Effects of Exercise Training on Resting Testosterone Concentrations in Insufficiently Active Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
PubMed 35134000 · doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000004146
What was done
Authors systematically searched four electronic databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus) through October 2020 for randomized controlled trials evaluating exercise training (any modality at ≥4 METs, duration ≥4 weeks) versus inactive controls in insufficiently active, apparently healthy men aged ≥18 years. The primary outcome was resting total testosterone concentration, pooled as standardized mean differences (SMDs) weighted by inverse variance. Subgroup analyses evaluated training mode, age, body mass status, and testosterone measure.
What was found
Eleven RCTs comprising 16 intervention groups and 421 men (aged 19–75 years) with a median intervention duration of 12 weeks were analyzed. Exercise training had a negligible effect on resting total testosterone concentration (mean SMD: 0.00, 95% CI: -0.20 to 0.20). Subgroup analyses showed no significant differences across training modality, age, body mass index status, or testosterone measure.
Why it matters
Despite common assumptions that initiating exercise boosts circulating androgens, standard short-to-medium-term training regimens do not meaningfully alter basal resting testosterone levels in healthy, eugonadal men.
Limits
The total pooled sample size was modest (421 participants across 11 trials). The median intervention duration was 12 weeks, precluding conclusions about longer-term endocrine adaptations. Results apply only to resting concentrations in apparently healthy men and do not generalize to hypogonadal populations, nor do they capture acute post-exercise hormonal transients or androgen receptor sensitivity.
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