Can Working out Increase Your Testosterone Levels?

Testosterone is an important sex hormone that has a crucial role in muscle growth, energy levels, mood, and sex drive. Women also produce testosterone but in much smaller amounts.

Testosterone levels naturally fall with age, but many men are looking for ways to maintain or boost their levels naturally. Exercise is often cited as an effective strategy, but how much does it really help?

What Blood Test Data Shows

Testosterone levels can vary between individuals, but a normal range for adult men is as follows^[1]:

Data from Forth customers who used our Testosterone Blood Test shows testosterone levels drop as men age, from an average of 17.7 nmol/L from ages 18-29 to 16.6 nmol/L at 60-69^[2].

If your levels fall below this range, this could indicate that you have low testosterone levels, also known medically as hypogonadism. Remember that these laboratory ranges are simply guides to help understand where you lie within the population. Just because your level is over 8nmol/L doesn’t mean that your testosterone level is adequate or that you may not benefit from improving your levels.

Hypogonadism can occur at any age and happens when the testicles are not producing enough testosterone, resulting in symptoms such as:

• loss of muscle mass
• low sex drive
• erectile dysfunction
• weight gain
• bone loss and osteoporosis
• mood swings
• low energy and fatigue

Naturally, testosterone levels gradually decline with age in men, falling by about 1% every year from the ages of 30 to 40^[3]. For this reason, some men look for natural ways to boost their testosterone levels to improve their wellbeing. Exercise is one of the popular natural strategies for raising your levels. There are also other factors that can cause testosterone levels to drop including inadequately fuelling for the exercise you’re doing, chronic levels of stress, poor sleep, alcohol and some medications can also cause your levels to fall significantly.

How Exercise Influences Testosterone Levels

Data collected from Forth customers suggests a correlation between regular exercise and healthy testosterone levels. Men who take part in 6 to 10 hours of exercise each week have the highest levels with an average of 19 nmol/L.

Interestingly, less is more because men who took part in more than 10 hours of exercise every week had lower average testosterone levels. This could be due to the increased metabolic demands of training at these levels – especially if being squeezed in around a family and a full-time job. Understanding that there is a sweet spot somewhere in the middle is key to maximising your testosterone levels.

Although men who only complete 0 to 5 hours of weekly exercise have the lowest testosterone levels. There are slight differences when age is accounted for. That’s because testosterone levels increase in the over 60s who complete up to 5 hours of exercise each week.

For men aged 18 to 29, 11 to 15 hours per week correlates with the highest testosterone levels. However, in men ages 50+, getting 6 to 10 hours of physical activity each week is best for maintaining optimum T-levels.

Together this data demonstrates that exercise is a valuable and straightforward tool to promote testosterone levels in men.

How BMI affects testosterone levels

Body mass index can also impact testosterone production. Our data shows that men with a ‘healthy’ BMI had the highest testosterone levels, followed by those in the ‘overweight’ category.

A high BMI is often linked to lower testosterone levels because of an increased conversion of testosterone into oestrogen in fat tissue, leading to a reduction in free and total testosterone levels^[4]. Data collected from Forth customers reflects this, with men defined as obese, having the lowest testosterone levels.

However, BMI can be misleading because it doesn’t differentiate between muscle and fat. Because muscle weighs more than fat, someone who appears very fit may still fall into the overweight category because of their muscle mass.

What Research Data Shows

Exercise, particularly resistance training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), has been shown to stimulate testosterone production. Research suggests that resistance training can lead to optimal testosterone increases, but this effect may be less pronounced in older or obese men^[5].

Certain types of exercise also have a greater impact than others. A 2020 literature review found that testosterone levels increased after moderate and high-intensity exercise but not after mild or low-intensity activity. These spikes occurred within 30 minutes post-exercise but did not persist, highlighting that long-term benefits require consistent training. Therefore, exercise intensity plays a key role in testosterone production^[6].

However, pushing too hard without adequate recovery can disrupt hormone balance, leading to a drop in testosterone levels. This can affect your muscle development, energy levels, and overall performance.

Overtraining may also contribute to relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S), a condition caused by insufficient calorie intake and/or excessive energy expenditure^[7]. This affects both men and women, but in men, can lead to hypogonadism with very low testosterone levels^[8].

Best Types of Exercise for Boosting Testosterone

Not all exercises are created equal when it comes to boosting testosterone. The most effective exercises are those that engage large muscle groups, involve high intensity, and promote strength development. Incorporating the right types of training may help maximise testosterone production and support your overall hormone balance.

Here are some of the best exercises you can do to support healthy testosterone levels.

1. Strength Training (Resistance & Weight Lifting)

Choose compound movements like:

• squats
• deadlifts
• bench presses

2. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

HIIT can increase testosterone levels in men by combining short bursts of intense exercise followed by rest^[9] in men.

Compared to cardio training, HIIT has a superior effect on testosterone levels. There is little evidence to suggest that carotid-based exercise increases testosterone, and too much may have the opposite effect on your hormonal balance.

3. Avoiding Excessive Endurance Exercise

Recovery is a key part of maintaining hormone balance because overtraining or endurance exercise can increase cortisol and suppress testosterone levels.

Balance is key. Completing moderate intensity or endurance training with resistance training will give you the best results. You should also pay attention to other factors that may impact hormone levels, such as diet and sleep.

Increasing Your Testosterone Levels Naturally

You can increase your testosterone naturally with:

• Diet – Eat a diet that is rich in protein (essential for muscle growth and recovery), healthy fats (to support normal hormone production). And micronutrients like zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D (all crucial for testosterone production).
• Sleep – Poor sleep can impact normal testosterone production. In young men, getting just 5 hours sleep a night resulted in a 10 to 15% reduction in daytime testosterone levels^[10]. Prioritising healthy sleep is essential. Most research suggests around 7 hours of sleep is optimal. However, more than 9.9 hours of sleep may negatively impact testosterone levels in older men^[11].
• Stress management – Chronic or long-term stress can increase cortisol, the stress hormone. Cortisol can quickly reduce your testosterone levels, so it is important to manage your stress levels with exercise, sleep, practicing mindfulness, and breathing exercises.
• Avoiding performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) – Despite anabolic steroids and synthetic testosterone increasing levels, they can have several negative health consequences^[12] and can have a wider impact on your hormonal balance and endocrine system^[13].
• Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) – Some men over 50 may want to consider TRT if they are struggling to increase their testosterone levels naturally, but this should be medically supervised.

Testing your Testosterone

Abnormal testosterone levels are usually diagnosed with a full blood test after a GP consultation. In men, it may be requested if you are experiencing symptoms like erectile dysfunction, suspected infertility, or the andropause (the “Male Menopause”). While in women a testosterone test may help to diagnose menopause or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

You can also assess your testosterone levels through a home blood test, such as:

• Testosterone Blood Test
• Male Hormone Blood Test
• Female Hormone Test

A simple finger prick test is a hassle-free and accurate way to measure your testosterone levels at home to help you get a better understanding of your hormone health.

Conclusion

Exercise, particularly resistance training and HIIT, can boost testosterone levels when combined with a healthy lifestyle. However, excessive endurance training or overtraining without proper recovery can have the opposite effect. Maintaining a balanced approach to fitness, diet, sleep, and stress is key to naturally optimising your testosterone levels.