The 6 Fatal Nutrition Mistakes that Crash Testosterone & Kill Your Gains
Frustrated with hitting plateaus in the gym despite putting in the work? You're not alone. For many men, the path to a stronger, leaner physique feels like an uphill battle - and your diet might be to blame.
But what if I told you that the same eating habits you think are helping achieve your goals could actually be destroying your testosterone levels and undermining your progress? It's a common struggle I see every day, where well-intentioned dietary choices end up working against your body's natural hormone production.
But here's the good news: you don't need a complete dietary overhaul or complicated meal plans. Often, it's just a matter of identifying and fixing a few key nutritional mistakes that are holding you back.
In this guide, I'll reveal the six most common nutritional culprits to blame that could be crashing your testosterone and stealing your gains - and more importantly, show you exactly how to fix them.
#1: Extreme Diet Trends That Sabotage Your Gains
By now, you've likely already heard about the "magic" of popular diets like keto, paleo, or intermittent fasting for rapidly shedding unwanted kilos or building muscle. However, jumping on the bandwagon of extreme diet trends without first understanding your body's nutritional needs can be counterproductive.
Take intermittent fasting, for instance, which in recent years has skyrocketed in popularity and simply involves not eating for a designated window of time each day, typically anywhere between 8 to 16 hours.
While effective for weight loss due to the harsh calorie restriction, a 2022 study found that intermittent fasting could reduce free testosterone levels by 1 to 27% in active young males. This isn't ideal, considering the potential negative trade-offs on men's mental, physical, and sexual health for the sake of dropping a few kilos.
A result that could also be easily achieved while eating regular meals within the boundary of a daily calorie deficit, just big enough for fat loss to occur.
SOLUTION
Fad diets come and go, but they are no substitute for a well-balanced diet.
Although certain diet trends might seem quite seductive at first, you're far better off adopting a balanced diet approach that ensures you meet your nutritional needs and support long-term health.
#2: Starving your muscle by skipping breakfast
The word "protein" comes from the Greek "proteios," meaning "primary" or "of first rank," while "breakfast" means to "break a fast."
Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the body's building blocks that all our body's cells, hormones, and enzymes are made of, making it essential for growth, repair, and general health. This repair process means our bodies are in a constant state of "protein turnover," breaking down and rebuilding structures which is protein dependent.
Since muscle is stored protein, every time you don't eat enough protein or skip a meal, you run the risk of tearing down muscle to supply your body with the protein required to meet your body's other protein demands such as liver detoxification.
The longer you go without protein between meals, the higher that risk increases. Which is why breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.
SOLUTION
Kickstart your morning with enough protein to support muscle synthesis and recovery by aiming for 1–2 palm-sized portions of animal-based protein, like steak, mince, or eggs.
If meat first thing in the morning isn't appealing, try high-protein yogurt or a whey protein shake as convenient alternatives.
#3: Fat Phobia
In the 1950s, scientists began raising concerns linking saturated fat to the development of heart disease. Although this has been challenged in recent years, the effect it has had on demonizing dietary fat in the public eye remains.
Much like how protein provides the building blocks to build muscle, dietary fat provides the backbone for the synthesis of hormones that are central in regulating mood, appetite, metabolism, sexual function, and even the distribution of body fat.
A relationship which is well established in studies demonstrating a direct link between low-fat diets and decreased testosterone levels in men. To put this simply, if you don't eat enough of the right types and amounts of fat, you may be effectively castrating yourself by impairing testosterone production.
SOLUTION
Balance your fat intake by including a variety of sources like omega-3s, saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats from foods like fish, avocados, nuts, olives, and coconut oil.
#4: When Eating Big Backfires
Trying to find the balance between a "lean bulk" and eating big to get big can be a slippery slope. But if your belly is growing faster than your biceps—you're eating TOO much!
