You don’t have to inject anything to raise testosterone. Low-T men often report fatigue, irritability, and a general sense of apathy. When levels dip, so does your willingness to crush deadlifts or smile at your gym crush. Low testosterone doesn’t just sabotage your gains—it messes with your mind. An effective workout routine for boosting testosterone should include a combination of resistance training and high-intensity exercises. To really maximize your testosterone levels through exercise, it’s about finding the right balance between intensity, consistency, and recovery. Managing stress through mindfulness, relaxation techniques, and regular exercise can help keep cortisol in check and let your testosterone levels stay in their optimal range. High cortisol levels can lead to muscle breakdown, fat gain, and a decrease in libido – none of which are good for testosterone. However, interventions that are specifically designed to target both aerobic and muscular components of health may be more beneficial than either modality in isolation, particularly for improvement in tasks of daily living 88, 136. Although some will atrophy, denervated muscle fibres may also be adopted by other surviving motor neurons, resulting in larger motor units . A gradual decrease in the number of muscle fibres begins during the 5th decade of life with an approximate 50% reduction by 80 years . The selective atrophy of type II muscle fibres with age decreases the maximum relaxation rate , which can be ascribed to decreased sarcoplasmic reticulum activity and reduced sliding speed of actin on myosin 127, 128. Interpretation of this disparate literature should be compared to the results of an RCT comparing exercise and T effects, summarised in Fig. Where a positive impact is indicated for T or exercise, there is typically evidence that the benefits are dependent on dose, and in the case of T, also on route of administration (favouring intramuscular injection). Kumagai et al. investigated the effect of a 12-week aerobic exercise intervention on circulating serum testosterone concentrations in overweight/obese men. Thus, although low basal testosterone concentration is likely due to HPA suppression and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism during chronic exercise, additional contributing factors affecting the serum testosterone concentrations in the absence of LH suppression are yet to be determined. Interestingly, the sex hormone binding globulin levels did not decrease with declining T-Testo, reflecting that the serum testosterone changes are not related to the variation in serum binding globulin. The effect of exercise on serum testosterone concentrations in older men is not clearly understood. Studies investigating the effect of exercise on serum testosterone concentrations in overweight and obese individuals also show conflicting results. Others have demonstrated that an increase in serum testosterone concentrations is not secondary to increased production rate 55,56. That may be the mechanism that pumps up levels of testosterone, but because it’s not continuous, the levels drop after a while. "Some men maintain good levels of testosterone well into their 80s, and others are low in their late 20s," he says. "So it isn’t just about sexuality or strength—it’s a very generalized hormone." One of testosterone’s lesser-known but equally important roles is in fat metabolism. If you’ve noticed that your once-reliable energy reserves now feel depleted halfway through a workout, hormone health may be the missing piece of the puzzle. Men with Low T frequently report early fatigue, reduced exercise capacity, and an overall loss of drive. When testosterone is low, however, your body may start to resist progress—even if you’re putting in consistent effort. Exercise is only one factor that influences hormone health. For most people, the healthiest approach is to combine different types of exercise. So unless you’re training for the Marathon of Mediocrity, consider swapping out some long runs for explosive, strength-based circuits. Excessive endurance exercise—yes, that daily 10K—may suppress testosterone over time. Resistance training, especially heavy compound movements like squats and deadlifts, has been shown to stimulate acute testosterone spikes. Our results , and others, suggest that the addition of T at a physiological dose neither increases nor diminishes the effect of exercise on VO2peak. In contrast, there is a mature evidence-base which supports the role of exercise in improving aerobic fitness. In contrast, but also in line with previous research 153–158, we reported a 13% (3.2 mL/kg/min) increase in VO2peak in the exercise only group and a 10% gain in the T + Ex group (2.5 mL/kg/min) (Fig. 2). Consistent with previous literature, we recently observed that T treatment at a physiological dose did not influence changes in VO2peak in the T alone group (i.e. no exercise intervention) (Fig. 2) 111, 112, 144–146. However, the exercise intervention employed by Hildreth et al. was predominantly resistance-based, which may have reduced the likelihood of observing improvements in aerobic measures . Centrally, modifications in cardiac structure and function 159–161 and heart rate have been reported following exercise training. Improvements in VO2peak following exercise training may arise from central and/or peripheral adaptation. Following a nutritious diet and healthy lifestyle using some of the tips outlined above can help optimize testosterone levels and promote overall health. Other research suggests that several herbal supplements could also help support healthy testosterone levels, including saw palmetto, ginger, and ashwagandha. In a 2021 study, zinc supplementation increased testosterone levels and improved sexual function in postmenopausal women with low blood levels of zinc. Although the potential benefits of multivitamins are hotly debated, certain supplements may be useful for supporting healthy testosterone levels. A healthy balance of protein, fat, and carbs can help optimize your hormone levels and support your overall health. According to a 2020 literature review, the effects on testosterone levels can vary based on several factors, including the type of exercise and the training intensity.
