I Went From 500 to 857 Testosterone at 48 (5 Simple Tips)

Saladino emphasizes that sleep is paramount for testosterone. He aims for consistent bedtimes, using only red lights after dark to protect circadian rhythm. In the morning, he immediately seeks sunlight for 10+ minutes to entrain his circadian clock and blunt the cortisol awakening response. His bedroom environment is meticulously controlled: dark (using blue tape, trash bags if needed), cold (around 67°F), and free of devices (phone on airplane mode, outside the room). He also monitors and reduces CO2 levels in the room using a bathroom fan to ensure optimal air quality for sleep. He uses Breatherite strips and earplugs for improved breathing and noise reduction.

Saladino stresses the importance of objective data from lab tests. He recommends testing free and total testosterone, a full thyroid panel (T3, T4, free T3, free T4, TSH, reverse T3), fasting insulin, blood lipids, HS-CRP, and homocysteine. He uses his own consistent, transparent blood work (which he shares publicly) to demonstrate his natural testosterone levels and refute claims of hormone use, emphasizing that his LH and FSH are normal, indicating natural production.

Saladino notes that while he was a strict carnivore, his testosterone hovered around 500 ng/dL. After incorporating carbohydrates, his levels rose to 857 ng/dL. He suggests that while bio-individuality exists, many people, including himself, benefit from adequate carbohydrate intake for thyroid function and testosterone production. He consumes 200-300 grams of carbohydrates daily, adjusting based on activity levels, and recommends monitoring thyroid function and electrolytes to determine optimal carbohydrate intake.

Saladino cites studies indicating that saunas over 200-215 degrees Fahrenheit can increase dementia risk, prompting him to wear a sauna hat for brain protection. More notably, he emphasizes that sauna heat negatively impacts fertility by decreasing sperm count and motility. He believes sperm production is inseparable from overall hormonal health, and therefore, to protect testosterone, he ices his testicles while in the sauna. He demonstrates this with frozen beef, but clarifies he uses ice in practice, especially as he desires to have children.

Saladino travels with a CO2 meter and aims to keep bedroom CO2 below 900 parts per million (ppm) during sleep, citing evidence that higher levels negatively impact sleep quality. He explains that poor sleep disrupts the brain's signaling to the testicles (LH and FSH), leading to lower testosterone. To achieve lower CO2, he opens windows during the day and, at night, uses the bathroom fan to exhaust air, maintaining CO2 around 650 ppm, significantly lower than the 900-1000+ ppm observed without this intervention. He notes that baseline outdoor CO2 is around 410 ppm.

Saladino argues that despite common skepticism, there is mounting evidence that RF EMF, even if non-ionizing, can negatively affect biological systems. He highlights that phones are the single greatest source of personal RF EMF exposure. His practices include always putting his phone on airplane mode when in his pants to protect sperm/ovaries, using hands-free options for calls, and avoiding AirPods. For Wi-Fi routers, he turns them off at night and uses a Faraday bag during the day to reduce emissions, demonstrating with an EMF meter how these actions drastically lower exposure from millions of microwatts per meter squared (phone) to thousands (router with Faraday bag) compared to tens of thousands (router without).