Testosterone and ageing: what men can do to stay strong, healthy and well

Testosterone gets a lot of attention as men get older.

You’ve probably seen the headlines: testosterone declines with age, boost your testosterone naturally, the best supplements for men over 40.

And there’s certainly some truth behind the conversation. Testosterone levels do tend to change as we age. But healthy ageing isn’t about trying to turn the clock back — and it definitely isn’t about finding a magic pill that promises to make you feel 25 again.

The more useful question is: what can you actually do to support your health as you get older?

The answer is surprisingly practical. Look after your muscle. Keep moving. Get enough sleep. Pay attention to your waistline and metabolic health. Eat properly. And, when it makes sense, use supplements to fill genuine nutritional gaps rather than trying to outsmart your biology.

Here are some of the things worth knowing.

First, a quick word about testosterone

Testosterone plays an important role in male health, including sexual function, muscle and bone health, and red blood cell production. Levels generally change as men get older, but getting older doesn’t automatically mean you have a testosterone deficiency.

That’s an important distinction.

Feeling more tired, less motivated, or less energetic than you used to doesn’t necessarily mean your testosterone is low. Symptoms such as reduced libido, erectile problems, loss of spontaneous erections, and reduced strength can have many possible causes.

Clinically diagnosed testosterone deficiency is based on both symptoms and consistently low testosterone levels, rather than age or symptoms alone. If you’re concerned about persistent changes, it’s worth talking to your GP rather than trying to diagnose yourself from a supplement label.

With that out of the way, let’s talk about what you can influence.

1. Build muscle — and keep it

If there’s one thing we’d encourage men to prioritise as they get older, it’s strength training.

Not because lifting weights is a secret testosterone hack.

Because maintaining muscle and strength is one of the most useful things you can do for healthy ageing.

Muscle mass naturally becomes harder to maintain with age. Resistance training helps preserve strength, physical function, and muscle, while also supporting metabolic health. Regular physical activity and weight management are also important parts of addressing obesity-related testosterone deficiency.

Make it practical

You don’t need to spend seven days a week in the gym.

Aim for two to three resistance-training sessions a week, focusing on the major movement patterns: squatting, pushing, pulling, hinging, and carrying.

And don’t be afraid of making things progressively harder. If the same ten-kilogram dumbbells have been sitting on your floor for five years, it’s probably time to give your muscles something new to work with.

Where does creatine fit in?

This is where we’d put creatine — not under the heading of “testosterone boosters”, but under something arguably more useful: protecting muscle and strength.

Creatine doesn’t magically raise testosterone, and that’s not why we’d recommend it here.

When combined with resistance training, creatine monohydrate can support strength and high-intensity exercise performance, making it a useful tool for men who want to maintain or build muscle as they get older.

A simple starting point: around 3–5g of creatine monohydrate per day is a commonly studied amount.

Think of it as supporting the thing you actually want from healthy ageing: being strong enough to carry the shopping, climb the stairs, get up off the floor, and keep doing the things you enjoy.

 

2. Pay attention to your waistline — not just your testosterone number

This one gets less attention than it deserves.

Carrying excess weight, particularly around the middle, is associated with metabolic problems and what’s often called functional or obesity-related hypogonadism.

In men who are overweight or obese, lifestyle change and weight loss are considered a first-line approach. Research suggests that testosterone can increase as weight is reduced, although the change is generally modest — so we’re not talking about a miraculous hormonal transformation.

And this is exactly why we wouldn’t recommend obsessing over testosterone in isolation.

Your waistline, blood sugar, blood pressure, fitness, muscle mass, and testosterone don’t exist in separate little boxes. They’re all part of the bigger picture of metabolic health.

What should you actually do?

Forget the latest extreme diet.

Instead, build meals around:

• A good source of protein
• Plenty of vegetables and fibre
• Whole or minimally processed foods
• Healthy sources of fat
• Carbohydrates that work for your activity levels
• Enough food to fuel your life and your training

And don’t fall into the trap of thinking that lower fat is always better. One meta-analysis of intervention studies found that very low-fat diets were associated with lower testosterone in men, although the evidence base is relatively small and more research is needed.

In other words: eat well, don’t fear dietary fat, and don’t crash diet in the name of getting lean.

3. Don’t overlook the trace minerals

When people talk about men’s health and testosterone, zinc tends to get most of the attention.

And for good reason.

Zinc is an essential mineral involved in numerous processes in the body, including protein synthesis, cell division and protection from oxidative stress. Importantly, the UK-authorised health claims for zinc include the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood.

That doesn’t mean taking more and more zinc will keep pushing your testosterone upwards.

If you’re already getting enough, more isn’t necessarily better.

But if your diet isn’t providing enough, making sure you’re meeting your nutritional needs makes much more sense than blindly reaching for a high-dose “testosterone booster”.

Vytalise has several forms of zinc, including NOW Foods Zinc Picolinate and Zinc Glycinate, so there’s plenty of choice depending on the kind of formula you’re looking for.

And then there’s selenium…

Selenium is one of those nutrients that doesn’t get much attention until you start looking into what it actually does.

It’s an essential trace mineral involved in normal thyroid function, protection of cells from oxidative stress, and normal spermatogenesis.

That last one makes it particularly relevant to a male-focused conversation, although it would be a mistake to call selenium a testosterone booster.

