Does Exercise Raise Testosterone Levels in Men Over 50?

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Does exercise raise testosterone levels in men over 50? A little, in some trials, and the studies don’t agree. Right after a workout, levels rise for a short time. Over weeks and months the change in baseline levels is small at best, and the clearer payoff is fitness, strength and less body fat.

This page is part of our guide to the health benefits of exercise for men over 50. The trials below mostly studied men 60 and older, not men in their early 50s, so I’ll say who was studied each time. I won’t promise a number on a lab report.

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Does Exercise Raise Testosterone Levels Right After a Workout?

Yes, briefly. Northwestern Medicine says testosterone temporarily rises after exercise, for roughly 15 minutes to an hour, and that the size of the rise depends on age, weight, fitness level and the type and length of the workout. Younger men tend to get a bigger post-exercise boost.

That short spike isn’t the same thing as a higher baseline. Your baseline is what a morning blood test measures, and it’s the number that matters for diagnosis.

What Does Research Say About Exercise and Low Testosterone Levels in Older Men?

The honest answer is mixed. Three sets of findings give a clearer picture, and only the last one included men as young as 50.

What the 2018 Meta-Analysis Found

A systematic review and meta-analysis in Frontiers in Physiology pooled 22 trials. Nine were randomized controlled trials and 13 were uncontrolled, and every participant was 60 or older. For resistance training the pooled effect on baseline testosterone was essentially zero. Interval training showed a small positive effect, and endurance training did too, but the confidence intervals were wide, and the small number of studies kept the authors from running subgroup analyses for those two types.

What the Hayes Interval Training Studies Found

Two small 2017 studies from the same research group looked at high-intensity interval training (HIIT). In the first, 22 lifelong sedentary men averaging 62 did six weeks of conditioning exercise, then six weeks of HIIT. Total testosterone was about 17% higher at the end, most of it during the conditioning block, and free testosterone was about 4.5% higher after HIIT. The same men were compared with their own earlier results, so there was no separate comparison group. The authors said more study is needed to know whether such small changes in free testosterone matter biologically.

In the second, 17 male masters athletes averaging 60 did nine HIIT sessions over six weeks. Total testosterone didn’t change significantly. Free testosterone edged up from 7.0 to 7.5 ng/dL. That rise was right at the edge of statistical significance (P = 0.050).

What a 2021 Trial Found in Men 50 to 70

In a randomized trial of 80 men aged 50 to 70 with a waist of 95 cm or more and low-normal testosterone, men were given testosterone cream or placebo, with or without 12 weeks of supervised exercise. Exercise improved aerobic capacity and strength and cut total and visceral fat more than the testosterone cream did. The trial measured fitness, strength and body composition. The authors concluded that exercise should be evaluated in preference to testosterone treatment in men like these. Those men had low-normal testosterone, so it doesn’t speak to treating men with confirmed deficiency.

Which Exercises Raise Testosterone: Resistance Training, HIIT or Cardio?

In the research above, no type of exercise reliably raised baseline testosterone in older men. The meta-analysis found no clear effect from resistance training and small effects from interval and endurance work, all in men 60 and older.

That doesn’t make resistance training pointless. It builds the muscle and strength that the 2021 trial measured. Our guide on how to maintain muscle mass after 50 covers that side in detail.

My suggestion: train for the strength, fitness and body-fat benefits, and treat any testosterone change as a possible bonus. The CDC says adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week and at least 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity. If you train at home, this resistance band set is one low-cost way to do the strength days. The Amazon listing title reads “WHATAFIT Resistance Bands with Handles, 150 lb Exercise Bands Set”; see the listing for what is included. Bands won’t raise your testosterone on their own. They’re gear for the training. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Northwestern Medicine also warns that overtraining without enough rest can lower testosterone, so more sessions aren’t automatically better.

Does Losing Body Weight Raise Testosterone?

In men with obesity, weight loss is linked to higher testosterone. A 2013 meta-analysis of 24 studies found that both low-calorie diets and bariatric surgery were associated with higher testosterone, and that the more weight men lost, the bigger the rise. Surgery produced a larger rise than dieting, and the rise was greater in younger men.

A smaller 2016 study followed 41 overweight and obese men (the abstract doesn’t give their ages) through a 12-week program of aerobic exercise and calorie restriction. Testosterone rose, and men who increased their daily steps more saw bigger increases, while the level of calorie restriction didn’t show that pattern. That’s a comparison within one program, not proof that steps caused the rise.

The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, which measured 890 men, also found that testosterone fell with age and with higher body mass index. Those are associations, not proof that changing weight changes the number, but they fit the weight-loss findings above. Our exercise and sleep quality for men over 50 page covers how exercise relates to sleep.

How Is Low Testosterone Diagnosed?

With symptoms and repeated morning blood tests, not with a guess. The Endocrine Society recommends diagnosing hypogonadism only in men with symptoms and signs of testosterone deficiency and unequivocally and consistently low levels. It recommends fasting morning total testosterone as the first test, repeated to confirm.

The American Urological Association calls a total testosterone below 300 ng/dL a reasonable cut-off and says the diagnosis should rest on two measurements on separate occasions, both taken in the early morning. It also says men with testosterone deficiency should be counseled on lifestyle changes.

In the Baltimore study, about 20% of men over 60 had total testosterone in the hypogonadal range. Low numbers are common with age. A diagnosis still takes symptoms and confirmed labs.

Can Exercise Replace Testosterone Therapy?

For a man with confirmed deficiency and symptoms, that’s a decision for him and his doctor. The Endocrine Society recommends testosterone therapy for men with symptomatic deficiency after discussing the benefits and risks, and recommends against starting it in men with conditions such as prostate or breast cancer or a PSA above 4 ng/mL. Exercise and medical care aren’t either-or.

Do Testosterone Booster Supplements Work?

The evidence is thin. A 2020 review in the World Journal of Men’s Health looked at 50 “T booster” products. Ninety percent claimed to boost testosterone, but only 24.8% had published data showing an increase from their ingredients. For 61.5% the review found no data on the effect on testosterone at all, and 10.1% had ingredients with data suggesting a decrease.

If you decide to try a supplement anyway, talk to your doctor first and read the label for doses. Our supplement stack for men over 50 page goes through what has evidence behind it and what doesn’t.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for exercise to raise testosterone?

The spike after a single workout fades within about an hour. For baseline levels, the individual studies above ran about 6 to 12 weeks and gave mixed results, so no timeline can be promised.

Does cardio lower testosterone in men over 50?

In the 2018 meta-analysis of men 60 and older, endurance and interval training showed small increases, not decreases. Northwestern Medicine notes that overtraining without adequate rest can lower testosterone.

What time of day should testosterone be tested?

Both the Endocrine Society and the American Urological Association call for morning blood draws, and the Endocrine Society specifies fasting. Northwestern Medicine notes that testosterone levels are typically higher in the morning.

What is a normal testosterone level for a 50 year old man?

The American Urological Association uses a total testosterone below 300 ng/dL as a reasonable cut-off for low. Your doctor will read your result alongside symptoms and repeat testing.

Can exercise fix low testosterone?

Exercise can improve fitness, strength and body fat, and trials suggest it may modestly help hormones in some men. Nothing above shows it corrects clinically low levels, so confirmed deficiency needs a doctor.

Medical disclaimer: This page is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t diagnose or treat any condition. Talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise program or supplement, and about symptoms of low testosterone or testing.

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