Exercise is well known for supporting heart health, weight control, and mental well-being. But its relationship with testosterone is often misunderstood, doctors say.

Research shows that certain types of exercise, especially strength training and high-intensity workouts can trigger short-term increases in testosterone. These boosts are brief, typically lasting anywhere from 15 minutes to about an hour after a workout before levels settle back to normal.

“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all response,” said Dr. Anthony Hackney, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of North Carolina. “Some workouts can raise testosterone temporarily, while others may lower it, depending on how intense and how long the exercise is.”

Over time, doctors say testosterone levels are shaped less by individual workouts and more by overall health. Body weight plays a major role: obesity is strongly linked to lower testosterone, and regular exercise helps by reducing body fat and improving metabolic health.

On the other hand, extreme endurance training has been linked to lower testosterone in some athletes. Researchers believe this may be due to elevated cortisol( the body’s stress hormone) though many endurance athletes show no symptoms of testosterone deficiency.

Medical experts emphasize that exercise alone does not permanently raise testosterone levels. Still, it remains an important factor in maintaining healthy hormone balance.

“Exercise supports testosterone indirectly,” said Dr. Ahmed El-Zawahry, a urologist at the University of Toledo Medical Center. “By improving overall health, it helps keep levels where they should be.”