The takeaway? Trace minerals may be needed in small amounts, but that doesn’t make them unimportant.

4. Meet boron: the lesser-known mineral worth knowing about

Now for something a little more niche.

Boron probably isn’t sitting at the top of your list of nutrients to think about. And that’s precisely why it’s interesting.

Boron is a trace mineral found naturally in foods including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. Researchers have investigated its relationship with mineral metabolism, vitamin D, and sex hormones, including testosterone.

But here’s where we need to pump the brakes on the internet’s usual testosterone-booster claims.

The evidence isn’t strong enough to say that boron reliably increases testosterone in men.

There are some interesting findings, but the human evidence is limited and doesn’t justify treating boron like a natural alternative to testosterone therapy.

So why mention it?

Because healthy ageing isn’t just about the handful of nutrients you’ve heard about a hundred times.

If you’re interested in the science of nutrition, boron is an intriguing example of a lesser-known trace mineral that researchers are still learning more about.

Interesting? Absolutely. Proven testosterone booster? No.

And we think that distinction matters.

5. Give stress and sleep the attention they deserve

Here’s something that doesn’t sound particularly exciting: sleep.

But if you’re trying to look after your health as you get older, it deserves considerably more attention than the latest testosterone hack.

Poor sleep, stress, and an overloaded lifestyle can all affect how you feel — and tiredness, low mood, and reduced motivation can easily be mistaken for signs of low testosterone.

So, before you start building a supplement stack, take a look at the basics.

Are you sleeping consistently?

Are you getting enough?

Do you wake feeling rested?

Do you regularly snore, wake throughout the night, or feel exhausted during the day?

If the answer to those last questions is yes, it’s worth discussing them with your GP.

And this is where ashwagandha gets interesting

Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that has been studied for its potential role in stress and wellbeing. There’s also some interesting research specifically looking at testosterone in men.

A systematic review of herbal studies found that ashwagandha was one of the botanicals with the most promising evidence for increasing testosterone in men. However, the studies were generally small, used different extracts and doses, and many participants were relatively young. The researchers concluded that more evidence is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.

So, we’re not going to tell you that ashwagandha will increase your testosterone.

But if stress is one of the things getting in the way of feeling your best, it’s an interesting botanical to know about.

Vytalise stocks Swanson Ultimate Ashwagandha KSM-66, using the clinically studied KSM-66 extract.

And that’s a much more sensible way to think about supplements: start with the problem you’re actually trying to solve.

6. Don’t confuse “more testosterone” with “better ageing”

This might be the most important point in the whole article.

There’s a huge market built around convincing men that they should be constantly trying to increase their testosterone.

But your testosterone level isn’t a score.

Higher isn’t automatically better.

Testosterone is an important hormone, but healthy ageing involves much more than a single number. Muscle strength, cardiovascular health, metabolic health, sleep, mental wellbeing, nutrition and physical activity all matter.

And when testosterone deficiency is genuinely present, medical treatment may be appropriate — but testosterone replacement isn’t a substitute for lifestyle change. Current guidance specifically recommends addressing lifestyle factors and weight in men with obesity-related functional hypogonadism.

So rather than asking:

“How can I get my testosterone as high as possible?”

A better question might be:

“What can I do to stay strong, active and well as I get older?”

The answer is much less flashy.

And much more useful.

What about testosterone boosters?

It’s hard to talk about testosterone without talking about the enormous supplement market built around it.

There are plenty of products promising to increase testosterone, improve energy, build muscle and restore your youthful edge — sometimes all in the same bottle.

The science is considerably less exciting.

A systematic review of 52 studies looking at 27 different purported testosterone boosters found that the evidence was inconsistent, with many ingredients lacking sufficient evidence to support their claims.

That’s why we’re not recommending a giant “testosterone stack”.

Instead, we’d look at the foundations first:

• Train your muscles.
• Eat enough protein and a varied diet.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Get enough sleep.
• Manage stress.
• Make sure you’re meeting your nutritional needs.
• And use supplements where they genuinely have a role to play.

That’s not quite as exciting as a miracle testosterone hack.

But it has something better going for it: it’s realistic.

When should you speak to your GP?

If you’ve noticed persistent changes in your sex drive, erections, energy, strength or general wellbeing, don’t automatically assume testosterone is to blame.

These symptoms can have many causes.

If you are concerned, speak to your GP. A diagnosis of testosterone deficiency involves looking at symptoms alongside appropriately timed blood tests, rather than relying on how you feel or a single test result.

And if you are diagnosed with testosterone deficiency, your healthcare professional can help establish why and discuss whether treatment is appropriate.

Supplements can have a role in supporting nutrition and wellbeing.

They aren’t a substitute for medical care.

Healthy ageing isn’t about staying 30 forever

Getting older isn’t something to fix.

It’s something to work with.

Your body will change. Your testosterone may change. Your muscle mass and recovery may change, too.

But there is still plenty you can influence.

Lift something heavy. Eat properly. Look after your sleep. Keep moving. Pay attention to your metabolic health. Make sure you’re not overlooking the less glamorous nutrients. And don’t let the search for a higher testosterone number distract you from the things that actually help you feel strong and capable.

Because healthy ageing isn’t about trying to be the man you were 20 years ago.

It’s about giving the man you are now the best chance of feeling well for years to come.