- A lot of people think strength training has an impact on hair loss because it can increase testosterone.
- However, the reverse could be true for some people.
- Strength training and high intensity interval training increase the production of human growth hormone (HGH).
- It’s thought by some that HGH helps stop or even reverse hair loss — here’s one for example.
- Strength training may also reduce cortisol (the stress hormone). High cortisol causes increased DHT. DHT is the hormone that causes hair loss. So training may help reduce DHT, which is good for your hair. However…
- Many people overtrain. If you overtrain it can have a massive negative impact on your cortisol levels (increasing them).
- Cortisol and testosterone combine to create DHT. So here’s the big problem and this is possibly why some weight lifters lose their hair very young…
- If you over train, you elevate your cortisol levels. That means, you elevate your DHT. DHT causes hair loss. Therefore, overtraining could massively increase hair loss.
- It’s also possible that if you train but don’t compensate for the extra stress on your body with the right nutrients, it could impact on your hair growth.
- Strenuous exercise requires fuel, not just in carbs. Also in vitamins, minerals and fats. Vitamins like B vitamins, which are needed to convert amino acids to protein (including the protein keratin, which is what hair is made of)
- Increased cortisol, increased DHT and decreased availability of nutrients for making hair keratin all together may have a severely negative effect on hair growth.
I want to incorporate free weight training in my routine three to four times a week. I do not want to take any protein supplements or any other supplements or steroids. I want to stick to natural sources of protein. Will “bulking” up and building muscle through a caloric surplus and lifting heavy weight, especially through compound exercises like squats greatly increase my testosterone and dht levels? Is it safe to do weights all my life from now on?
This is absolutely fine. In fact, our new research has shown that increased testosterone is unlikely to cause hair loss. We believe it’s a combination of increased testosterone and increased cortisol (stress hormone) as well as increased scalp sensitivity to DHT (due to increased PGD2, among other things).
It should not impact on your hair loss and in fact, the cortisol reduction resulting from training should help with hair growth.
Weight lifting can cause an elevation in testosterone levels. Most bodybuilders know that increasing testosterone levels helps improve power, strength and endurance. This is actually how steroids work. Increasing testosterone has a positive effect on training performance but it can have a negative effect on hair growth.
Testosterone is a male hormone but it is also present (in lesser amounts) in women. Generally speaking the more testosterone in the body, the more extreme the male characteristics will be. If you look at a bull and a cow, the bull is far more muscular and far more aggressive. Both bulls and cows have the same diet. The difference is the bull has far higher testosterone levels.
DHT: a by-product of testosterone
It’s clear that men tend to experience hair loss more so than women. That is because men tend to have more testosterone in their body’s. DHT is a by-product of testosterone. In general, as we age, more DHT is produced from testosterone. DHT causes scalp hair loss and also body hair growth.
Some people’s hair is more susceptible to the effects of DHT than others. Some people’s bodies tend to produce more testosterone than others. Some people will experience more of an elevation in testosterone as a result of starting a weightlifting/bodybuilding routine, while others will not experience much of a change. And some people seem to produce more DHT from testosterone than others.
So in answer to your question:
Yes, weight lifting or bodybuilding may cause an increased rate in hair loss, IF you are one of the people who is both susceptible to the negative effects of DHT and your weightlifting/bodybuilding routine results in an increase in testosterone levels.
From what I know about bodybuilding, most people who work-out hard will experience an increase in testosterone but not a massive one. In fact there are many things that cause elevated testosterone levels.
For example, a study discovered that men whose football team won a match had more elevated testosterone levels after the game than the supporters of the losing team. This study shows that the mind is a key controller of hormonal balance and this is one of the key parts of my hair loss eBook.
It shows that it is possible to control your hormonal balance if you are able to take greater control of your mind and your feelings.
In conclusion
It’s my opinion that you don’t need to worry about the effects of bodybuilding on your hair unless you’re taking supplements or medications that are designed to increase your testosterone levels.
If you’re taking steroids and you are one of the millions of people whose scalp is sensitive to DHT you will probably notice an increase in hair loss.
Read next
Whats the best shampoo for hair loss?However if you’re not taking steroids and you’re working out pretty hard you should be OK, providing you’re following the instructions in my eBook – and therefore keeping your mind in the right place, keeping your body working at super efficient levels and keeping your scalp clear and free of DHT.
If you’re concerned about hair loss I recommend reading this guide that shows you how to flood your scalp with hair growth nutrients to boost hair growth.
Hi Chris,
This is a really helpful article.. Can you please tell me if there is anyway i can prevent my hair from falling.. I am a natural body builder.. Do not take any supplements at all.. Not even protein, but i have a problem with my hair loss. Can you tell me anything that i can prevent my hair from falling?
Thanks a lot,
In the order to prevent hair loss, you can do aerobics, running, cycling, and other cardio exercises but avoid weight lifting, however weight lifting 2-3 days in a week is ok but prefer to do free weight exercises life dips, pullups, free squats, etc