2672: How Squats Affect Testosterone: Research Findings Explained by Christian Finn of Muscle Evo on Hypertrophy

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: This is Optimal Health Daily, how Squats Affect Testosterone, Research Findings Explained by Christian Finn of Muscle Evo.net and I'm Dr. Neal, your host and narrator.

[00:00:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Hey there, welcome back to another week of Optimal Health Daily.

[00:00:15] [SPEAKER_00]: This is where I read to you from some of the best health and fitness blogs on the web, kind of like an ongoing audiobook,

[00:00:21] [SPEAKER_00]: and always with a bit of my commentary at the end.

[00:00:24] [SPEAKER_00]: And with that, let's get right to today's post as we optimize your life.

[00:00:33] [SPEAKER_00]: How Squats Affect Testosterone?

[00:00:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Research Findings Explained by Christian Finn of Muscle Evo.net.

[00:00:42] [SPEAKER_00]: You've probably come across the claim that certain compound exercises, the Barbell Squat in particular,

[00:00:48] [SPEAKER_00]: will increase your testosterone levels which in turn will lead to a faster rate of muscle growth.

[00:00:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Google Round and you'll see headlines like exercises that boost testosterone levels.

[00:01:00] [SPEAKER_00]: The best resistance exercises to increase testosterone.

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Seven best exercises to naturally increase testosterone and men.

[00:01:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Five moves to boost low testosterone, and ten testosterone boosting workout routines.

[00:01:15] [SPEAKER_00]: The idea is that this exercise or that workout will increase testosterone levels naturally,

[00:01:22] [SPEAKER_00]: putting you on the fast track to bigger stronger muscles.

[00:01:25] [SPEAKER_00]: I've even come across claims that certain workouts can help men increase T levels naturally without the need for expensive hormone replacement therapy.

[00:01:34] [SPEAKER_00]: It would be great if it were true, but it isn't.

[00:01:37] [SPEAKER_00]: In fact, the size and duration of any post-exercise increase in testosterone is too small and too short-lived to have any meaningful impact on muscle growth.

[00:01:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's a closer look at what the research has to say on the subject of the Barbell Squat to Stastron and Muscle Growth.

[00:01:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Disciding Increase Testosterone.

[00:01:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Heavy Resistance Exercise in general has been shown in some studies at least to increase testosterone levels after exercise.

[00:02:07] [SPEAKER_00]: That is, training sessions involving large amounts of muscle mass and relatively heavy weights typically lead to an increase in levels of testosterone.

[00:02:17] [SPEAKER_00]: The research on the subject started back in the 1990s when researchers from the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine put a group of men through multiple workouts involving the same exercises.

[00:02:28] [SPEAKER_00]: But with different weights, repetition ranges and inter-set rest periods.

[00:02:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's what one of the workouts look like.

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Bench Press.

[00:02:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Five sets of five repetitions.

[00:02:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Leg extension.

[00:02:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Five sets of five repetitions.

[00:02:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Military press.

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Three sets of five repetitions.

[00:02:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Then leg inclined setups.

[00:02:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Three sets of five repetitions.

[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Seated row.

[00:02:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Three sets of five repetitions.

[00:02:57] [SPEAKER_00]: LAT pull down.

[00:02:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Four sets of five repetitions.

[00:03:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Arm curls.

[00:03:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Three sets of five repetitions.

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_00]: And leg press.

[00:03:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Five sets of five repetitions.

[00:03:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Blood samples taken.

[00:03:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Five.

[00:03:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Fifteen.

[00:03:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Thirty.

[00:03:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Sixty.

[00:03:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Ninety.

[00:03:15] [SPEAKER_00]: And 120 minutes after training.

[00:03:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Show is significant increase into stastron levels.

[00:03:21] [SPEAKER_00]: And it's not just testosterone.

[00:03:22] [SPEAKER_00]: In the high volume workouts involving higher repetitions and short rest periods of about 60 seconds

[00:03:29] [SPEAKER_00]: between sets, there was also a spike in both human growth hormone or HGH and insulin-like

[00:03:36] [SPEAKER_00]: growth factor one or IGF1 levels.

[00:03:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Two hormones that are often labeled anabolic.

[00:03:43] [SPEAKER_00]: However, not all studies report an increase in testosterone following heavy resistance training.

