Does running increase testosterone?

Its physical and mental health benefits are well documented, but does running increase testosterone levels? 

Higher testosterone levels are associated with a plethora of health benefits including boosted bone density, increased muscle growth and improved mood, so it’s easy to see why people might want more of the hormone. Weightlifting is usually touted as the best way to boost your testosterone levels – but could hopping on one of the best treadmills have the same
effect?

To answer this, it’s important to first understand what testosterone is and the many impacts this hormone has on the body.

We’ve spoken to two medical professionals – Dr Noel Young, Clinical Innovation Associate at Thriva and Hussain Abdeh, clinical director and superintendent pharmacist at Medicine Direct – to find out more about the impact running can have on testosterone levels.

It’s probably a word you’ve heard many times before, but what is testosterone? 

“Testosterone is a steroid hormone responsible for the development of what’s called secondary sexual characteristics, or changes that occur during puberty,” says Dr Young. 

“For males it causes your larynx to thicken and your voice to deepen, facial and pubic hair growth, and development of the penis and testes.”

Crucially, for those interested in the link between testosterone levels and athletic performance, it also helps build muscle and bone strength, as well as driving libido and the production of sperm.

“It is often called the male sex hormone, and is made by the testes,” Dr Young says. However, he adds, “it is also present at lower levels in women, where it’s made by the adrenal gland and ovaries.” 

“In women, it’s responsible for libido and arousal, and also plays a role in developing muscle and bone strength.”

Higher testosterone levels have been associated with boosted bone density, increased muscle growth and improved mood. “It’s tempting to think that more must be better, but that is not the case,” says Dr Young. 

“Having too much testosterone can lead to issues such as skin and hair problems, and prostate enlargement. It can lead to reduced fertility, poorer heart health due to weight gain, higher cholesterol and blood pressure.”

Instead, he suggests it’s important to maintain healthy levels of testosterone, as both lower and higher levels are associated with ill effects.

“When your testosterone levels are optimal, it’s associated with better energy, heart health, mood, memory, libido as well as stronger bones and a leaner body mass,” he says.

Running could have an impact on testosterone, but it depends on the intensity at which you run,” Dr Young explaining. “Evidence suggests that running at higher intensity, like sprinting, is what is needed for a boost in testosterone. You would have to run at 90 per cent of your maximal oxygen uptake (a way of measuring intensity) to see this effect. 

The good news is that you only need 90 seconds of running at this speed to achieve a boost in testosterone, according to Healthline. The mechanism for this is thought to be due to the body’s response to exercise, where it releases a variety of hormones that break down energy stores (like adrenaline and cortisol) and help build and repair muscles (like testosterone). But, he warns, running for longer time periods actually can lead to reductions in testosterone levels. 

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