Low bodyfat= High testosterone?

[MisterSinister]

Does low bodyfat always equal high test.? I'm assuming that even endurance athletes or men in top cardiovascular shape should have at the very least normal testosterone levels. But, do they have high test. in most cases?

 

[Bible_Belt]

I would guess that the two go together when one gets to the low body fat by way of exercise, but not by mere calorie restriction. Starving yourself will eventually make you have low body fat, but I don't see that raising testosterone.

 

[Kerpal]

I wouldn't be surprised if endurance athletes actually have lower than normal testosterone.

 

[Onlyliveonce]

Muscle mass causes higher testosterone i.e. lifting weights. I've noticed this during periods of lifting compared against periods where I don't lift at all.

Signs such as lower patience, higher productivity and acute mental clarity have all been experienced by myself after an intense period of about 6 or 7 workout sessions.

 

[kickureface]

I wouldn't be surprised if endurance athletes actually have lower than normal testosterone.

x2.

 

[mrRuckus]

It's easier to put on muscle mass when you're higher in body fat.

I can't remember everywhere i've read that but right now i'm thinking of a particular iron addict article where he says his clients gain muscle faster when they're like 11-14% than when they're 8-10%.

Maybe your body doesn't want to have that muscle if you don't have the fat to fuel it... or your test levels are higher when you have more fat.

 

[Kuroro]

It's more like higher bodyfat equals more estrogen. Testosterone promotes fat-loss.

But I wouldn't suggest going for endurance-training to increase your testosterone levels, quite the contrary. Below is a picture of a marathon runner and a sprinter.

http://www.t-nation.com/img/photos/2008/08-012-feature/image006.jpg

 

[Kerpal]

It's easier to put on muscle mass when you're higher in body fat.

I can't remember everywhere i've read that but right now i'm thinking of a particular iron addict article where he says his clients gain muscle faster when they're like 11-14% than when they're 8-10%.

Maybe your body doesn't want to have that muscle if you don't have the fat to fuel it... or your test levels are higher when you have more fat.

Could also be that the clients with lower body fat don't eat enough to put on muscle quickly because they want to stay lean.

 

[Royce]

Negative, you can be starving to death and have low body-fat & no testosterone.

 

[Quiksilver]

Hey Ruckus, that article went on about how having a bodyfat percentage that your body was comfortable with(not too low) is muscle sparing. When it needs more energy, like when you're sleeping, it can dig in to bodyfat stores rather than catabolizing muscle. The lower bodyfat you have, the more likely your body is to use muscle as a fuel source.

As for the main question..

When you pass a certain point, the bodyfat you carry has an estrogenic effect on the body, and it works the other way too. The estrogen your body produces because of the bodyfat = more bodyfat.

When you get down to a % that your frame is uncomfortable with(ie. you have to fight to maintain such a low bodyfat level), your test. levels start to drop and/because your thyroid starts to screw itself up.

dietary fats and bodyfat help regulate thyroid function/hormone levels(test., est./androgen), so being at a very low % can muck up your test. levels, as can being too high.

For most people 10-12% is ideal. The skinny guys do fine at 6-8% and the bigger guys can do well at 13-17%.

so it really depends on what your body is comfortable with. Different people react in different ways to various bodyfat levels, but a good middle-of-the-road place is 10-15% for 'bulking' and 'cutting'.