Does Exercise Boost Testosterone Levels? Everything To Know!
Testosterone-boosting exercises help improve fat metabolism and promote muscle gains which in turn burns excess fat, and more importantly, maximizes the body’s ability to absorb nutrients for optimum benefits.
In order to fix their testosterone deficiency, many men start looking for easy solutions like testosterone boosters given their organic composition and efficacy. However, it is important to understand that these supplements are only completely effective when they are combined with regular and right kinds of exercises aside from an appropriate diet. No amount of supplements or other ways can thus overcome what an active lifestyle can do, because, it improves testosterone synthesis right from its source.
This article focuses on the best testosterone-boosting exercises, their impact on testosterone production, and more.
How Does Exercise Improve Testosterone Levels
Before diving deeper into different kinds of exercises that help in boosting testosterone, it is important to know how the exercises actually help in the process. Here’s how-
Helps Reduce Weight
Obesity has been one of the most common factors responsible for a decline in testosterone production. Working out on a regular basis, particularly, resistance exercises and HIIT), accelerates the fat-burning process and elevates testosterone levels.
Promotes Muscles Growth And Functionality
Regular exercise, especially resistance or high-intensity training helps in building muscles which accelerates testosterone production. It is a known fact that improving testosterone levels increases protein synthesis which in return supports muscle tissue growth or muscle density. Higher muscular strength enables better functionality and you can carry out resistance training for a longer time, lift heavier weights and become more active.
Improves Testosterone Production
As mentioned earlier, leading an active lifestyle is key to hormone health. Intense physical activities like weight lifting, push-ups, and other resistance exercises stimulate the rapid production of testosterone. It also helps maintain the testosterone levels long-term.
Increases Endurance
The more you work out, the more the tolerance levels of your body increase. This means that you can perform higher-intensity workouts for a longer period of time. Also, testosterone production improves the blood flow which increases the oxygen levels in the blood. It then helps in faster recovery of muscle tissues post-workout increasing your athletic performance.
Improves Concentration And Confidence
Regular exercise not only raises testosterone levels but also helps in shedding the extra pounds faster. When you start achieving a slimmer body, your confidence level increases which motivates you to hit the gym to push your limits.
Relationship Between Testosterone And Exercise: What Studies Suggest
There are numerous research studies that not only prove that regular exercises have a direct impact on testosterone but also offer various other health benefits which ultimately come down to regulating testosterone production in the body.
A study was conducted in 2012 on the impact of physical exercise on hormones and semen health in both active and sedentary men. It showed that men who are physically active have higher concentrations of testosterone, Luteinizing hormone (LH), and FSH and also higher sperm count when compared to those who led a sedentary lifestyle.
Another clinical trial was conducted to find out the effect of increased physical activity and restricted diet in obese men in a 12-week-long lifestyle change. After 12 weeks, one study found that there was a significant improvement in the testosterone concentration in men on increasing their physical activity. Another study showed that a strict low-calorie diet alone didn’t have any effect on testosterone levels. It, thus, proved that exercises have a higher impact on testosterone levels and restricted calories have no impact on it unless combined with physical exercises.
Research on the “Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Serum Sex Hormones in Men” based on a 12-month clinical trial was conducted on men of age group 40–75 years. The result demonstrated that men who practiced aerobic exercises had an increasing trend when it came to DHT and SHBG and there was no effect on those who remained inactive throughout the study. Aerobics, however, had no effect on serum testosterone concentration.
On the other hand, another research proved that strength training and resistance exercises significantly increase the testosterone response and promote muscle growth in men. A comparative analysis of different types of exercises further supports the variability of testosterone output (long-term or short-term impact).
Exercises That Boost Testosterone Levels
By now you know that physical exercises stimulate testosterone production. Experts suggest that the best ones to amplify testosterone production are multi-joint exercises. These exercises work on the largest muscle groups in the body. However, it is important to know that not all types of exercises give you the same results. While strength or endurance training gives short bursts of testosterone, if you want a prevailing impact, then high-intensity interval training which is performed at short intervals works best.
Below is the list of best testosterone-boosting exercises that will help boost your gains:
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
The most effective form of exercise that gives a long-lasting boost to testosterone is high-intensity interval training, popularly called HIIT.
As the name implies, HIIT is a ‘next level’ cardio workout that involves several rounds of high-intensity exercises with periodic low-intensity movements in between. The less intense activities act as the ‘recovery time’ making your body prepare for the next round of intense ones. So the aim of this type of training is to elevate your heartbeat and breathing by pushing you out of your comfort levels, then gradually bring it back to normal by resting for a short time and repeating the process.
