There are multiple benefits to health and athleticism from going on a ketogenic carnivore diet, and one of the most significant is the optimization of hormones, especially testosterone. Energy dynamics aside, you simply can't argue that naturally doubling or tripling your testosterone isn't going to help with athletic performance.
So how exactly does a carnivore diet help with testosterone production? There are many mechanisms at play, but here are a few of the most significant factors.
Reversing Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance lowers the sensitivity of the Leydig cells in your testicles to LH, the hormone that stimulates testosterone production. Once you reverse the insulin resistance, you actually increase your receptors and sensitivity to LH, which in turn increases testosterone production.
Eliminating Plant Anti-Nutrients
Many plants contain anti-nutrients that block the absorption of different vitamins and minerals, especially zinc. Some plants, like corn, grains, and beans, can block up to 100% of zinc absorption. Zinc is required for testosterone production as well as for activated thyroid hormone.
Reducing Excess Body Fat
Carnivore also helps people lose excess body fat, and body fat is actually your body's largest endocrine organ. It converts testosterone into estrogen through aromatase. Reducing excess body fat, and especially visceral fat, will reduce this conversion of testosterone into estrogen.
Improving Cholesterol
A carnivore diet also improves your cholesterol, and cholesterol is what testosterone is made out of in the first place. Plant cholesterols cannot be used to make testosterone or other hormones, so if you're eating plant fats, this interrupts testosterone production as well.
