testosterone (+0.8 to +1.6 nmol/L) alongside reductions in body weight (−3–7 kg)... Intermittent fasting showed promising but more heterogeneous results.
- →PracticesRed Light Therapy (Photobiomodulation)CertaintyLowSourceAnecdotal1 other source
This effect was mentioned in 4 of 267 Reddit reports discussing it.
Very low probability(3)(1)(2)
- →PracticesIce Bath / Cold PlungeCertaintyVery lowSourceClinical2 other sources
A randomized trial of 12 healthy participants observed no changes in testosterone following cold-water immersion, so this finding does not support a testosterone increase.
Open Ice Bath / Cold PlungeWho was studied
- Healthy people
- →PracticesFinnish SaunaCertaintyVery lowSourceClinical1 other source
Studies did not support a testosterone increase: a 2021 quasi-experimental study of 30 people found no significant changes (p >.05) in the concentrations of the remaining hormones, with TES increasing from 4.04 to 4.24 ng/ml.
Open Finnish SaunaWho was studied
- Healthy people
- →SupplementsSea Moss (Irish Moss)CertaintyVery lowSourceAnimal researchanimal / in-vitro only1 other source
Testosterone increased by 22.6% (p<0.05) in a study in animals; this finding does not establish the same effect in people.
Dose & course
48 days
Who it applies to
- Animal
Open Sea Moss (Irish Moss)Study result
Increased by 22.6% vs pre-treated group; reported as significant in text, though the abstract calls it insignificant
Practices compared
Practices with at least one trial of their own for this goal. Ranked by how sure the evidence is, then effect size.| Practice | How sure | Effect size | Own trials | What worked in trials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Bath | CertaintyMediumSourceRCT | 3 trials or pooled analyses | 15 min | |
| Cardio | CertaintyLowSourceRCT | Moderate effect | 1 trial or pooled analysis | |
| High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) | CertaintyLowSourceClinical | 1 trial or pooled analysis | ||
| Meditation | CertaintyLowSourceRCT | 1 trial or pooled analysis |
What worked in trials: From the smallest to the typical amount in the trials that found this benefit. Not the most anyone did, not a target and not a limit.
How to read the evidence
Evidence tier — overall strength of the evidence for the whole compound
- StrongWell established — backed by strong, consistent human research.
- ModerateSome genuine support, but mostly from small or lower-quality studies. Promising, not proven.
- PreliminaryEarly-stage evidence — a promising hypothesis, not an established effect yet.
- LimitedVery limited evidence — treat this as a hypothesis, not proof.
- InsufficientNot enough good evidence to draw conclusions yet.
Certainty — how sure we can be that the effect is real
- Very highVery sure — strong, consistent evidence
- HighFairly sure — consistent evidence from good studies
- MediumModerately sure — new studies could change this
- LowNot sure — little or mixed evidence
- Very lowVery unsure — almost no usable evidence
Source — where the data comes from
- Meta-analysisPooled analysis of many trials — the strongest evidence
- RCTRandomized controlled trial — a strong human study design
- ClinicalA human clinical study
- Reference knowledgeFrom general health-science or pharmacology references, not a study of this exact claim
- Animal researchStudied in animals, not humans
- Community reportsAggregated user reports — anecdotal signal, not evidence
- TheoreticalMechanism-based reasoning, not yet tested
Study grade — quality of each underlying study (A best, D weakest)
- AHigh-quality — strong, consistent human trials
- BGood — solid evidence with some limitations
- CModerate — limited, small, or mixed-quality studies
- DWeak — preliminary, indirect, or animal-only
Confidence — how strongly the sources back a finding
A 0–100 score from study quality and agreement
Most supplement evidence is graded C–D. Read it as preliminary signal, not proof.
Full write-up
What is it
Testosterone Level Increase describes a higher measured testosterone level, treated as a biomarker-based outcome. It refers to a change in the measurement itself rather than a guaranteed change in how someone feels or functions. Results may be reported for different interventions, including Ashwagandha, Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma), Caffeine, and Creatine, but the outcome remains the measured testosterone change.
How interventions help
Interventions linked with testosterone changes differ substantially in timing and how they were studied. Ashwagandha was assessed over 8 weeks, with follow-up at 8 weeks, while Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma) was studied for 4 weeks at 200 mg/day and was taken daily. These timelines describe when changes were assessed, not a guaranteed schedule for an individual. For Ashwagandha, the listed effect may persist for weeks after stopping; persistence after stopping was not specified for Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma).
Caffeine represents a different approach: it was examined as a single dose 1 hour before resistance exercise, with an immediate response reported. The observed post-exercise change differed by genotype, with a significant increase reported in TT carriers under caffeine, while TC/CC carriers increased after both caffeine and placebo. This makes the finding more context-dependent than a continuous intervention.
The remaining interventions are supported mainly by animal studies, a review, or pharmacology references rather than established human evidence. Their study durations range from 7 days to 6 months, and findings from animals or preclinical sources do not establish that the same testosterone response occurs in people. Creatine was studied for 7 days, but human evidence was not established. Curcumin was discussed over 12 weeks at 1000 mg/day in a review, also without established human evidence, while Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium) has an unconfirmed preclinical rationale rather than established human support.
Overall, the evidence spans acute exercise-related changes, several-week continuous use, and longer animal experiments. Duration, daily use, exercise context, genotype, and whether the finding comes from people or animals all affect how directly it applies to testosterone levels in humans.
Choosing guidance
For readers who prioritize human evidence, Ashwagandha, Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma), and Caffeine are the clearest options in this group. Their study findings come from human research, but they differ in timing and use pattern: Caffeine was assessed after a single dose 1 hour before resistance exercise, while Ashwagandha and Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma) were studied over weeks. Ashwagandha was examined over 8 weeks, and Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma) over 4 weeks with 200 mg/day and daily use. The Ashwagandha findings also indicate persistence after stopping for weeks, whereas no such information is provided for the other options.
Caffeine is the most immediate option among those with human evidence, but its reported response varied by genotype and was observed in an exercise setting. This makes it less suitable as a general comparison with options studied over several weeks. Creatine was studied over 7 days, but human evidence is not established in this record, so it should not be treated as equivalent to the human-supported options.
The remaining choices are mainly exploratory. Tribulus Terrestris, Shilajit, Black Elderberry, L-Carnitine, Lutein, Lycopene, Oregano Oil, Saffron Extract, Sea Moss (Irish Moss), and Melatonin rely on animal research here. Curcumin is represented by a review without established human evidence, while Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium) has pharmacology references and unconfirmed preclinical support. Maca Root and Magnesium also have important limitations, including very small or absent human support in this record. These options are therefore more appropriate for readers comparing early or indirect evidence rather than established human findings.