The HIIT exercises include different variations of cardio workouts. The ultimate goal is to perform short intervals of highly intense workouts with light movements in between. This helps in both the short and long-term boosting of testosterone. Aside from this, there are other benefits of HIIT which include:
- Improvement in blood circulation and blood pressure
- Regulated blood sugar levels
- Better cardiovascular health
- Increased physical stamina, muscle and bone strength which improves workout performance
- High calorie burning rate when compared to other exercises
The key, however, is to do just the right amount of HIIT workouts as overdoing it can adversely affect the hormones. These high-intensity exercises have a greater impact on the muscles. As a result, they also promote muscle tissue growth and improve their functionality.
Resistance Training
Testosterone production has a direct correlation with muscles. Bigger muscle mass promotes more testosterone synthesis which is why resistance training is one of the best exercises when you are trying to boost your testosterone levels. This kind of training incorporates pulling or pushing against resistance objects be it body, resistance bands, or weights. It helps build muscles, increase muscle strength, and improve their functionality. That is why resistance training is also known as strength training or weight training. Resistance training is done using free weights, resistance bands, and working against body weight. Training with resistant weights has many payoffs-
- It accelerates muscle mass development
- Increases muscle strength and performance
- Tones body and muscles
- Helps burn fat and improves metabolism
- Improves balance, physical mobility, and joint health
- Relieves stress and promotes sleep
Like HIIT exercises, resistance training also helps in both short and long-term testosterone production. While the increase in muscle size offers a long-term improvement in testosterone synthesis, it also gives short boosts to the hormone levels during and right after the workout session.
How To Maximise The Effects Of Exercise
Undoubtedly, regular exercise is the most important factor when you are working on bringing your testosterone up. The reason is, it not only helps in balancing the hormones but also improves internal body processes and supports weight management. However, combining this with the right kind of diet, good sleeping habits, and supplementation, will help you maximize the effects of exercise and combat the low-testosterone problem from the root while keeping the levels in check.
Healthy Diet
What you eat throughout the day can have a serious impact on your hormone health which is why following a healthy diet is imperative.
Foods rich in essential vitamins and minerals will help in the overall functioning of the system which in turn will help improve testosterone production. Foods high in D-Aspartic acid, Vitamin D, Zinc, Vitamin B6 and B12, magnesium, etc. are known to give a significant spike in testosterone concentration. Some of the best foods that provide one or more of these nutrients include oysters, green leafy vegetables, olive oil, shellfish, red meat, pomegranate, avocado, and fatty fish among others.
On the other hand, diets that are high in sugar, synthetic substances and preservatives, and saturated fat lead to inflammation of body cells. This affects testosterone production by accumulating fat, interfering with metabolic functions, etc.
Proper Sleep
Irregular sleep patterns or lack of proper sleep has numerous disadvantages and hormonal imbalance is one of them. Mental fatigue, high levels of stress, and fluctuation in blood pressure are all associated with unhealthy sleeping habits which in turn reduce the testosterone production in the body. It also makes you lazy and affects your daily workout routine. In addition to that, good sleep helps in faster repair and recovery of muscle tissues which is needed when you need to crush your workout goals every day.
Therefore, aside from eating healthy food and working out consistently, getting abundant sleep holds equal importance when it comes to regulating testosterone.
Supplementations
Even though routine exercise, proper food, and rest are the fundamentals of treating low testosterone issues, at times you may need that extra push especially when you reach a workout plateau.
There are numerous testosterone boosters available in the market that are made from natural ingredients. These supplements help you break the flat curve by maximizing your body’s efforts by providing a nutritional boost. This then opens up the channels in the body that are connected with testosterone response and production.
Conclusion
It is true that exercise is the most important thing for boosting testosterone because it promotes muscle mass building which is directly associated with testosterone synthesis. However, it is important to note that picking the right type of exercise regime will reduce your time and effort and give you optimum results.
Both HIIT and resistance exercises have high muscle-building potential, but many experts count on resistance workouts more and we cannot deny that. However, resistance training needs certain weight training equipment that might require you to hit the gym or have a certain setup. These exercises also need a lot of practice and can be a slow process for beginners. HIIT, on the other hand, involves combinations of different cardio variations and is much easier to start with if working on resistance objects like weights is not your thing.
That said, in order to get optimum outcomes from your workout efforts, it is absolutely essential to lead a healthy life which also involves proper diet and good sleep. Combining all three will surely get your testosterone levels soaring.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which Exercise Is Best For Improving Testosterone?
Testosterone production has a direct relation with muscle mass development. Both HIIT and resistance training are proven to be effective in short and long-term testosterone boosts. That said, resistance training involves weight lifting, or working against various other resistance objects which helps expand muscles faster. This makes it a slightly better one than HIIT.
Can Regular Exercise Alone Help Me Regulate Testosterone?
Although working out regularly is one of the key factors in improving testosterone levels. However, in order to get maximum benefits from your workout efforts, it is important to follow the right diet and have proper rest.
How Much Time Does It Take To Bring Testosterone Back To Normal Levels?
Exercise impacts each person differently which means testosterone levels will change differently for everyone. It also depends on various factors like the intensity of the workout, lifestyle, food, sleep, and testosterone supplementation.