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Losing weight helps obese men improve testosterone levels

Category: Hormones and Metabolism

Many men receive low testosterone test results due to excess weight. This can interfere with many aspects of their quality of life. However, a new study suggests that simply losing the extra pounds may result in a rebound in testosterone levels.

A team of Belgian researchers assessed testosterone levels in 75 men who were being treated at a weight loss clinic. The results showed that the 17 individuals who opted for bariatric weight loss surgery not only experienced the most significant improvement in body mass, they also had the greatest gains in testosterone levels.

The University of Louvain researchers who conducted the study said that low testosterone and the condition’s attendant side effects are common in those who are overweight. However, their findings suggest that it may be possible for these individuals to regain the quality of life that they may have lost through obesity-related low testosterone.

"Morbidly obese men have a high prevalence of hypotestosteronenemia, or low testosterone, and of sexual dysfunction," said Jean-Paul Thissen, who led the study. "It is reassuring that these problems are potentially curable by weight loss."