How women should train for optimal testosterone levels

I know that many women are interested in what role testosterone plays in their training. With more and more women participating in sports such as Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting, more and more women are interested in how these activities affect them hormonally.

We hear a lot about testosterone in relation to men, but in this article I want to look at the role that testosterone plays in female athletes. In particular, I'll outline how resistance training affects the female body and what the best exercises are for optimizing your testosterone levels.

Untrained women and resistance training

A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology investigated the hormonal adaptations to acute resistance training and whether these training adaptations can be observed within an eight-week period in untrained men and women. For our purposes, we will focus primarily on the women who participated in this study.

The protocol for this study included a one-week preconditioning orientation phase, which was followed by eight weeks of heavy resistance training. The study participants performed three leg exercises for the quadriceps femoris muscle group. These exercises were squats, leg presses and leg extensions. These exercises were performed twice a week and every other Wednesday was used for a maximum strength test.

Blood samples were taken during the first week of training before training, immediately after training and five minutes after training to determine the testosterone concentrations in the blood. Further blood samples were taken after 6 and 8 weeks of training.

The results showed an increase in testosterone concentration before training in both men and women after 6 and 8 weeks of training. This shows that an untrained individual can experience endocrine adaptations during the early phase of a resistance training program.

Endocrine adaptations are similar to muscular adaptations to training. An example of this would be the subtle increase in testosterone levels over the course of a resistance training program, which may help mediate the changes in protein synthesis that lead to increased muscle fiber size (this will become important later).

Resistance training and testosterone in women

According to a paper in the Journal of Sports Medicine, testosterone is important for the desired adaptations to resistance training. Testosterone is considered one of the most important promoters of muscle growth and subsequent increases in muscle strength...at least in men.

As we know, the acute endocrine response to heavy resistance training in men generally involves an increased release of various anabolic hormones. Studies conducted with women regarding the testosterone response are equivocal. Both an increase in testosterone levels and no changes in response to heavy resistance training have been observed. What can be said about testosterone for both men and women is that testosterone is an important regulator of muscle mass and that acute increases in testosterone levels can be induced by resistance training.

For women, the key word is "can". Many factors, which include the training program itself, age and exercise efficiency, influence how women respond to resistance training. In terms of the training program, the variables must be chosen so that the training session includes high volume and high metabolic demands to induce an acute testosterone response.

How women should train for higher testosterone levels

Any strength cycle that lasts longer than 8 weeks appears to be the precursor to endocrine adaptations that result in increased testosterone levels. You may start with lower testosterone levels, but as your strength cycle progresses, you should experience increases in testosterone levels during the second and third phases.

When I say increases, I mean increases in free testosterone levels at rest and after training. The catch, of course, is that you have to plan and execute this type of program correctly. Performing too much metabolic conditioning training or too many HIIT workouts can cause problems and actually lower your testosterone levels, as well as the levels of other metabolic hormones.

Strength exercises to increase testosterone levels

• Squats - Squats use several large muscles simultaneously. Any squat variation including front squats and back squats will increase your testosterone levels.
• Leg presses and leg extensions - If you use machines as part of your training plan, leg presses and leg extensions are exercises that work your larger leg muscles, which can increase your testosterone levels.
• Deadlifts - Deadlifts are another multi-joint exercise that work the larger muscles of the lower body.
• Olympic weightlifting exercises - In general, Olympic weightlifting, when performed correctly, will increase your testosterone levels and decrease your cortisol levels. Everything associated with these exercises, including supportive workouts like complexes, will help you do this. However, it's important to perform complexes correctly and know that they are not only designed to improve conditioning, but also train strength in every aspect of the movement.

Your best chance for increasing testosterone levels includes:

• Moderate weight, moderate reps and a moderate number of sets during the training phases.
• One week of testing after each phase of your workout.
• One unloading week at the end of each cycle.
• The inclusion of strength-only training days without metabolic conditioning or HIIT in your training plan.

Plyometric exercises to increase testosterone levels

Plyometric exercises can also increase your testosterone levels. When performing plyometric training, it is best to combine upper body resistance training with lower body plyometric training.

The general purpose of plyometric training is to increase the speed of movement by utilizing both the natural elastic component of muscles and tendons, as well as the stretch reflex. Basically, you are using elastic energy and motor recruitment schemes. We could write a whole book on plyometric training, but for our purposes it's enough to know that exercises like box jumps can increase your levels of testosterone and metabolic hormones.

Conclusion

The best thing you can do to increase your testosterone levels is to perform a mix of cardio, high-intensity interval training and resistance training. For women, proper planning of the training program is the key to finding the best hormonal balance and response. A poorly planned exercise program can hinder the hormonal response in the female body.

References:

1. Kraemer, WJ. et. al. "The Effects of Short-Term Resistance Training on Endocrine Function in Men and Women."The European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology (1998): 69-76, accessed November 11, 2014, doi: 10.1007/S004210050389

2 Vingren, JL. Et. al. "Testosterone Physiology in Resistance Exercise and Training: The Up-Stream Regulatory Elements." The Journal of Sports Medicine (2010): 1037-53, accessed November 11, 2014, doi: 10.2165/11536910-000000000-00000.

3 Tate, P., Seely's Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. (New York: McGraw Hill Companies, 2012), 37-38

4. Abrahams, P., How the Body Works. (New York: Metro Books, 2007), 263

5. Baechle, TR., and Earle, RW., Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning: Third Edition (Illinois: Human Kinetics, 2008), 414-415, 423

By Amber Larsen

Source: https://breakingmuscle.com/learn/how-women-should-train-for-optimal-testosterone-levels