Does having more testosterone automatically mean more muscle, more strength and better results?

It’s not quite that simple.

Testosterone absolutely plays an important role in the body and is involved in things like maintaining muscle mass, bone health and recovery.

It’s also true that clinically low testosterone can negatively affect things like muscle mass, energy and physical performance.

But there’s a big difference between treating genuinely low testosterone and trying to “boost” already-normal testosterone levels in the hope of getting better gym results.

And this is where social media can make things confusing.

There are endless supplements promising to:

“Boost testosterone.”

“Increase muscle.”

“Optimise male hormones.”

“Improve strength and performance.”

The reality is that if your testosterone levels are already within a healthy range, taking an over-the-counter “testosterone booster” isn’t suddenly going to transform your progress in the gym.

If your goal is to build muscle and get stronger, there are some much less exciting things I’d focus on first…

Are you training consistently and progressively?

Are you eating enough protein?

Are you eating enough overall to support your training?

Are you getting enough sleep and recovering properly?

Have you actually given your programme enough time to work?

Because it’s very easy to start looking for a hormonal problem when the answer might simply be that one of those foundations isn’t quite there yet.

That’s not to say low testosterone isn’t real or shouldn’t be taken seriously.

If you’re concerned that your testosterone may genuinely be low, please speak to your GP or an appropriately qualified medical professional rather than diagnosing yourself or buying something online.

They can assess the bigger picture and determine whether testing is appropriate.

And if there is a genuine medical issue, that’s a conversation between you and your healthcare professional – not you and someone selling testosterone gummies online.

When it comes to getting better results in the gym, don’t underestimate the boring stuff.

Train well. Eat well. Recover well. Do it consistently.

You’d be surprised how far that’ll take you before you need to start worrying about “optimising” your hormones.

Erin Grant
Head of Gyms | MNU Certified Nutritionist