Although testosterone is most prevalent in men and known best as the ‘male’ hormone, it plays a crucial role in women’s health too. Along with estrogen and progesterone, testosterone is important for many physiological processes in the female body.
Testosterone is produced by the ovaries and peripheral tissues and is very important for bone and muscle health, libido health, fat distribution, ovarian function, and energy. Testosterone levels naturally decrease as you age, but can also be affected by problems with the ovaries and adrenal glands. If you are experiencing symptoms such as weakness and fatigue, low libido, trouble losing weight, menstrual irregularity, or infertility and think you may have a testosterone deficiency, getting blood work done to check your levels may be beneficial. The average level of testosterone in women is between 15-70 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) of blood. There are several ways to help keep your testosterone levels in check, which include managing stress, having a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and exercise.
Managing stress is important because studies have shown that testosterone and cortisol (your body’s stress hormone) have an inverse relationship, meaning as cortisol levels go up, testosterone levels go down, and vice versa.
A healthy diet is important because excess fat in the body increases the production of estrogen, which increases the production of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and the luteinizing hormone (LH), which in return will decrease testosterone levels.
Sleep is very important for healthy testosterone levels because your testosterone levels increase as you sleep and decrease the longer you are awake. The highest production of testosterone occurs during REM sleep, which is the period of sleep late in the sleep cycle that helps to replenish your body and mind. Your body needs to stay in a deep sleep long enough for the production of testosterone to occur, so inadequate amounts of sleep will greatly decrease your levels of testosterone. One study actually found that 8 days of 5.5 hours of sleep or less a night showed on average a 10-15% decrease of testosterone production.
The final and arguably most important way that you can keep your testosterone levels healthy is by exercise, and more specifically weight lifting. When your body needs extra power or strength, such as when you are doing strength training, your body will stimulate the production of testosterone. Exercising can also help with reducing body fat, which in return increases testosterone. This is because the enzyme aromatase, which converts testosterone to estrogen, has been found in fat cells. Therefore, the increase in adipose tissue increases the levels of aromatase, which decreases the levels of testosterone and increases the levels of estrogen.
Exercising also releases endorphins which help to relieve stress, promote better sleep, and reduce blood pressure- all of which help in proper hormone regulation. It is important to note that weight lifting is the main form of exercise to increase testosterone levels, and gaining more muscle, in general, is one of the best things you can do for your body. There is nothing wrong with endurance training, however, athletes should be aware of how much they are training because over-training can cause a decrease in testosterone levels due to the high amounts of cortisol levels produced.
Women, lifting can be so beneficial for your health. Do not be scared of “getting huge,” as that is not realistic unless taking supplements, strictly counting macros, or lifting for multiple hours a day. Remember, strong is beautiful.
Monica, Exercise Specialist