Sex hormones, including estrogen and testosterone, play an important role in fitness and exercise abilities. Fluctuations in these hormones that occur during puberty, during the menstrual cycle, with the use of hormonal contraceptives, during pregnancy and due to aging can affect everything from muscle building to injury rates in both recreational athletes as well as competitive athletes.
Understanding the effects these hormones have on the body can help individuals maximize their training potential. This article will discuss five ways that estrogen and testosterone affect fitness and athletic performance.
Estrogen and bone health
Estrogen is vital for maintaining healthy bone density, especially as women age. After menopause, estrogen levels drop dramatically, causing women to rapidly lose significant bone mass. Up to 20% of bone density can be lost in just 5-7 years after menopause. Without healthy bones, women are at higher risk for stress fractures and osteoporosis, which can limit participation in weight-bearing, high-impact exercise. Weight training and possibly short-term medically supervised estrogen replacement therapy can help support bone health to keep women active and exercising safely long-term.
Testosterone, Muscle Building and Fat Burning
Testosterone helps build lean muscle mass by increasing muscle protein synthesis. It signals the body to repair and strengthen muscles after intense resistance or strength training. Without sufficient testosterone, it becomes more difficult to build muscle strength and size. Some athletes and bodybuilders abuse anabolic steroids or testosterone supplements to maximize muscle growth. However, these supplements carry health risks and should only be used therapeutically under medical supervision. Higher testosterone levels also promote fat burning, while estrogen signals fat storage, particularly around the hips and thighs.
Risk of estrogen and soft tissue injury
Although it is true that the download an estrogen blocker can help you lose weight, estrogen has some benefits. Estrogen helps support the strength and flexibility of ligaments and tendons, which can reduce some injury risks. ACL tears occur up to 8 times more often in female athletes, especially in women with irregular or absent periods that indicate hormonal imbalances. Optimizing and balancing estrogen levels reduces the likelihood of soft tissue and joint injuries. However, drastic drops in estrogen during menopause also impair the muscles’ ability to recover after training, making overuse injuries more likely. Timing strength training when hormone levels are elevated can improve performance and recovery.
Testosterone, Energy Levels and Endurance
Adequate testosterone plays an important role in maintaining physical energy levels and mental focus, which are vital during demanding sports training and events. Testosterone enhances the production of red blood cells, which improve oxygen circulation and muscular endurance. Low testosterone has been associated with reduced endurance capacity and aerobic capacity, as well as increased fatigue during intense exercise. Hormonal imbalances that cause low testosterone can undermine an athlete’s ability to maintain strength and endurance for competition. Medically supervised testosterone optimization can help boost energy and physical stamina.
Estrogen and post-exercise recovery
While moderate levels of estrogen help strengthen bones and connective tissue, excessive drops can affect muscle recovery after intense workouts, especially during menopause. Low estrogen means slower post-workout recovery times, which hinders the ability to benefit from training adaptations. Supporting hormonal balance as women age can help them continue to exercise actively by improving exercise recovery and reducing the risk of overuse injuries that accumulate due to insufficient muscle rebuilding. This includes bone density monitoring for osteoporosis risk and advice from trained hormonal and gynecological health experts.
Close monitoring of changing estrogen and testosterone levels throughout life provides valuable information for maximizing training potential and safely achieving fitness goals. Individualized plans should assess hormone balance through blood work and medically supervised estrogen or testosterone support strategy where appropriate.
