Testosterone and Diet

Higher serum testosterone levels can lead to many beneficial outcomes in men.  In my last post, I presented evidence that sprint training may increase serum testosterone levels.  It would be natural to think that resistance training would also increase serum testosterone levels, but the research on this is conflicting.

However, this neat study shows that diet can alter serum testosterone levels, and that this can affect the response to a strength training program.  The study shows that higher fat in a person's diet correlates to higher serum testosterone levels.   These higher levels testosterone levels then lead to a better response to resistance training.

It's also interesting that a higher protein intake is negatively correlated with testosterone levels and negatively related to the response to resistance training.  My guess is that this effect has its origins in hunter-gatherer hunting outcomes. 

The fatty portions of game were the most valued by hunters.  Therefore, scoring a high-fat, lower-protein meal would have registered as a "success" with the body and raised testosterone levels.  Scoring a low-fat, mostly protein meal was not as optimal since it provided little in the way of essential fatty acids.