Does Working Out Increase Testosterone? Exploring the Facts and Myths

Testosterone production doesn't just affect male sex drive. It’s a hormone that helps with all kinds of important functions: bone density, energy levels, and even mental clarity. Both men and women produce it, but in different amounts.

As people get older, especially men, testosterone levels often start to decrease. This is a natural part of the aging process. However, when those levels drop too low, it can cause problems with your quality of life and cause a variety of symptoms, such as low energy, mood changes, weight gain, and even metabolic syndrome.

With that in mind, here’s the question that plays on people’s minds: does working out increase testosterone? 

Key Takeaways

• Physical activity can boost testosterone, but it's not magic. Resistance training and high-intensity workouts can lead to short-term spikes in testosterone, and over time, that can help support healthy levels.
• Not all workouts are equal. Resistance training (lifting weights) and HIIT (high-intensity interval training) are the most effective for hormonal gains. Long, intense endurance training might reduce testosterone due to elevated stress hormones.
• Body fat influences testosterone levels, and testosterone levels affect body fat. More fat, especially around the belly, can lower testosterone levels. Building lean muscle helps to support better hormonal health.
• Sleep, stress, and food matter just as much as training. Missing sleep or living with constant stress can lower your testosterone, no matter how often you work out. Eating enough healthy fats, proteins, and whole foods gives your body what it needs to produce hormones.
• Testosterone therapy isn’t a shortcut. While it can help to ease symptoms, it's not a replacement for taking care of your body. The basics, like maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, recovery, good food, and sleep, still need to be taken care of.
• More exercise isn’t always better. Overtraining can backfire. Balance intense workouts with proper recovery to keep your body (and hormones) in a good place.

Does Exercise Increase Testosterone Levels?

Extensive research demonstrates that exercise can influence testosterone levels. Although findings are not always consistent, the overall trend is clear: specific types of exercise, when performed appropriately, can lead to temporary increases in testosterone.

Testosterone Levels and Resistance Training

Lifting weights (or resistance training) is probably the best-known method of increasing testosterone levels quickly. When you do a few sets of squats or deadlifts as part of a strength training program, your serum testosterone tends to spike temporarily (Kraemer et al., 2002; West & Phillips, 2012).

This doesn’t translate into a permanent increase after one workout, but with regular training, those temporary increases can contribute to better baseline hormone levels over time.

High Intensity Interval Training and Testosterone Levels

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves performing short bursts of vigorous effort followed by rest periods. These workouts burn fat and stimulate acute hormonal responses like testosterone and growth hormone, especially in physically active men (Cadegiani & Kater, 2017; Hayes et al., 2019).

How Endurance Training and Aerobic Exercise Affect Testosterone Levels

Aerobic exercises such as swimming and jogging may provide modest benefits for men with low testosterone levels. However, it's important to understand the extent of this effect. According to a 2020 meta-analysis by Hayes and Elliott, regular aerobic exercise is associated with a slight increase in testosterone levels, averaging approximately 0.7 to 0.9 nmol/L. This change is relatively small and likely insufficient as a standalone intervention for men with clinically low testosterone.

Intense or prolonged endurance training (such as daily marathon-style long runs) can have the opposite effect. There is evidence that chronic high-intensity exercise may suppress testosterone production, potentially due to increased stress hormones like cortisol (Hackney, 2020; Vaamonde et al., 2012). While moderate aerobic exercise can support overall health and boost testosterone levels, more intense training regimens may contribute to hormonal imbalances.

Testosterone and Body Composition

Here’s something not a lot of people realize: your body fat affects your hormone levels, and vice versa.

People with more body fat, especially around the belly, usually have lower testosterone. This is partly because fat tissue can convert testosterone into estrogen, even in men. That conversion can lead to a downward spiral: more fat leads to less free testosterone, less testosterone means more difficulty losing fat, and less lean body mass (Kelly & Jones, 2015).

By contrast, building lean muscle mass helps with weight loss and maintaining testosterone levels. Resistance training exercises that target multiple muscle groups, like squats, rows, or even pushups, encourage the body to make testosterone, reversing some of the effects of low testosterone levels.

