The association between guideline-based exercise thresholds and low testosterone among men in the United States

Andrology. 2020 Nov;8(6):1712-1719. doi: 10.1111/andr.12849. Epub 2020 Jul 12.

Abstract

Background: Exercise and weight loss have been shown to improve serum testosterone (T) in obese individuals. However, the association between low T levels and guideline-based exercise thresholds has not been determined.

Objective: Using the recently updated Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee (PAGAC) recommendations, we sought to investigate the relationship between recommended activity levels and the prevalence of low T levels.

Materials and methods: The2011-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was used to identify men ages 18 to 80 years who answered the physical activity questionnaire and underwent serum T testing. Men were categorized based on PAGAC activity level: less than recommended, recommended and greater than recommended. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to determine the association between low T (<300 ng/dL) and activity level across body mass index (BMI) categories while adjusting for potential confounders.

Results: Of the 7372 men who met the inclusion criteria, the majority (4372, 59.3%) exceeded the recommended amount of activity, whereas only 2326 (31.6%) exercised less than the recommended amount. On multivariable analysis, obese men whose activity exceeded the recommended amount were less likely to have low T (OR 0.523, 95% CI 0.409-0.669, P < .001) compared with men who did not meet the recommended activity level.

Discussion and conclusions: Using a large, nationally representative cohort, we demonstrated that obese men whose activity exceeded PAGAC recommendations had a decreased likelihood of having low T levels. Given the numerous benefits of exercise, these data provide a basis for counseling obese patients regarding the association between exercise and decreased prevalence of low T.

Keywords: NHANES; exercise; hypogonadism; metabolic equivalents; testosterone.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Body Mass Index
  • Diet
  • Exercise / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Life Style
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nutrition Surveys
  • Obesity / blood*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Testosterone / blood*
  • Testosterone / deficiency
  • United States
  • Weight Loss / physiology

Substances

  • Testosterone