Testosterone in Cycling | Hormone health to improve performance

One of the biggest changes ive made to my training and life is my approach to looking after my hormones. I want to make sure my natural testosterone production is high and my free testosterone production is high so i can recover efficiently from training and go again the next day.
Here i chat with life long friend David Kingsbury (K1 fitness in Beaconsfield/also Huge Jackman's trainer responsible for the Wolverine). We chat through the things you can do to help keep your hormones in balance and the effect training has on them. You'll find this one interesting for sure.
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[@craigcooper1776]

I wrote a book on this subject. “Your New Prime”: 30 Days to Better Sex, Eternal Strength, and a Kick Ass Life After 40. The information this guy is giving is spot on and supported by the science. Well done.

[@thewattlife]

Thanks for sharing, will have to look out for your book. Its one of the most important things i factor into my training

[@specialblorb]

Hey @craigcooper1776 Craig, I read your book after seeing your comment here (I recently turned 40..). I liked it and was already converted on a few topics like foam rolling, shorter/more intense sessions and avoiding UPFs! I also learned new stuff and planning to cut down on red meat and do fewer long bike rides this year. If you are open to a spot of feedback I'd prefer to see citations for the key scientific studies and I thought the relationship part was a bit long/came from a marriage perspective. Also, I take it you're not a massive fan of cycling apart from the odd mtb trail ride... but given this is a Zwift channel I guess you might expect some defence of the sport :) I did a quick Google and it seems the research on long rides is not so clear cut. As you mentioned (in the context of 5k running races I think) competition itself raises testosterone. Maybe Zwift racing (and training) still provides a net boost, assuming mostly short hard races (only speculating) and if you add in the social side too I suspect it has a place in a post-40 prime regime!

[@psymanj73]

Interesting video. Like the focus not primarily on cycling performance but on how to look after yourself, so you can perform better.

[@thewattlife]

This has honestly made such a difference. You have to build from the bottom up and hormones are the foundation for training.

[@lolShoulder]

keep uploading videos! Love your content Max!❤

[@thewattlife]

Thank you i really appreciate that

[@sigfreed11]

Love the video thank you! Constructive criticism: I’d love to watch this conversation in a quieter room acoustically and more directly into mics. Even with the underscored music and playing from my phone speaker it is still obvious the sound quality isn’t fully there.

[@thewattlife]

Next time we will do better

[@1carusjohn32]

Good and informative. Excuse to eat more eggs too! Need to pick my way through the multivit isle in Holland and Barret now! Good bit of content Max.

[@thewattlife]

Thanks kindly, getting on top of my vits and minerals has made a world of difference to my levels of fatigue and ability to train and recover

[@1carusjohn32]

@thewattlife I have 15 years on you, keep at it. It is amazing how you can push back the years. The trick is not to let it slip, very difficult to recapture lost VO2 levels but you can really slow down the demise by working consistently year on year. Don't make it a chore though and don't burn out. Always question what you are doing is enjoyable or not. Not done a lab VO2 test but my calculated VO2 is 57 which aint bad at my age.

[@atakdd]

if cortisol goes up the longer the intense cycling you do, doesnt this mean that the issue may not be necessarily due to endurance activity and more to do with the individual over-training by going too hard for too long? I have to imagine if you balance the aerobic workouts for long periods and then do the intensity over short periods, assuming all else is relatively fine (i.e. diet, sleep amount, etc.) I don't imagine testosterone levels would really dip any different to an elite power-lifter as they are doing workouts in the gym for many hours a day as well, just more on the strength aspect vs aerobic.

[@doddsalfa]

I saw a bbc news about the hormonal status in elderly cyclists about them not getting into andropause when they were able to cycle about 60 miles in less than 6 hours .Is this right or did I just have a great dream?

[@deanrobertson2089]

Fantastic vlog, I was impressed you questioned about erection disfunction as its a question that isnt discussed in exercise much and quite common and sometimes it's a vicious circle where your trying get fit to help but lowering testosterone at the same time by over training and thinking about it too much doesn't help. Tablets do work (tadalafil) if they think there testosterone is low or find they have ED after training. But I'd recommend speaking to a professional if they are concerned. Sorry about the rant prob way off discussion. 16:24

[@thewattlife]

Just wanted to have a bit of a conversation about something that i know is important and cover a few things that people might not be comfortable talking about with friends

[@deanrobertson2089]

@@thewattlife kudos for bringing up the conversation about as not a lot is said about it. Especially younger than 40s as with stress for younger riders and people emotionally is huge the way social media is now.

[@xKillYourTVx]

unfortunately endurance training above 45 min reduces testosterone. Supplementing Bromelain can prevent that mostly

[@thewattlife]

It’s the really unsexy side of training that can make such a huge difference.

[@lsantilli]

Don’t take this the wrong way, but with those glasses you look like Lance Armstrongs little brother. Fro real.

[@thewattlife]

LOL

[@FFTuk]

And lance Armstrong was cycling testosterone. The circle is complete.

[@Jpearse1]

That background music has to go 😢