Have you thought about how exercise affects your testosterone? Testosterone is key for muscle, bone health, and feeling good. So, does resistance training or endurance training boost testosterone more? Let’s look at the science to find out.
Key Takeaways
- Resistance training boosts testosterone in young and older men.
- Free weight exercises lead to a bigger hormonal boost than machine exercises.
- Endurance training can raise testosterone, but not as long as resistance training.
- How hard and long you exercise, and your age and weight, affect testosterone.
- Doing both resistance training and HIIT might be best for hormones in men and women.
Research shows interesting facts about exercise and testosterone. We’ll dive into these findings to learn how to boost your hormones through exercise. Testosterone helps with mood swings, and knowing how exercise affects it is key for health.
We’ll look at how different exercises affect hormones and long-term changes. By the end, you’ll know how to choose exercises that help your testosterone1.
Understanding Testosterone Production and Exercise Response
Testosterone is a key hormone made mainly in the testicles for men and ovaries for women. It’s vital for muscle growth and male traits. Exercise affects testosterone levels in many ways, like age and exercise type2.
Resistance training boosts testosterone, but cardio might not3. Some exercises raise testosterone, while others lower it3. Strength and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) increase testosterone, but cardio can lower it3.
Testosterone spikes during exercise but returns to normal soon3. Exercise alone doesn’t raise testosterone long-term. But, staying healthy and fit can help3.
Resistance training is best for boosting testosterone4. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) also raises testosterone, but it depends on fitness4. While cardio might increase testosterone, the evidence is weaker than for resistance training4.
Healthy testosterone levels are key for muscle and strength gain from exercise4. Testosterone rises with exercise, but many factors influence this change4.
How Resistance Training Affects Testosterone Levels
Resistance training boosts testosterone in both men and women. Weight training’s impact on testosterone levels is significant. It boosts motivation, confidence, muscle building, and brain health.
Acute Hormonal Response to Weight Training
One 30-minute weightlifting session can raise testosterone by up to 21.6% in men and 16.7% in women5. This effect lasts about 15 minutes to an hour. Younger people see a bigger spike5.
Long-term Adaptations
Regular resistance training increases testosterone levels over time5. Active men have higher testosterone than inactive ones5. Exercise is better than diet for obese men’s testosterone5.
Optimal Training Parameters
To boost testosterone, focus on moderate to high-intensity workouts6. Do compound exercises like squats and rows6. Lift heavy weights for three sets to increase testosterone6.
While the immediate testosterone boost is short, regular weight training raises baseline levels56. Balance your training, recover well, and consider sleep and nutrition for healthy testosterone56.
Endurance Training’s Effect on Male Hormones
Resistance training boosts testosterone in men, but endurance training’s impact is still being studied. Studies show that long endurance workouts can mess with the body’s hormone system7.
Men who do a lot of endurance training might have lower testosterone levels. This could be because of problems with the body’s hormone control8. But, there’s no clear proof that endurance training hurts hormone levels for good7.
Interestingly, endurance exercise can first raise testosterone, then lower it during long workouts8. This shows how complex the link between endurance and male hormones is.
It’s key to know how different exercises affect testosterone. By mixing resistance training with smart supplements, men can use exercise to boost their hormones and fitness7.
Parameter | Control Group | Training Group |
---|---|---|
Serum Testosterone Levels | Unchanged | Significantly Increased |
Sexual Function | No Change | Improved Orgasmic Performance and Total Score |
Body Composition | No Change | Decreased Fat Mass and Waist-to-Hip Ratio |
Cardiovascular Fitness | No Change | Increased VO2max |
Muscle Strength and Lean Body Mass | No Change | Significantly Increased |
The research shows that a mix of resistance and endurance training can improve hormones and health7.
Knowing how different exercises affect hormones helps people make better choices for their fitness and health8.
Comparing Exercise Modalities for Hormonal Optimization
Choosing the right exercise can really boost testosterone levels. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a top choice. Studies show it can greatly increase testosterone in men.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT can raise total testosterone by about 17%9. Free testosterone goes up by around 4.5% too9. But, cortisol levels stay the same, showing HIIT boosts testosterone without adding stress9.
Combined Training Approaches
Mixing resistance and endurance training can balance hormonal benefits. Men who do regular resistance training see big testosterone jumps10. Exercise in general boosts testosterone and other good hormones10.
Population-Specific Considerations
The testosterone boost from exercise varies by age, body type, and fitness level. For example, those who do resistance training see bigger testosterone jumps10. Exercise also boosts endorphins, energy, muscle growth, and overall health10.
In short, combining HIIT with resistance and endurance training is best for testosterone. Knowing how exercise affects different people helps tailor workouts for better results.
Conclusion
Resistance training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are top choices for boosting testosterone, especially in men11. The way exercise affects hormones depends on many things like the type and how hard it is12. The lasting effect on testosterone levels can differ a lot.
It’s key to think about personal goals and health when picking exercises for hormonal benefits13. Doing regular resistance training, like squats and bench presses, can really help raise testosterone levels11. HIIT workouts can also increase testosterone by 15-25%, with effects lasting 30-60 minutes after11.
Knowing how resistance training and strength training impact testosterone helps in making better exercise plans. A mix of resistance training and HIIT might be the best way to keep testosterone levels healthy.
Source Links
- Various Factors May Modulate the Effect of Exercise on Testosterone Levels in Men – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7739287/
- Does Working Out Lift Men’s Testosterone Levels? – https://www.webmd.com/men/features/exercise-and-testosterone
- How Exercise Really Affects Your Testosterone, According to Doctors – https://www.menshealth.com/health/a42758649/does-working-out-increase-testosterone/
- How a testosterone blood test can inform your fitness goals – https://www.ondemand.labcorp.com/blog/how-a-testosterone-blood-test-can-inform-your-fitness-goals?srsltid=AfmBOoobhSog7rAkIkEfGimLNjhIri0PB92sxPP3DHtqimJvgfaJ2RZK
- How Exercise Impacts Testosterone Levels, According to an Endocrinologist – https://www.onepeloton.com/blog/does-working-out-increase-testosterone/
- Can Exercise Increase Your Testosterone?: Men’s T Clinic®: Testosterone Replacement – https://www.menstclinic.com/blog/can-exercise-increase-your-testosterone
- PDF – https://www.advrehab.org/Journal/-125/pdf-46368-10?filename=Parastesh_pdf.pdf
- Effects of Dominance and Sprint Interval Exercise on Testosterone and Cortisol Levels in Strength-, Endurance-, and Non-Training Men – https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/7/961
- Exercise training improves free testosterone in lifelong sedentary aging men – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5510446/
- 12 Exercises That Support Hormone Therapy for Men – https://biorestorehealth.com/newtown-connecticut/12-exercises-that-support-hormone-therapy-for-men/
- Does Working Out Increase Testosterone? The Surprising Truth – Total T Clinic – https://www.totaltclinic.com/does-working-out-increase-testosterone/
- Effects of Exercise Training on Anabolic and Catabolic Hormones with Advanced Age: A Systematic Review – Sports Medicine – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-021-01612-9
- Effects of Resistance Training on Adiponectin, Testosterone and Cortisol Levels in Untrained Men – https://mlj.goums.ac.ir/article-1-875-en.html
I've been fascinated by natural male hormone optimization since 2016. And ever since I've been going through boatloads of different meta-analyses and scientific data associated with increasing testosterone levels naturally. I hold a PhD degree in public health and have 10+ scientific publications on Google Scholar. Thus, in my collective work here you'll find helpful tricks, natural remedies, detailed product reviews (including stuff I've personally tried)... and more!