Does exercise increase testosterone?

Short answer: yes. Exercise is one of the most reliable ways to support healthy testosterone, and men who train regularly tend to have higher levels than those who don't.¹ It's a bit more nuanced than “work out, get more testosterone”, though. The type of exercise, how hard you go, and how well you recover all matter, and there's a lot of worry online about whether running tanks your levels. Here's what the science actually says, and what it means for your training.

Staying active does more than move the hormone dial, too. It supports blood flow and sexual health more broadly, including erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.

Why does exercise increase testosterone?

When you train, especially with weights, you create tiny tears in your muscle fibres. Your body repairs them through muscle protein synthesis, and testosterone is central to that process.² That's part of why resistance training gives testosterone a short-term lift.

Lifting also nudges the hormonal system that controls testosterone, the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis, prompting a temporary rise after a hard session.³

There's a longer game as well. Regular exercise helps you stay lean, and body fat and testosterone are closely linked. Higher body fat is associated with lower testosterone, and obesity is one of the most common drivers of low levels in men.⁴ So even when the immediate bump is small, staying active protects your testosterone over time. If excess weight is part of your picture, it's worth reading up about why obesity causes low testosterone.

Does running increase or lower testosterone?

This is the question we're asked most, usually by runners worried they're doing themselves harm. The reassuring news: for most people, running is good for testosterone, not bad for it.

A single run gives testosterone a short-term boost. In treadmill studies, levels rise during and just after the run, then settle back to normal within an hour or so.⁵ Regular moderate running also supports the things that keep testosterone healthy: lower body fat, better sleep and less stress.

The worry comes from the other end of the spectrum. Very high training loads, marathon-level mileage week after week with limited recovery, can lower resting testosterone in some men, a pattern researchers call the exercise-hypogonadal state.⁶ But that's about chronic, high-volume endurance training. A few 5k or 10k runs a week won't wreck your levels. If anything, they help.

What's the best exercise to increase testosterone?

No single workout wins outright, but a few come out ahead.

Strength training is the most consistent. In one 12-week programme, testosterone and growth hormone rose in everyone who lifted, with a bigger response in younger men.⁷ Compound lifts like squats, deadlifts and presses, which recruit large muscle groups, tend to produce the strongest response.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is close behind. In a six-week study of older, previously inactive men, HIIT significantly raised testosterone.⁸ Short, hard efforts with brief rests seem to work better than long, steady sessions.

How much your testosterone responds also depends on you. Your age, training history and the type of exercise all play a part.⁹ The best plan is the one you'll stick to, built around regular resistance work with some intensity mixed in. For more on the bigger picture, see our guide to 7 effective ways to increase testosterone.

What about the long term?

Day to day, the hormone spikes from training are small and temporary. The bigger wins come from consistency. In a year-long trial, regular exercise raised DHT, a potent form of testosterone, while other sex hormones held steady,¹⁰ and staying lean and active keeps your baseline where you want it.

Does walking increase testosterone?

Walking won't spike testosterone the way lifting does, but it helps you manage weight and stress, both of which support healthy levels.⁴ As a foundation it's genuinely useful, especially if you're carrying extra weight.

Does cardio increase testosterone?

Moderate cardio supports testosterone indirectly, through better body composition and fitness. The short-term bump is smaller than with weights or HIIT, and only extreme endurance volumes work against you.

Does going to the gym increase testosterone?

Yes, particularly if your sessions include resistance training. Lifting is the most reliable exercise for a testosterone response.⁷

Does lifting weights increase testosterone?

Yes. Strength training produces the most consistent short-term rise, and building muscle supports healthy testosterone over time.^{2, 7}

Can I work out before a testosterone blood test?

It's best not to. Exercise can temporarily shift your hormone levels, so most clinicians recommend testing in the morning, rested, and avoiding a hard workout beforehand for the most accurate reading.

The numan take

Exercise is one of the simplest, most effective things you can do for your testosterone, and running is part of that, not a threat to it. Lift regularly, add some intensity, keep your recovery in check, and stay a healthy weight. If you've ticked those boxes and still feel off, it's worth checking what's going on underneath.

References

^{1 Ari Z, Kutlu N, Uyanik BS, et al. Serum testosterone, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor-1 levels, mental reaction time, and maximal aerobic exercise in sedentary and long-term physically trained elderly males. Int J Neurosci. 2004;114(5):623–637. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15204068/}

^{2 Griggs RC, Kingston W, Jozefowicz RF, Herr BE, Forbes G, Halliday D. Effect of testosterone on muscle mass and muscle protein synthesis. J Appl Physiol. 1989;66(1):498–503. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2917954/}

^{3 Vingren JL, Kraemer WJ, Ratamess NA, Anderson JM, Volek JS, Maresh CM. Testosterone physiology in resistance exercise and training: the up-stream regulatory elements. Sports Med. 2010;40(12):1037–1053. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21058750/}

^{4 Kelly DM, Jones TH. Testosterone and obesity. Obes Rev. 2015;16(7):581–606. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25982085/}

^{5 Wilkerson JE, Horvath SM, Gutin B. Plasma testosterone during treadmill exercise. J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol. 1980;49(2):249–253. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7400007/}

^{6 Hackney AC, Aggon E. Chronic low testosterone levels in endurance trained men: The exercise- hypogonadal male condition. J Biochem Physiol. 2018;1(1):103.}

^{7 Craig BW, Brown R, Everhart J. Effects of progressive resistance training on growth hormone and testosterone levels in young and elderly subjects. Mech Ageing Dev. 1989;49(2):159–169. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2796409/}

^{8 Herbert P, Hayes LD, Sculthorpe NF, Grace FM. HIIT produces increases in muscle power and free testosterone in male masters athletes. Endocr Connect. 2017;6(7):430–436. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28794164/}

^{9 D'Andrea S, Spaggiari G, Barbonetti A, Santi D. Various factors may modulate the effect of exercise on testosterone levels in men. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2020;5(4):81. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33467296/}

^{10 Hawkins VN, Foster-Schubert K, Chubak J, et al. Effect of exercise on serum sex hormones in men: a 12-month randomized clinical trial. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008;40(2):223–233. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18202581/}