Testosterone & Intermittent Fasting: The science of IF
Testosterone is probably most well known as the primary male sexual hormone. But testosterone also plays an important role in regulating everything from mood, to muscle mass to sex drive.
The hormone is not only important for men of all ages but women as well.
Science has shown that intermittent fasting can directly boost the concentration of testosterone in the blood. However intermittent fasting also indirectly helps your body produce and regulate testosterone optimally.
Effects Of Testosterone
Testosterone is produced in both males and females, and it plays a regulating role in a wide range of bodily functions. Having the right balance of testosterone is important to prevent disease, and maintain proper bodily function. Below is a list of some of the things testosterone is responsible for:
- Deeper voice during puberty
- Growth of facial har
- Muscle size and strength
- Bone growth and strength
- Sex drive
- Sperm production
An Important Hormone For Both Genders
However, testosterone is not only important for men. In women, testosterone is produced in the ovaries and adrenal glands. Testosterone is a normal Androgen (male hormone) that all women have. For women, testosterone serves many of the same regulatory roles like:
- Proper function of the ovaries
- Bone strength
- Muscle strength
- Sex drive
What Is A Testosterone Imbalance?
Normally, testosterone is a tightly regulated hormone. Production is regulated by the pituitary glands. They monitor the levels of testosterone, and depending on the levels send signals to either increase or stop production.
However, many things can cause imbalances in the levels of testosterone in the body. When testosterone is either too high or too low, people get some quite severe side effects, which can happen to both genders.
What Happens When Testosterone Is Too High?
Too high testosterone can cause a number of problems. In men, this is often seen in athletes who abuse anabolic steroids but can also be present in otherwise normal, healthy males. In women, those who suffer from PCOS frequently have elevated levels of testosterone.
Some of the symptoms of high testosterone can be:
- Low sperm count
- Increased risk of heart attack
- Enlarged prostate
- Difficulty urinating
- Weight gain, perhaps related in part to increased appetite
- High blood pressure and cholesterol
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Liver disease
- Acne
- Increased risk of blood clots
- Stunted growth in adolescents
- Mood swings and depression
What Happens When Testosterone Is Too Low?
Just as testosterone can be too high, it can also drop too low. Many men deal with lowered testosterone levels.
In fact, when men age they lose about 1-2% testosterone per year. Low testosterone can hit women as well.
Disease in the pituitary gland can cause low production, along with other natural causes. Some of the effects of low testosterone are:
- Loss of muscle mass
- Lowered or nonexistant sex drive
- Increased breast size
- Door concentration
- Depression
- Loss of body hair
- Brittle bones and greater risk of bone fracture
Testosterone And Intermittent Fasting
As we said at the beginning of the article, intermittent fasting is a great way to boost and maintain a healthy level of testosterone.
Studies (1,2)have shown that short-term fasting actually increases the level of testosterone in the blood, in some cases, quite dramatically.
Intermittent fasting also indirectly helps with testosterone. This is because intermittent fasting naturally grows your body towards being healthier, and this often means heightening and maintaining a healthy level of t. Intermittent fasting helps in three main ways
- Reducing weight and bodyfat
Having excess weight means having a body deficient in testosterone. Various studies have shown that overweight men on average have lower levels of testosterone in their bloodstream.
However, when fasting their testosterone levels can jump back dramatically. In on the studies as much as 180%.
Intermittent fasting is great at losing weight on its own, but because of its interrelationship with testosterone, it becomes a powerful combination. When overweight men do intermittent fasting, they will naturally lose weight, and their testosterone levels will spike. This, in turn, will promote muscle growth, which will make weight lifting and exercise easier. At the same time, intermittent fasting brings your body into ketosis, which means that the body becomes much more adept at burning fat for energy. It’s a win-win-win situation.
2. Increases Insulin Sensitivity
This one is huge for diabetics. Intermittent fasting increases your body’s sensitivity to insulin. Increased insulin sensitivity, means a smoother production of testosterone.
This increased sensitivity helps to maintain normal bodily functions, just like testosterone does. So the two of them work together, and both of them are helped along by intermittent fasting.
3. Increases Human Growth Hormone (HGH)
Earlier we said that testosterone is directly increased by intermittent fasting. What is also released is the human growth hormone or HGH. HGH directly stimulates the production of testosterone, so the two are working in tandem. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can greatly increase the amount of HGH in the body
In Short
Testosterone is an important hormone that regulates your body. It is present in both men and females, and intermittent fasting can both directly and indirectly help to maintain healthy levels of testosterone.
Sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8603040/