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Exercise Boosting Testosterone

Boosting Testosterone Levels Through Exercise

The testosterone levels of UK men have dropped by an average of 20% in the last 20 years with more and more younger men experiencing the effects of diminished hormone levels. The NHS spends approximately 20 million annually on testosterone prescription despite some evidence existing that it could do some patients more harm than good. UK singer Robbie Williams injects himself with testosterone twice a week after his GP told him he has the testosterone levels of a 100 year old man.

If you are a male experiencing low levels of testosterone, engaging in regular exercise may help. While doctors and fitness professionals still have a lot to learn about exercise and its effect on testosterone one thing is clear, you need to make exercise a habit in order to reap the rewards. For men with very low hormone levels, exercise alone may not work and they might have to consider making use of medically approved hormone replacement. For men with borderline testosterone levels exercise has the potential to make a significant difference.

Important factors to remember

Your age, weight, fitness level and how you time your workouts are all important factors to consider when looking to boost your testosterone levels via exercise.  If you are overweight, exercise can boost your hormone levels by helping you to shed the unwanted weight.  Older men seem to enjoy a diminished post-exercise boost in testosterone. This is no reason to quit exercising though as the other health benefits of exercising for older individuals are remarkable and includes improved bone and muscle health and better balance.   

Your testosterone levels vary during the course of the day with levels being at their lowest in the afternoon and at their highest in the morning. Research also found that strength-training workouts may have a significantly bigger effect on testosterone in the evening.  If you are not in great shape you may get a bigger, albeit still brief, testosterone boost than a guy who is already in excellent shape.

What exercise is best in boosting testosterone?

High-intensity exercise (especially when combined with intermittent fasting) has been proven to have a positive effect on testosterone levels, unlike aerobics or prolonged exercise which have shown to have very little effect on hormone levels. Intermittent fasting can boost testosterone levels by increasing the production of satiety hormones such as leptin, insulin and adipnectin.  Enjoying a protein-rich meal after exercise can further enhance the testosterone/satiety-boosting impact (it is important to remember that hunger hormones have a negative effect on both your testosterone levels and libido.

Lifting weights and doing other forms of strength training also have a positive effect on your testosterone. Applying certain strategies will give you an even bigger hormone boost from your strength training workouts. Some of the approaches you can use is to aim to use more muscles through full-body workouts, lifting heavier weights rather than just doing many reps and to have shorter rest periods during your workout.

Be careful not to overdo it when you exercise as it can backfire terribly. Elite athletes as well as amateurs who are prone to over-training can experience a substantial drop in their testosterone levels, indicating that they are doing harm to their bodies. In cases such as these individuals will tend to display high cortisol levels. A rise of cortisol can, in itself, lead to decreased hormone levels. Signs of overtraining include excessive soreness, insomnia, trouble recovering from workouts and a decrease in strength in performance.

Unlike women who can experience a drastic drop in hormone levels during menopause, men generally experience a more measured decrease of testosterone levels over a period of time.  The older the individual, the more likely he is to experience low hormone levels. Visit your doctor if you think you may have compromised testosterone levels. He can perform a simple blood test to see whether you need any treatment.

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