If you have low testosterone levels, there is a good chance you have felt some physical side effects from that. You may have heard that certain physical activity helps combat the depletion, and there is truth in this. There is a link between increasing and fine-tuning an exercise agenda and raising testosterone levels. Below, the relationship is explored in more detail.
What Does Testosterone Do?
There is more to the function of testosterone than just in relation to your sex drive. Of course, that is important, but it also impacts muscle building, strength, energy levels, hair growth, and red blood cells. When levels are low, there are big consequences for anybody from hair loss to weak muscles and even exhaustion too.
Testosterone and Obesity
One of the biggest things that affects testosterone is being overweight. If you are carrying a few extra pounds, it would be beneficial to try to get into some healthier habits if you want to promote an organic increase in T-levels.
How Exercise Plays a Role
Exercise seems to be a natural inhibitor of testosterone, especially when you focus on particular strategies and workout styles such as strength training. Levels have been shown to rise immediately after exercise for anything from fifteen minutes to an hour plus. While it is different for everyone, the link is clear.
Specific Example: Deadlifting
Strength training has a particular impact, and it is encouraged for anyone looking to increase their levels. EURASC’s detailed breakdown of deadlifting explains exactly how purpose-centered exercises like this act as a boost for testosterone within the body. This is especially true if a deadlift session happens in an evening, and the approach should be an accumulative one, increasing duration and lift as your skills build too.
The Deciding Factors
How useful exercise is for your personal testosterone journey depends on four key areas. Read the following and see where you fit in with the categories to understand better how testosterone levels might be impacted in your body.
Age
Exercise is useful at any age for general physical fitness boosts. For older men, for example over 55s, there is a dip in how effective exercise is for boosting testosterone. So, while it may be immediate and clear to see in younger men, the same cannot be said for elder males carrying out the same routine.
Weight
There are clear links between being overweight and low testosterone levels. By taking steps to lose the excess weight and get in shape, the levels will see a big improvement for most people.
Fitness Capacity
For those who are used to working out, and therefore in good shape and peak fitness, there may not be as visible results to be found from your usual exercise routine. It is definitely more impactful for those who are new to working out because the body will embrace the new effects and there will be a more noticeable spike because it’s all new! Workout veterans may just have to push a little harder to see the same signs of increase.
Time of Workout
When you work out is important, because testosterone levels fluctuate naturally over the course of the day. What this means is that, essentially, most people will have higher levels first thing in the morning, when they first wake up. The majority will also see a dip as the day moves into the afternoon. Therefore, the optimal time for a concentrated (preferably strength-based) workout would be in the evening.
Depleting testosterone levels are an organic, somewhat inevitable occurrence. For those noticing significant symptoms and feeling the effects, there is no harm at all in exploring exercise as a method of boosting testosterone and giving your physical health a positive outlet too.