While a calorie surplus is essential to build muscle, overconsuming calories can quickly lead to spilling over into unwanted fat gain. This will inevitably result in having to diet longer and harder to shed the fat, while increasing the likelihood of losing some of the muscle you worked so hard to build in the first place.
So how much is too much? Since muscle growth happens gradually, you only require a relatively small calorie surplus to get the job done. Anywhere between 200–300 calories above your daily maintenance while building muscle is likely more than enough to fuel your workouts and support growth without accumulating any excess fat.
RECOMMENDATION
Use a calorie calculator to estimate your daily maintenance calories and aim to hit that target for a minimum two-week period.
If bodyweight remains stable, you're likely at maintenance. Increase intake by 100 calories per day above your maintenance until your average weekly rate of gain falls within 0.2–0.5kg per week.
If bodyweight drops consistently, you're probably in a calorie deficit or eating below maintenance. Increase intake by 100 calories per day above your current intake until your weight stabilizes. Then follow the steps outlined above to establish a small surplus to gain.
If you increase calories and your weight continues to escalate above 0.5kg per week, you are probably eating TOO much, which will result in unnecessary fat gain. In this case, reduce your daily calorie intake by 100 calories per day approximately until your average weekly rate of gain falls within 0.2–0.5kg per week.
#5: Replacing Your Plate with pills
Aside from emptying your wallet, over-reliance on supplements to compensate for a poor diet can leave you vulnerable to nutrient deficiencies. For example, a whey protein supplement can be beneficial if you aren't able to meet your daily protein intake through food sources. But compared gram-for-gram, protein powders lack a lot of additional nutrients important for growth and recovery that are found in animal protein, like iron, zinc, B12, and carnitine.
So although supplements definitely have value, as their name states, they are intended to supplement your diet—not replace it.
RECOMMENDATION
Focus on whole food sources for most of your diet, using supplements sparingly to address specific deficiencies.
Consult with your doctor before starting new supplements or making dietary changes to ensure they're suitable and don't interact with medications.
#6: Liquid Self-Sabotage
#2: Starving your muscle by skipping breakfast
The word "protein" comes from the Greek "proteios," meaning "primary" or "of first rank," while "breakfast" means to "break a fast."
Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the body's building blocks that all our body's cells, hormones, and enzymes are made of, making it essential for growth, repair, and general health. This repair process means our bodies are in a constant state of "protein turnover," breaking down and rebuilding structures which is protein dependent.
Since muscle is stored protein, every time you don't eat enough protein or skip a meal, you run the risk of tearing down muscle to supply your body with the protein required to meet your body's other protein demands such as liver detoxification.
The longer you go without protein between meals, the higher that risk increases. Which is why breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.
RECOMMENDATION
Kickstart your morning with enough protein to support muscle synthesis and recovery by aiming for 1–2 palm-sized portions of animal-based protein, like steak, mince, or eggs.
If meat first thing in the morning isn't appealing, try high-protein yogurt or a whey protein shake as convenient alternatives.
#3: Fat Phobia
In the 1950s, scientists began raising concerns linking saturated fat to the development of heart disease. Although this has been challenged in recent years, the effect it has had on demonizing dietary fat in the public eye remains.
Much like how protein provides the building blocks to build muscle, dietary fat provides the backbone for the synthesis of hormones that are central in regulating mood, appetite, metabolism, sexual function, and even the distribution of body fat.
A relationship which is well established in studies demonstrating a direct link between low-fat diets and decreased testosterone levels in men. To put this simply, if you don't eat enough of the right types and amounts of fat, you may be effectively castrating yourself by impairing testosterone production.
RECOMMENDATION
Balance your fat intake by including a variety of sources like omega-3s, saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats from foods like fish, avocados, nuts, olives, and coconut oil.
#4: When Eating Big Backfires
Trying to find the balance between a "lean bulk" and eating big to get big can be a slippery slope. But if your belly is growing faster than your biceps—you're eating TOO much!
