Do hard workouts lower your testosterone levels?
Low testosterone levels can lead to muscle loss, poor workouts, and decreased libido. Learn how to raise your testosterone levels without testosterone boosters or rehabilitation.
So, you're giving your all at the gym, and you have and follow a good diet plan. Everything seems fine, right? Not always. Countless athletes overdo these two aspects and often face long-term damage to the entire process. We're not talking about injuries! We're talking about hormones!
Studies have shown that high-intensity training can lead to a significant decrease in testosterone, a hormone essential for muscles. Testosterone is also responsible for your overall health and helps you feel as good as you look. If you don't believe it, just look up information about America's fastest marathoner - Ryan Hall. Ryan recently ended his sports career due to chronic fatigue and low testosterone levels from years of training under such conditions.
Even if you are not a marathon runner, you still risk experiencing the same or similar consequences that Ryan did, but that's not the solution! There are many ways you can maintain your testosterone levels while continuing intense and strong workouts, even if you don't want to use doctor-prescribed medications or buy testosterone boosters from a supplement store.
So, let's reveal a few simple ways that will help you look and feel better!
WHAT IS TESTOSTERONE?
Testosterone is a hormone responsible for sperm production in the testes and plays a major role in your reproductive system, libido, and sexual function. It also plays a big role in protein synthesis, which affects your workouts, bone density, and ability to gain muscle mass.
Simply put, sufficient testosterone greatly aids strength, muscle, and sexual function, but insufficient levels (hypogonadism) can lead to very significant side effects. For example: sexual dysfunction, infertility, stunted growth, low bone-mineral density, decreased muscle mass, and reduced strength. You may also feel less energetic, experience depression, and have trouble sleeping.
Testosterone Rehabilitation: Probably Not the Best Option.
Due to low libido, erectile dysfunction, and fatigue, some men try testosterone rehabilitation (also known as androgen replacement therapy) to raise their testosterone levels. Rehabilitation can include: supplements, creams, gels, injections, patches, or tablets.
Don't think that all your problems can end after such rehabilitation. Reaching for any supplement or product that gives you more of what your body naturally produces (like testosterone) can affect your body's ability to produce it on its own. The use of testosterone products can also reduce sperm production, which can affect your fertility - not something worth risking.
Testosterone rehabilitation may not address all symptoms experienced due to low testosterone levels. A 2001 study showed that high doses of testosterone worked well in increasing muscle mass but had no effect on sexual intercourse or desire.
Then problems arise with research. Only with a diagnosis of hypogonadism (a condition indicating that the body produces too little testosterone) does the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) permit the use of testosterone supplements if it is due to a congenital anomaly, testicular insufficiency, or consequences after radiation and/or chemotherapy. If you are considering participating in competitions – consider whether it is really worth using testosterone supplements.
A Cure for Low Testosterone: Try Eating More
While much research needs to be done, there is a possibility that for some men, low testosterone levels can be simply raised by eating more and monitoring their physical activity level.
Similar studies were conducted in another laboratory. They investigated the potential consequences among very active men with low testosterone levels. The studies showed that a man exhibiting a hypogonadal state and running more than 65 km per week consumed no more calories per day than a sedentary (physically inactive) person, even though they burned about 1000 calories per day during a single run (which should certainly increase appetite and the desire to eat, and consequently, calorie intake should increase). For these active men, increasing their daily calorie intake would be the first good step in addressing their low testosterone symptoms.
So, make sure your diet matches your activity level. To get started, calculate how many carbohydrates, proteins, and fats your body needs per day, track your workouts, and try to work and eat that way every day.
By the way, if you heard that you need a high amount of nutritious cholesterol to boost testosterone, studies of runners using a high-fat diet found that athletes still had problems with low testosterone. So it seems that the solution is to consume food with all the necessary calories for the body, not just fat intake.
Next Step: Talk to Your Doctor!
If you have low testosterone levels, try consuming more calories and monitoring your physical activity. If that doesn't work, consult a doctor. Enclomiphene citrate, available only by prescription, has been found to raise testosterone levels without the fear of reducing sperm count or losing fertility. It is also considered a safer form than testosterone rehabilitation, which was thought to cause serious side effects, including heart attacks and blood clots.
Most importantly, if you think you have low testosterone levels, you should slow down your pace and first try the simplest, least invasive methods. When the primary solution is as simple as eating more or training less, do not try to look for quick and artificial ways to raise your testosterone levels. In such a case, you risk your health too much.
