Does Working Out Increase Testosterone levels?

Does Working Out Increase Testosterone Levels?

In females, while estrogen and progesterone are primary sex hormones, testosterone contributes to libido, energy levels, and overall vitality9. Thus, maintaining an optimal testosterone balance is crucial for sustaining physiological equilibrium and promoting general well-being. Maintaining an optimal testosterone balance is vital for muscle health, metabolic function, sexual health, mood regulation, and overall quality of life in both men and women10,11. Multiple scientific studies have shown that exercise can indeed increase testosterone levels. When we engage in physical activity, our body responds by releasing various hormones, including testosterone. The intensity and duration of exercise can significantly impact the magnitude of this increase.

This can be especially beneficial if you engage in resistance training or other forms of physical activity that require a lot of energy and strength. If you’re wondering whether working out can increase testosterone levels, you’re not alone. Many people are interested in the relationship between exercise and testosterone. Here, we’ll explore the science behind testosterone production and how working out affects testosterone levels. Some types of exercise are better than others when it comes to increasing testosterone. Research has shown exercise that involves more muscle groups, at moderate to high intensity, with short rest intervals is the most optimal way to increase testosterone production (3).

Participants who accumulated these brief sessions throughout the week experienced an 18% lower risk of dying during the study period, a 40% lower risk of developing heart disease and a 16% drop in cancer risk. Vigorous-intensity activities (meaning they make you breathe harder and increase your heart rate) can include brisk walking, jogging, cycling, rowing, swimming and dancing. A commercial testosterone product intended for men is another option, but never do this without a prescription from a health care professional. So while I do sometimes prescribe a product meant for guys, it is not convenient, as one must be very precise about the dosage.

According to a study published in Clinical Endocrinology, obese men between the ages of 14 and 20 have up to 50 percent less testosterone than their peers (4). By keeping your weight in check, you can typically expect more normal levels of T. Those who regularly do strength training see bigger testosterone jumps after working out4. This is because regular strength training helps the body respond better to exercise.

Essentially, this means moving your body with weights to make those movements harder. A bicep curl with a dumbbell is harder than with an empty hand, for instance. The heavier the weight/greater the resistance, the more our muscles are forced to adapt, making them grow stronger over time. In today’s fast-paced world, finding time for exercise can be challenging. This probably explains why short workouts continue to be so popular. But can workouts of only 10 or 15 minutes really help you get fit? Short workouts can be very effective – offering numerous health benefits with just a small time commitment.

Sydney Bueckert is a qualified fitness instructor with her BS in Exercise Science, C.S.C.S, NASM-C.P.T., C.E.S., male secondary characteristics (https://um.com.co/) F.N.S., and G.P.T.S., who specializes in human performance and corrective exercise. How you pair your heavy lifts with training volume and rest impacts T, too. “Testosterone levels are affected by exercise, but ongoing work is needed to really understand what is happening,” says Edward Cherullo, M.D., chair of urology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Talk to your doctor to get tested for your baseline T levels before you take any action to increase or otherwise modify your T levels. But having T levels that are too high can actually be harmful, especially in women.

This shows that too much fat can hurt the testosterone boost from exercise. Knowing how exercise affects testosterone is key to getting the most out of your workouts. In women, there is less testosterone, but it must be balanced with other hormones. Thus, testosterone actually plays a significant role in the health and functioning of the ovaries.

Focus on training with free weights like dumbbells or barbells in place of machines. One small study found that men who trained with free weights experienced a higher T response than those who trained with machines (8). Free weights offer a more unstable training environment which enhances muscle recruitment during your workout. Research has found that strength-training workouts may have a bigger effect on testosterone in the evening. As a result, the brief boost from your exercise session might be even bigger if you schedule it after work instead of early in the morning, Isaacs says. Still, exercise offers many other health benefits for older men, including bone and muscle health and better balance. “Sometimes it’s 15 minutes after exercise that testosterone is elevated. Sometimes it can be up to an hour,” says Todd Schroeder, PhD, who studies exercise and hormones in older men at the University of Southern California.

Increased testosterone levels can have a direct effect on multiple aspects of health, including physical performance, mood, and even sexual health. These findings parallel hormonal responses observed in men, accounting for sex-related concentration differences. By highlighting the role of testosterone in female exercise physiology, this study underscores its significance in women’s health and performance. Future research should further refine integrated exercise approaches to optimize hormonal regulation and enhance musculoskeletal health outcomes in women. This study investigated the effects of an integrated exercise approach on total testosterone fluctuations across different phases of the menstrual cycle in eumenorrheic females. The key outcome of the study is that total testosterone levels transiently increase immediately after exercise but decline below baseline within 24 h during recovery. The discussion of the key results is appended below under different subsections.

Younger people usually see bigger testosterone boosts from working out. So, older folks might not get the same hormone benefits from exercise. Age, body type, and how long you’ve been training also affect testosterone from exercise9. Knowing these things helps you make your workouts better for testosterone and overall health. Studies show that moderate-intensity resistance exercise boosts testosterone right away. The type, amount, and rest between sets also play a role in how testosterone changes5.