If you’re carrying a little extra weight and follow an exercise program, you might lose fat and see real changes in your hormonal balance and overall health, too.

Realizing the Overall Health Benefits of Physical Activity on Low Testosterone Levels

If going to the gym was the answer, everyone on a weight lifting program would have normal testosterone levels. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. You need to consider several factors as well:

Getting Enough Quality Sleep

Sleep matters more to your testosterone levels than you may realize. If you’re not sleeping well, your resting testosterone levels can decrease, even if you’re training intensively.

Managing Stress

Stress increases the cortisol in your body and affects your hormone levels. If you’re stressed out all the time and barely sleeping, you’re putting your body in survival mode, and your sex hormones are the first to suffer.

Eating to Promote Muscle Growth and Support Testosterone Levels

Food makes a difference, too. Hormones are made from fat and cholesterol, so if your diet is low-fat or full of processed ingredients, your body won’t have the building blocks it needs.

You need healthy fats (think nuts, eggs, avocado, and olive oil) to support testosterone production. Combine that with adequate protein and some complex carbs, and you’ve got a foundation that can support all the gains you’re making in the gym.

Too much alcohol, especially regularly, can interfere with your hormone levels. Having a drink occasionally is fine, but regularly binge drinking harms your health.

What About Testosterone Therapy?

Some men ask about testosterone therapy when they’re feeling off. It’s a valid option for people with testosterone deficiency that doesn’t improve with lifestyle changes. TRT is most effective when you look after your general health.

References

• Kraemer, W. J., Ratamess, N. A., & French, D. N. (2002). Resistance training for health and performance. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 1(3), 165–171.
• Hayes, L. D., Grace, F. M., Sculthorpe, N., & Herbert, P. (2019). Exercise-induced responses in testosterone, cortisol, and insulin-like growth factor-1 in older males: A meta-analysis. Endocrine Connections, 8(5), 651–662.
• Hackney, A. C. (2020). Exercise and male hypogonadism: Testosterone, the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis, and physical activity. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 19(2), 65–69.
• Vaamonde, D., Da Silva-Grigoletto, M. E., García-Manso, J. M., Barrera, N., Vaquero-Cristóbal, R., & Casis, L. (2012). Physically active men show better semen parameters and hormone values than sedentary men. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 112(9), 3267–3273.
• Cadegiani, F. A., & Kater, C. E. (2017). Hormonal response to resistance exercise in men with different training status: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(24), 2438–2448.
• West, D. W. D., & Phillips, S. M. (2012). Associations of exercise-induced hormone profiles and gains in strength and hypertrophy in a large cohort after weight training. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 112(7), 2693–2702.
• Rosenthal, M. B., & Verma, A. (2019). Lifestyle and testosterone. In Dobs, A. S. (Ed.), Testosterone: Actions and Use in Men and Women (pp. 91–103). Springer.
• Kelly, D. M., & Jones, T. H. (2015). Testosterone: A metabolic hormone in health and disease. The Journal of Endocrinology, 217(3), R25–R45.
• Wheeler, M. J., & Kumar, A. (2021). Testosterone deficiency and replacement therapy: Clinical practice guidelines. BMJ, 373, n1430.
• MacDonald, A. A., Herbison, G. P., & Showell, M. G. (2010). The impact of body mass index on male fertility and the role of lifestyle interventions. Human Reproduction Update, 16(3), 293–311.
• Hackney, A. C. (2020). Endurance training and testosterone levels. In A. C. Hackney (Ed.), Testosterone, exercise, and sport (pp. 59–72). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42974-8_5
• Hayes, L. D., & Elliott, B. T. (2020). Short-term exercise training does not stimulate testosterone concentrations in older men: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 202, 105713. 
• Vaamonde, D., Da Silva, M. E., Poblador, M. S., & Lancho, J. L. (2012). Physiological mechanisms related to the impact of physical exercise on fertility in men and women. Endocrinología y Nutrición (English Edition), 59(8), 421–429.