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Dietary Fat Affects Testosterone Levels
NEW YORK, June 26 (Reuters) -- A well-balanced diet is not only good for your health, it's good for your muscles, too. According to research conducted at Penn State, an unbalanced diet -- such as one high in carbohydrate and low in fat -- can reduce the amount of testosterone in your blood. This male sex hormone also plays a role in the growth and maintenance of muscle tissue.
Previous studies have shown that people with diets in which 20% of their total caloric intake comes from fat have significantly lower testosterone levels than diets consisting of 40% fat.
"The public has come to believe that the lower the fat, the better -- in all circumstances. Our study shows that a balance of nutrients is needed," says Dr. William Kraemer, at the Penn State University Center for Sports Medicine.
Kraemer, along with fellow researcher Jeff Volek, monitored the testosterone levels of 12 healthy young men at rest and after exercise. In addition, the researchers kept track of the men's diets. They discovered that diet influences testosterone levels at rest, but not during exercise. Furthermore, they observed that a higher fat (saturated and monounsaturated, but not polyunsaturated) consumption correlated with a higher resting testosterone level. Conversely, a greater protein consumption actually correlated with a lower resting testosterone level.
"Some people recommend high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets. While this diet has some advantages, high-carbohydrate intake at the expense of other nutrients, such as fat, may cause a drop in testosterone. The same is true if there is too much protein in the diet and too few carbohydrates," explains Volek.
But before you go out on a fat binge to pump up your muscles, Dr. Tim Byers, professor of preventive medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, in Denver, cautions that high-fat diets can cause the conversion of testosterone into a more active form, dihydrotestosterone, which may increase the risk for prostate cancer. "There is some indication that fat in the diet can affect that conversion, and thereby cause prostates to be overstimulated."
Byers believes that people should not modify their diet based on this study. "If men want to get their testosterone levels as high as possible... to pump up their muscles, that would suggest going on a high-fat diet. But, we know that a high-fat diet is not healthful in general, either for the heart or for the prostate."
NEW YORK, June 26 (Reuters) -- A well-balanced diet is not only good for your health, it's good for your muscles, too. According to research conducted at Penn State, an unbalanced diet -- such as one high in carbohydrate and low in fat -- can reduce the amount of testosterone in your blood. This male sex hormone also plays a role in the growth and maintenance of muscle tissue.
Previous studies have shown that people with diets in which 20% of their total caloric intake comes from fat have significantly lower testosterone levels than diets consisting of 40% fat.
"The public has come to believe that the lower the fat, the better -- in all circumstances. Our study shows that a balance of nutrients is needed," says Dr. William Kraemer, at the Penn State University Center for Sports Medicine.
Kraemer, along with fellow researcher Jeff Volek, monitored the testosterone levels of 12 healthy young men at rest and after exercise. In addition, the researchers kept track of the men's diets. They discovered that diet influences testosterone levels at rest, but not during exercise. Furthermore, they observed that a higher fat (saturated and monounsaturated, but not polyunsaturated) consumption correlated with a higher resting testosterone level. Conversely, a greater protein consumption actually correlated with a lower resting testosterone level.
"Some people recommend high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets. While this diet has some advantages, high-carbohydrate intake at the expense of other nutrients, such as fat, may cause a drop in testosterone. The same is true if there is too much protein in the diet and too few carbohydrates," explains Volek.
But before you go out on a fat binge to pump up your muscles, Dr. Tim Byers, professor of preventive medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, in Denver, cautions that high-fat diets can cause the conversion of testosterone into a more active form, dihydrotestosterone, which may increase the risk for prostate cancer. "There is some indication that fat in the diet can affect that conversion, and thereby cause prostates to be overstimulated."
Byers believes that people should not modify their diet based on this study. "If men want to get their testosterone levels as high as possible... to pump up their muscles, that would suggest going on a high-fat diet. But, we know that a high-fat diet is not healthful in general, either for the heart or for the prostate."