While a calorie surplus is essential to build muscle, overconsuming calories can quickly lead to spilling over into unwanted fat gain. This will inevitably result in having to diet longer and harder to shed the fat, while increasing the likelihood of losing some of the muscle you worked so hard to build in the first place.
So how much is too much? Since muscle growth happens gradually, you only require a relatively small calorie surplus to get the job done. Anywhere between 200–300 calories above your daily maintenance while building muscle is likely more than enough to fuel your workouts and support growth without accumulating any excess fat.
RECOMMENDATION
Use a calorie calculator to estimate your daily maintenance calories and aim to hit that target for a minimum two-week period.
If bodyweight remains stable, you're likely at maintenance. Increase intake by 100 calories per day above your maintenance until your average weekly rate of gain falls within 0.2–0.5kg per week.
If bodyweight drops consistently, you're probably in a calorie deficit or eating below maintenance. Increase intake by 100 calories per day above your current intake until your weight stabilizes. Then follow the steps outlined above to establish a small surplus to gain.
If you increase calories and your weight continues to escalate above 0.5kg per week, you are probably eating TOO much, which will result in unnecessary fat gain. In this case, reduce your daily calorie intake by 100 calories per day approximately until your average weekly rate of gain falls within 0.2–0.5kg per week.
#5: Replacing Your Plate with pills
Aside from emptying your wallet, over-reliance on supplements to compensate for a poor diet can leave you vulnerable to nutrient deficiencies. For example, a whey protein supplement can be beneficial if you aren't able to meet your daily protein intake through food sources. But compared gram-for-gram, protein powders lack a lot of additional nutrients important for growth and recovery that are found in animal protein, like iron, zinc, B12, and carnitine.
So although supplements definitely have value, as their name states, they are intended to supplement your diet—not replace it.
RECOMMENDATION
Focus on whole food sources for most of your diet, using supplements sparingly to address specific deficiencies.
Consult with your doctor before starting new supplements or making dietary changes to ensure they're suitable and don't interact with medications.
#6: Liquid Self-Sabotage
Current guidelines provided by the National Health and Medical Research Council on the recommended number of alcoholic drinks healthy men and women should drink is less than 10 standard drinks a week and 4 standard drinks on any given day.
However, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, men drink far more alcohol than women, frequently exceeding the current guidelines intended to reduce the risk of harm or injury. Since alcohol is socially acceptable and readily available, the pressure to drink at social events can be hard to resist. Although moderate alcohol consumption is generally safe, building muscle is challenging enough—and when a couple of drinks turns into a carton, excessive drinking becomes a real problem.
Studies show that drinking more than seven standard drinks per week can reduce semen volume and suppress sex hormones including testosterone, follicular stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone—while increasing estrogen levels. These hormonal shifts can affect how your body stores fat, particularly leading to increased fat storage in the chest, known as gynecomastia or "man boobs."
Most men also don't realize just how calorie-dense alcohol is. At 7 calories per gram, it contains nearly double the calories of protein or carbs! Add in a few mixers like cola or fruit juice, and a few drinks can quickly send your daily calorie intake soaring.
What's worse, alcohol provides "empty calories"—meaning you consume calories with zero nutritional benefit. It also depletes your body of essential nutrients required for muscle growth and recovery, including B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc.
Ultimately, the less you drink, the lower your risk of harm and negative health consequences that work against what you are trying to achieve in the gym.
SOLUTION
Based on the research, it may be a good idea to limit alcohol intake to less than 7 standard drinks per week to avoid negative hormonal effects.
Ready to take control of your testosterone and maximise your gains? These six nutritional fixes are your blueprint for success. By implementing these evidence-based strategies, you'll be well on your way to optimising your hormones and unlocking your bodies full potential.
The path to a stronger, leaner physique starts with your next meal and small tweaks done consistently over time create massive change. So take action today - audit your current nutrition habits and make one simple change at a time.
Remember, consistency beats perfection and your future self will thank you for the small steps you take now that will steer you in the direction of building your dream physique.