Does stress increase testosterone?
Many of us know too much stress can harm both our short and long-term health, but what is less well-known is that stress levels are also linked to hormone health, in particular testosterone levels.
In this guide, we explain more about stress, how it can affect testosterone levels, and what you can do to help manage your stress levels below. Plus, learn how you can gain insights into your hormone health by booking a private hormone profile test.
What is testosterone?
Testosterone is a sex hormone vital for normal reproductive function in both males and females, although it is most often associated with the development and maintenance of male characteristics and reproductive health.
In men, testosterone is responsible for:
- The development of the male reproductive organs
- Sperm production
- Sex drive
- Deepening of the voice
- Development of facial and pubic hair during puberty
- Muscle and bone growth
- Help maintain mood and cognitive function
In women, testosterone plays a role in:
- Libido (sex drive)
- Bone and muscle health
- Mood and energy
- Menstrual cycle and fertility
What is stress?
Stress is a normal aspect of everyday life and can be caused by many factors, from emotional triggers and work issues to relationship problems, money worries, and much more. It is a biological response to demanding or challenging situations that cause the body to release stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones help prepare your body's flight or fight response, by helping to increase your heart or breathing rate. You can find out more about cortisol and the role it plays in our stress response in our guide.
When stress is short-lived (acute) it doesn’t normally cause undue harm to your body. However, long-term stress, known as chronic stress, can affect your physical, emotional, and hormonal wellbeing. Below, we explain the differences between acute and chronic stress in more detail:
Acute stress
Acute stress is a short-term reaction to a specific event or situation, for example, sitting an exam or entering a competition. When you experience acute stress your body’s flight or fight response activates which releases adrenaline and temporarily changes your physiology resulting in symptoms such as:
- Physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, palpitations, chest pain, nausea, headache, breathing difficulties and abdominal pain
- Psychological problems, such as anxiety, low mood, irritability, emotional ups and downs, poor sleep and poor concentration.
- Reckless of aggressive behaviour
- Feeling emotionally numb or detached
Acute stress is only temporary with symptoms resolving once the thing that caused the stress is over or resolved.
Chronic stress
Chronic stress, on the other hand, is the prolonged and often overwhelming feeling of stress that can negatively impact daily life. The symptoms of chronic stress can include ongoing:
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty sleeping
- Changes to your appetite
- Digestive problems
- Feeling helpless
- Low self-esteem
- Loss of sexual desire
- Nervousness
- Lower immune system resulting in frequent infections or illness
How can stress impact testosterone levels?
Stress can have a direct impact on testosterone levels, but the relationship is a complex one that varies depending on the type of stress you experience.
Acute stress
Short-term stressors, like sitting an exam, may temporarily increase your testosterone levels. This is believed to be because short-term stress hormones can make male and female sex organs more sensitive to luteinising hormone, which triggers testosterone production. However, this response varies according to multiple factors, including your age and type of stress.
Exercise (especially resistance training), a form of short-term physical stress, is also known to boost testosterone levels both in the long and short term.
Chronic stress
Unlike acute stress, chronic stress can lower testosterone levels. That’s because persistently high cortisol levels can prevent the release of testosterone. In addition, cortisol can directly reduce testosterone production in males by acting on cells found in the testes.
In many people, chronic stress can result in lifestyle changes, like eating a less healthy diet or smoking or drinking more. These ‘bad habits’ can lead to health conditions like diabetes, heart disease and obesity, which are all also associated with lower testosterone levels.
Can overtraining affect testosterone levels?
Although moderate regular exercise, particularly resistance training, can raise testosterone levels, overtraining can lower your testosterone levels.
Overtraining can be defined as exercising excessively without giving your body enough time to properly recover. This can put your body under long-term stress and, as a result, lower your testosterone levels. Low testosterone levels can also impact your body’s ability to gain muscle, so you may find that no matter how often you train, your results plateau.
5 ways to reduce your stress levels
If you are concerned you may have low testosterone levels, reducing your stress is one step you can take to help boost your levels. To help reduce your cortisol levels you can try:
- Creating a sleep routine – Getting enough sleep can be difficult when you have raised cortisol levels. You may find that even if you feel exhausted when it comes to going to bed, you can’t get to sleep. As a result, creating a sleep routine can be vital to help improve your sleep. This can include limiting your screentime before bed, having a set bedtime and waking up time, keeping your room cool and meditating before bed to help you relax. You can find more ways to improve your sleep quality in our guide to ‘Why is sleep important?’
- Eating a well-balanced diet – Eating a well-balanced diet can help to keep your blood sugars stable. Blood sugar levels and cortisol are linked, so keeping an eye on what you eat can help to keep your cortisol levels steady. You should try to avoid highly processed foods and foods high in refined sugars.
- Exercising regularly – Regular moderate exercise is not only beneficial for both your mind and body, but is one of the most effective ways to reduce your stress levels. However, it’s important not to overdo it and to find something that you enjoy, this could be gardening, walking or dancing.
- Reducing your caffeine intake – Caffeine is a stimulant known to raise cortisol levels in the blood, which is why some people experience jitters or anxiety when they drink too much. Cutting down your caffeine intake is one of the quickest and easiest ways to help reduce your cortisol levels.
- Learning to recognise and manage stress – Managing stress can be difficult, especially if you don’t realise you are stressed. That’s why learning to recognise the symptoms of stress is so vital.
Having a daily check-in, whether through guided meditation or journaling, can be a useful practice to promote self-awareness and help you recognise when you may be feeling stressed and why. You can then look to find ways to reduce your stress, whether that’s removing stressful triggers, listening to music, taking a walk in nature or meditating. The most important thing is to find what works for you to reduce your stress levels.
Check your hormone health
If you are concerned about your testosterone levels, a private hormone profile blood test can offer vital insights into your hormone health. Our male profile is a panel of blood tests specifically designed to measure the levels of seven key male hormones in the blood, including testosterone.
We offer private hormone profile blood tests at locations across the UK, so it is easy to find a convenient appointment. Plus, you can be confident that we will deliver fast, efficient and accurate results as we have established links with leading UK laboratories and are fully accredited for a wide range of private blood checks.
