Quick version
Strength training can provide a temporary increase in testosterone directly following a workout, especially when training heavily with large muscle groups. In the long term, regular strength training can contribute to more stable testosterone levels, primarily through increased muscle mass and reduced fat mass. However, the effect varies between individuals and depends on starting position, recovery and lifestyle. More training does not always mean higher testosterone, and levels can instead drop if overloaded. Therefore, blood tests are the only way to objectively assess testosterone levels and monitor how the body is affected by training over time.
Research shows that strength training can provide a temporary increase in testosterone levels in connection with the workout. This acute hormonal response is most evident during training that involves large muscle groups and multi-joint exercises.
Exercises such as squats, deadlifts and bench presses, in combination with relatively heavy weights and shorter rest periods, stimulate the body's hormonal signaling. The increased testosterone level is usually short-lived, but contributes to the biological processes that control muscle building and adaptation.
Regular strength training and testosterone over time
In the long term, regular strength training can contribute to more stable levels of testosterone, especially in men with low or borderline values. The effect is not only due to the workouts themselves, but to the adaptations that occur in the body over time – such as increased muscle mass, improved insulin sensitivity and reduced body fat.
Strength training thus counteracts several factors that are strongly linked to declining testosterone levels, including loss of muscle mass and increased abdominal obesity. Adipose tissue, especially visceral fat, is hormonally active and can increase the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. By building and maintaining muscle mass, strength training can thus indirectly contribute to a more favorable hormonal balance.
In well-trained men with already good hormonal balance, however, increased training volume rarely leads to significantly higher testosterone levels. In these cases, strength training primarily functions as a way to maintain existing levels and counteract the age-related decline that otherwise occurs over time, rather than raising levels further.
This emphasizes that the hormonal effect of strength training is highly individual and dependent on starting position, lifestyle and recovery. For many men, it is therefore less about maximizing testosterone, and more about creating stability and long-term conditions for good hormonal health.
When exercise doesn't raise testosterone
It is a common assumption that more exercise automatically leads to higher testosterone. In practice, very high training volume, lack of recovery or a long-term energy deficit can instead contribute to falling testosterone levels. When overloaded, the body can prioritize stress hormones over sex hormones, which means that testosterone production is inhibited even though the person is physically active and in good shape.
Why testosterone levels differ between men who exercise
Two people who exercise the same amount can of course have completely different testosterone levels. The differences depend on factors such as genetics, age, body composition and how much testosterone is biologically available. Therefore, comparisons between training buddies are rarely meaningful without putting the values in the right context.
Testosterone, strength training and blood tests
It is not possible to determine testosterone levels solely based on training results, muscle mass or how you feel. Blood tests are a recognized method to objectively assess hormone balance and not least testosterone levels. By analyzing testosterone values, it is possible to follow how the body responds to training over time and detect any deviations even in people who feel healthy and strong, and of course you can order a referral for a testosterone test from us.