[00:03:49] [SPEAKER_00]: A study of competitive power lifters, for example, looked at the post-exercise hormonal response

[00:03:55] [SPEAKER_00]: to three, six, and 12 sets of heavy squats performed at 90% of their one repetition maximum.

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_00]: While the heavy squats did affect growth hormone and IGF1 levels,

[00:04:07] [SPEAKER_00]: testosterone levels were defected.

[00:04:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Do the hormonal benefits of squats matter.

[00:04:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Heavy resistance training involving large muscle groups does have the potential

[00:04:17] [SPEAKER_00]: to increase post-training testosterone levels.

[00:04:20] [SPEAKER_00]: But how much of a difference is the increase in testosterone actually going to make

[00:04:25] [SPEAKER_00]: to your rate of muscle growth over time?

[00:04:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Not much is the answer.

[00:04:30] [SPEAKER_00]: We've known for some time that any temporary surgeon post-training hormone levels

[00:04:34] [SPEAKER_00]: is too small to have any impact on muscle protein synthesis, muscle fiber hypertrophy

[00:04:40] [SPEAKER_00]: or strength gains.

[00:04:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Post-exercise changes in testosterone levels also failed to explain why some people

[00:04:47] [SPEAKER_00]: build muscle faster than others, even when they eat and train the same.

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_00]: A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology

[00:04:55] [SPEAKER_00]: analyzed data collected from a group of men who took part in a three-month resistance training program.

[00:05:02] [SPEAKER_00]: If the post-exercise change in levels of testosterone was important

[00:05:06] [SPEAKER_00]: as far as muscle growth is concerned, you'd expect to see two things.

[00:05:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Guys with the largest testosterone response to training would build the most muscle

[00:05:15] [SPEAKER_00]: and those with the smallest response would build the least muscle.

[00:05:20] [SPEAKER_00]: But when they looked at the data, the researchers could find no significant link

[00:05:24] [SPEAKER_00]: between the exercise induced rise into testosterone levels and gains in muscle mass.

[00:05:30] [SPEAKER_00]: The hormonal responses of those who made the fastest gains in size and strength

[00:05:34] [SPEAKER_00]: were no different than those who made the slowest gains.

[00:05:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Final thoughts

[00:05:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Heavy resistance exercise does lead to a short-term increase in various hormones,

[00:05:44] [SPEAKER_00]: including testosterone, growth hormone and IGF1.

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_00]: However, this temporary surge doesn't do much for muscle growth

[00:05:52] [SPEAKER_00]: and designing a training program to maximize post-exercise hormone levels

[00:05:56] [SPEAKER_00]: is unlikely to have much of an impact on the speed at which muscle is gained.

[00:06:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Squats and testosterone frequently asked questions.

[00:06:06] [SPEAKER_00]: One, how many squats in the gym would I need to do every day

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_00]: to increase my testosterone level by 50%.

[00:06:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Squatting every day no matter how many squats you do

[00:06:17] [SPEAKER_00]: isn't going to increase your resting testosterone levels by 50%.

[00:06:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Heavy resistance exercise has been shown in some studies at least

[00:06:25] [SPEAKER_00]: to increase post-exercise testosterone levels temporarily

[00:06:28] [SPEAKER_00]: but they don't stay elevated for long.

[00:06:31] [SPEAKER_00]: If you want to raise your testosterone levels,

[00:06:34] [SPEAKER_00]: I think you're far better off looking at the food you eat,

[00:06:37] [SPEAKER_00]: the exercise you do and the way you live your life.

[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_00]: If, for example, you're following a very low fat diet,

[00:06:44] [SPEAKER_00]: doing lots of endurance exercise, getting very little sleep,

[00:06:47] [SPEAKER_00]: are deficient in certain vitamins and minerals

[00:06:50] [SPEAKER_00]: and are overweight all over which are known to lower testosterone,

[00:06:54] [SPEAKER_00]: then fixing those issues will bring testosterone levels back to what they should be.

[00:06:58] [SPEAKER_00]: In fact, one of the simplest things you can do to raise your testosterone levels

[00:07:03] [SPEAKER_00]: is to lose fat.

[00:07:05] [SPEAKER_00]: In a review published in the European Journal of Endocrinology,

[00:07:08] [SPEAKER_00]: a 30% weight loss following bariatric surgery

[00:07:11] [SPEAKER_00]: which involves reducing the size of the stomach

[00:07:13] [SPEAKER_00]: was shown to raise testosterone levels by well over 50%.

