click here<\/a> to check out the full study.<\/p>\nDisclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, making changes to your nutrition plan, or adding any new dietary supplements into your current regimen.<\/em><\/p>\nCan Running on the Treadmill Increase Testosterone?<\/h2>\n
Based on the study, the answer appears to be yes\u2026 at least more so for males.<\/p>\n
Researchers found that chronic running on the treadmill significantly increased testosterone levels in male rats compared to those that remained sedentary. Female rats also experienced higher average testosterone levels after completing the exercise program, but the increase wasn\u2019t as significant.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s important.<\/p>\n
The key takeaway from the study isn\u2019t that women don\u2019t produce more testosterone with exercise. Rather, the increase wasn\u2019t large enough to prove it wasn\u2019t simply due to chance.<\/p>\n
What this study does reinforce is something we\u2019ve seen in previous research: regular exercise can help increase testosterone, but the response isn\u2019t necessarily the same between men and women.<\/p>\n
What Did the Researchers Do?<\/h2>\n
The study involved 31 young adult Lewis rats. The animals were divided into either an exercise group or a sedentary control group. Those in the exercise group completed six weeks of running on the treadmill. The program started with just 10 minutes per day at a speed of 10 meters per minute on a flat treadmill. The duration gradually increased until the rats reached 60 minutes per day, five days per week. By the end of the study, each exercising rat had covered approximately 16,500 meters.<\/p>\n
Researchers then collected blood samples and measured serum testosterone levels.<\/p>\n
The Results Were Hard to Ignore<\/h2>\n
Both male and female exercise groups showed higher testosterone levels than their sedentary counterparts. But the magnitude of the response was very different.<\/p>\n
Male Rats Saw a Significant Increase<\/h3>\n
Male rats experienced a 137.2% increase in average testosterone levels compared to sedentary males. The increase was statistically significant, meaning researchers were confident the exercise program played a meaningful role.<\/p>\n
Female Rats Also Increased Testosterone<\/h3>\n
Female rats experienced a 76.14% increase in average testosterone levels. And while that sounds impressive on paper, the increase wasn\u2019t statistically significant. In other words, the researchers couldn\u2019t conclude with confidence that chronic running on the treadmill truly increased testosterone in the females studied.<\/p>\n
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