Does Working Out Lift Men's Testosterone Levels?

By Eric Metcalf, MPH WebMD Feature

If youre a man with low testosterone, exercise may help.

Doctors and fitness professionals still have a lot to learn about exercise and its effects on testosterone. Several factors besides your workout are involved.

But one thing is clear: You need to make exercise a habit in order to get the benefits.

After exercise, testosterone levels rise -- but not for long.

"Sometimes its 15 minutes after exercise that testosterone is elevated. Sometimes it can be up to an hour, says Todd Schroeder, PhD, who studies exercise and hormones in older men at the University of Southern California.

It's not yet clear what health effects, if any, these temporary boosts may have. Of course, exercise has many other well-known health perks.

For men who have low testosterone, exercise alone probably wont raise their levels enough to make a difference in how they feel, says endocrinologist Scott Isaacs, MD, of Emory University. But he says for men whose testosterone level is on the borderline between normal and low, I think its going to have a much more potent effect.

Your weight, age, fitness level, and the timing of your workout all matter.

1. Your weight: Isaacs treats men with low testosterone. He sees obesity as a big part of the problem.

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Does Working Out Lift Men's Testosterone Levels?

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