Does Sauna Increase Testosterone?

Wondering if saunas can boost testosterone levels? You’re not alone. Many men, especially those over 30, experience decreased energy, lower libido, and weight gain, which could be signs of low testosterone. In fact, 1 in 4 men in the U.S. face this issue. But could the sauna help? Studies suggest it might. Let’s dive into the science behind saunas and testosterone to see if this natural therapy can make a difference.

Key Takeaways

Testosterone is essential for men’s physical traits and overall health, but levels can decline with age and stress.
Saunas may not directly boost testosterone in the short term but can enhance overall hormone balance by increasing hormones like growth hormone.
Regular sauna use might lead to a slight increase in testosterone levels, as shown in a study with active young men.
Spending time in a sauna can lower cortisol levels, potentially reducing stress and promoting better hormonal health.
The relationship between sauna use and testosterone levels is complex and still being researched, with minimal direct effects observed.

What are Testosterones?

Testosterone is a hormone mostly found in men, but women make it too, just in smaller amounts. It’s what gives men their typical traits, like more muscle, body hair, and a deeper voice. Testosterone also helps keep important things in check, like sex drive, bone strength, and the production of red blood cells.

Testosterone is a hormone made mostly in a man’s testicles. It comes from cholesterol, and a normal range for testosterone is between 300 and 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). If your testosterone is too high, it can cause mood swings or acne. If it’s too low, you might feel tired, have a lower sex drive, or even feel depressed. Testosterone levels usually decrease as men get older, but stress and health issues can also lower them.

Studies that cover the effects of sauna on testosterone

To understand the link between sauna use and testosterone levels, we can look at clinical studies and research findings. Let’s explore the evidence that examines how spending time in a sauna may affect testosterone production in the body.

Studies show that saunas don’t directly boost testosterone in the short term, but they do increase other hormones like growth hormone and prolactin. Growth hormone, in particular, can indirectly help boost testosterone. So, while saunas may not give an immediate testosterone boost, they can still support your overall hormone balance.

A study looked at how regular sauna sessions affect hormone levels in 30 active young men. After four sauna sessions lasting 12 minutes each, researchers found a slight increase in testosterone levels, from 4.04 to 4.24 ng/ml, but it wasn’t a big change. Interestingly, cortisol levels, a stress hormone, dropped significantly. This suggests that while saunas may not greatly boost testosterone, they can help lower stress hormone levels.

A study published in the Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research explored how sauna bathing affects our hormones. The researchers found that spending time in a sauna triggers a surge in hormones like norepinephrine and growth hormone. Interestingly, they observed that while testosterone levels didn’t show significant changes, regular sauna users tend to experience less fluctuation in these hormones over time. So, while saunas can boost certain hormones, their effect on testosterone specifically seems to be minimal.

As you can see, studies show a wide range of conflicting results regarding saunas and their impact on testosterone levels. Currently, we are still in the process of fully understanding this relationship. For now, what we can comfortably say is that saunas may help some individuals achieve a slight increase in testosterone levels, but that’s about it.

Natural ways to increase testosterone levels

Exercise to Boost Testosterone

Exercise is one of the best natural ways to boost testosterone, and research backs this up. Let’s take a quick look at what the studies say about how exercise affects testosterone levels.

A study published in the World Journal of Men’s Health in 2018 looked at 87 men with erectile dysfunction to see how body fat and exercise affected their testosterone levels. The researchers found that having less body fat and doing aerobic exercise, like cycling, helped boost testosterone levels.

In short, reducing fat and staying active with cardio exercises are natural ways to increase testosterone. A study published in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation looked at how exercise affects testosterone levels in men. The researchers analyzed 48 studies involving 569 men to see if physical activity increased testosterone.

They found that moderate to high-intensity exercises led to a noticeable boost in testosterone levels right after exercise, but this effect faded after 30 minutes.

Importantly, lower-intensity workouts didn’t have the same impact. This shows that exercise intensity plays a key role in increasing testosterone, even if temporarily.
Follow a healthy diet

A healthy diet can play a key role in naturally boosting testosterone levels.

Foods rich in zinc, such as oysters and nuts, and those high in magnesium, like leafy greens, can support hormone production.

Including fatty fish and extra-virgin olive oil also helps, while avoiding processed foods and excess alcohol is essential for maintaining healthy testosterone levels.

Increase vitamin D intake

Increasing your vitamin D intake can be a natural way to boost testosterone levels.

A study found that overweight men who took vitamin D supplements saw significant increases in their testosterone levels after a year.

Those who didn’t take the supplements showed no change. This suggests that ensuring you have enough vitamin D could help maintain healthy testosterone levels and overall well-being.

Quality Sleep

According to a 2005 study, researchers looked into whether testosterone levels are more affected by sleep or the body’s internal clock.

They had seven healthy young men sleep in three different ways: at night, during the day, and a normal sleep pattern for comparison.

The results showed that testosterone levels went up during both night and day sleep, highlighting how important good sleep is for keeping testosterone levels healthy.

The study also found that testosterone dropped when the men were awake, suggesting that getting enough quality sleep can help naturally increase testosterone levels.

Reduce sugar intake

A study by Chen et al. (2018) explored how sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) affect testosterone levels in men aged 20 to 39 using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2012.

They discovered that men who drank more than 442 calories from sugary drinks each day were 2.29 times more likely to have low testosterone compared to those who consumed less than 137 calories.

This finding suggests that cutting back on sugary drinks could be an easy way to help raise testosterone levels naturally.

Perform yoga

A study published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine investigated the impact of yoga stretching on stress hormones and the cardiac autonomic nervous system.

In this study, 10 adult men participated in yoga sessions, and the researchers measured salivary testosterone and cortisol levels before, immediately after, and up to two hours post-session.

They found that while salivary testosterone levels tended to increase, the testosterone-to-cortisol ratio significantly improved after yoga stretching, suggesting potential benefits for testosterone levels.

Thus, incorporating yoga into your routine may naturally boost testosterone by enhancing hormonal balance and reducing stress.