[00:07:18] [SPEAKER_00]: A study of 1,822 men showed that a man's weight size

[00:07:23] [SPEAKER_00]: is the single strongest predictor of low testosterone levels.

[00:07:26] [SPEAKER_00]: It's even more accurate than age.

[00:07:30] [SPEAKER_00]: A 10-year increase in age was associated with the 36% increase

[00:07:33] [SPEAKER_00]: in the odds of low testosterone.

[00:07:35] [SPEAKER_00]: In contrast, a 4-inch or 10 centimeter increase

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_00]: in waist size was associated with a 75% increase

[00:07:43] [SPEAKER_00]: in the odds of low testosterone.

[00:07:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Getting enough sleep is also very important.

[00:07:49] [SPEAKER_00]: In one study, a single night of sleep deprivation,

[00:07:52] [SPEAKER_00]: decreased testosterone levels by an average of 24%.

[00:07:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Muscle protein synthesis, which is what drives muscle growth,

[00:07:59] [SPEAKER_00]: was down by 18%.

[00:08:01] [SPEAKER_00]: And 2.

[00:08:03] [SPEAKER_00]: How much do squats increase testosterone?

[00:08:06] [SPEAKER_00]: In one study, the increase in free testosterone levels

[00:08:09] [SPEAKER_00]: free testosterone is the bioactive form of the hormone,

[00:08:13] [SPEAKER_00]: immediately after squats ranged from roughly 40 to 55%

[00:08:18] [SPEAKER_00]: above baseline.

[00:08:20] [SPEAKER_00]: However, keep in mind that any increase in post-training

[00:08:22] [SPEAKER_00]: testosterone levels is likely too short-lived to have any kind of

[00:08:27] [SPEAKER_00]: meaningful impact on muscle growth.

[00:08:30] [SPEAKER_00]: How long does testosterone stay increased after squatting with heavy weights?

[00:08:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Does it stay elevated for just a very short period of time,

[00:08:37] [SPEAKER_00]: or does the increase testosterone affect last for more than 24 hours?

[00:08:42] [SPEAKER_00]: To stastoral levels only stay elevated for a short period of time

[00:08:45] [SPEAKER_00]: after squatting with heavy weights.

[00:08:47] [SPEAKER_00]: And by a short period of time, I'm talking about an hour or so at most.

[00:08:51] [SPEAKER_00]: They're not going to stay elevated for an entire day.

[00:08:59] [SPEAKER_00]: You just listen to the post-titled how squats affect testosterone,

[00:09:03] [SPEAKER_00]: research findings explained by Christian Finn of MuscleEvo.net

[00:09:07] [SPEAKER_00]: and I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:09:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Dr. Neil here for my commentary.

[00:09:13] [SPEAKER_00]: So you know how often I talk about how important it is

[00:09:15] [SPEAKER_00]: to not necessarily focus our attention on the results of our efforts

[00:09:19] [SPEAKER_00]: but the process instead?

[00:09:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Well, Christians post today is another great example

[00:09:24] [SPEAKER_00]: of why I often use this argument.

[00:09:26] [SPEAKER_00]: If we're performing squats because we hope that it's going to increase

[00:09:29] [SPEAKER_00]: our testosterone levels and have now learned that it probably won't,

[00:09:34] [SPEAKER_00]: we may end up giving up on squats because you know what's the point.

[00:09:38] [SPEAKER_00]: But if instead we focused on the process of say doing squats

[00:09:42] [SPEAKER_00]: because it's a great compound exercise and we focus on getting better at it

[00:09:47] [SPEAKER_00]: then it won't be so disappointing when we learn that it may not increase

[00:09:51] [SPEAKER_00]: the testosterone levels.

[00:09:53] [SPEAKER_00]: We can say, oh well, no big deal, I'm going to keep squatting

[00:09:56] [SPEAKER_00]: because it's a great exercise, no matter what.

[00:10:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Alright, that'll do it for the Monday episode.

[00:10:02] [SPEAKER_00]: I hope you have a great start to your week and I'll be back here

[00:10:05] [SPEAKER_00]: tomorrow as usual where you're optimal life awaits.