A Man's Guide to Optimizing Libido

What's life without a strong and healthy libido or sex drive? Well, bland(er). Sex drive or libido, however, isn't relegated to just your attraction or desire to get it on with the Mrs. Drive, in general, is your desire to live, to adventure, to win, to compete.

In his famous book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill even talks about sex transmutation, or using that sexual energy, that virility, that the young fellas often have a bit too much of, and pointing it toward a goal.

Sure, libido is desire to get it on, but desire of any kind can be focused on whatever you want most, even goals. So, maintaining and having a strong libido isn't just important for the bedroom, it's important for your quality and success in life. Thus, this article is pretty damn important, because we'll go through real, proven ways to increase your libido, and keep it high, so you can go out and conquer your world.

Best Practices for a Strong Libido

Having a strong libido isn't just about 'taking things' that'll increase libido. The foundation of any aspect of our health - and a strong libido is a sign of optimal health - is our lifestyle.

You have to create a lifestyle that helps with libido. You can't have your lifestyle out of whack and then hope you can pop a pill or powder to improve it. 

Start with lifestyle, then focus on everything else. If you really want a stronger libido, take these first number of steps and adopt them into your life and daily routine.

1. Regular Exercise

Exercise does more than just help you get in great 'shape'. By boosting VO2max, you improve circulation - everywhere - but exercise also improves mood, and helps increase testosterone while reducing stress.

One of the biggest roadblocks to optimal libido is chronic stress.

How to train:

Do 3-5 strength training workouts per week. To learn the best strength training workouts you can do, check out this article.

Increase VO2max with multiple forms of cardio in differing intensities. Check out this article to learn more about how to increase VO2max.

In total, I know like it sounds like a lot, but you want around 3-4 strength training workouts, and 4-5 cardio workouts, more if you can handle it. The key is to start SLOW.

Do what you'll do every week, and let your body acclimate to the new load. For example, if you're doing nothing, do 1 strength and 1 cardio, or even just one of each per week. Then build upon that by increasing the frequency every month.

Research: Exercise boosts testosterone levels and improves mood, both of which are essential for a healthy libido. A study in The Aging Male found that regular physical activity is linked to higher testosterone levels and better sexual function.

2. Adequate Sleep

Sleep helps you increase your testosterone, but it also helps you reduce stress and have more energy.

A good task is to track your 'bad days' vs your good days, while at the same time tracking good sleeps vs bad sleeps. You'll find they line up pretty closely. We can have more drive simply by getting a better sleep.

- No booze 4 hrs before bed (no caffeine or stimulants, either)

- Set a firm sleep schedule

- Take Man Sleep right before bed

Research: Poor sleep can lead to reduced testosterone levels and sexual desire. A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that men who slept less than 5 hours a night had significantly lower testosterone levels.

3. Stress Management

Forget 'management', and defeat it altogether. I've written a lot about handling and defeating stress, like this article, so we'll keep this short. Stress can full out crush libido, mood, almost everything good in life. Conquering it is a must.

Be aggressive toward your issues, don't live in a fearful state.

Earn the right to NOT stress - that is, do the work, all of it, and feel the pride in knowing you're doing all you can, it makes stress less likely. If you're stressed because you're not doing enough, solve it by doing more.

Be in the moment, always. And love fate. Whatever is, is best, because it is.

A lot of guys also report a reduction in stress and increased libido when taking Man Greens.

Research: Chronic stress increases cortisol, which can negatively impact testosterone and libido. Mindfulness and relaxation techniques have been shown to reduce stress and improve sexual function, according to research published in Psychosomatic Medicine .

4. Healthy Weight

By carrying too much bodyweight - in the form of fat - means you're converting your testosterone to estrogen via aromatase.

Step 1 is losing fat. What helps most? Eating the right amount of calories, and the right macros. Check out our Meal Plans here for a custom meal plan that'll help you reach your goals.

Research: Excess body fat, especially around the abdomen, is linked to lower testosterone levels. Maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise is crucial for libido, as noted in a study in *Diabetes Care* .

5. Avoiding Excessive Alcohol

Alcohol is poison, there's no way around it. The best amount of alcohol to consume is none, but fookin hell, a glass of vino with a nice steak... can't beat it. So, aim for moderation, and when you can, don't have it before bed so you don't mess up your sleep.

Research: Excessive alcohol consumption can reduce testosterone levels and libido. Moderation is key, with research in, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, highlighting that reducing alcohol intake improves sexual function.

Supplements to Enhance Libido

Supplements actually do play a role in libido. While we 'supplement' with these ingredients, they've been used often for thousands of years to have the effect of increasing desire. Here are the best, most proven supplements for libido:

1. Tribulus Terrestris:

This study found that Tribulus Terrestris can improve sexual desire in men with reduced libido. The key is dosing, but also quality. You want 95% saponins, which is rare, but we have that in it's full dose in Man MOJO.

Dosage: Typically 200-350 mg per day.

2. Maca Root

This study showed that Maca root can improve sexual desire in men, even though it doesn't increase testosterone in men (don't listen to anyone that tells you it does).

Again, dose is important. We have 1.5 grams in Man Greens and in Man Mojo. When you combine them with the Virility Stack, you're on the high end of the daily dose.

Dosage: 1.5-3 grams per day.

3. Zinc

Zinc has always been seen as having an impact on libido, well, it turns out it actually increases testosterone, especially amongst those who workout - namely because we expel zinc through our sweat, making supplementation a must if you're working out.

Zinc deficiency is linked to reduced testosterone levels and libido. Supplementing with zinc can enhance testosterone production, as shown in this study.

Dosage: 20-40 mg per day.

4. Citrulline

This study showed that supplementing with a full daily dose of citrulline can increase erection strength, namely because it's one of the best supplements at improving circulation.

Dosage: 6-8 grams per day.

Foods to Boost Libido

• Oysters - Rich in zinc, oysters help increase testosterone levels and libido.
• Dark Chocolate - Contains phenylethylamine and serotonin, which can enhance mood and libido.
• Avocados - High in vitamin E and healthy fats, avocados support hormone production and energy levels.
• Berries - Packed with antioxidants, berries help maintain blood vessel health, crucial for erectile function.

Conclusion

Improving libido is multifaceted. You can't just do one thing and have amazing results.

Also, think about the lifestyle you had when you were younger and your libido was stronger. You were moving a lot more, playing more sports, doing more stuff. Now, we're sitting for the majority of our day, and healthy meals are replaced by whatever's quickest. 

Move more. Stress less. Eat right. Train more. get your weight down. And give it time. You can turn this around.

References

1. Phytomedicine. (2005). Tribulus Terrestris extract improves sexual desire in men.
2. Andrologia. (2002). Maca root's effect on sexual desire.
3. Nutrition. (1996). Zinc and testosterone production.
4. The Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. (1999). L-Arginine's impact on sexual function.
5. The Aging Male. (2011). Exercise and testosterone levels.
6. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. (2011). Sleep deprivation and testosterone.
7. Psychosomatic Medicine. (2010). Stress reduction and sexual function.
8. Diabetes Care. (2004). Body fat and testosterone levels.
9. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. (2003). Alcohol and sexual function.

Supplements That Boost Libido