Endurance and Hormones: How to Support Testosterone Naturally for Peak Performance

Testosterone isn't just for bodybuilders or elite sprinters—it plays a critical role in the performance, recovery, and resilience of endurance athletes too. Whether you’re training for a marathon, grinding out long-distance bike rides, or logging serious vertical in the backcountry, your hormonal health matters.

Testosterone levels directly influence muscle maintenance, energy output, red blood cell production, bone density, and mood. And yet, many endurance athletes unknowingly suffer from low or suboptimal testosterone due to intense training loads, stress, and nutrient depletion.

The good news: there are natural ways to support testosterone and protect your performance edge—without synthetic hormones or shortcuts.

Why Testosterone Matters for Endurance Athletes

Testosterone supports:

Muscle repair and growth – crucial for endurance athletes who experience constant muscle breakdown
Energy levels and motivation – low testosterone often leads to fatigue, apathy, and slow recovery
Red blood cell production – testosterone stimulates erythropoietin, aiding oxygen delivery to muscles [1]
Bone strength – critical for long-distance runners and cyclists prone to stress fractures
Mental drive – testosterone affects competitiveness, confidence, and mental resilience [2]

For athletes, the aim isn’t to jack up testosterone unnaturally. It’s about maintaining healthy levels to fuel consistent performance, efficient recovery, and long-term health.

What Causes Low Testosterone in Endurance Athletes?

Paradoxically, the very discipline and grit it takes to be a high-level endurance athlete can backfire on hormone health.

Key culprits:

Overtraining and under-recovery – chronic high mileage with little rest spikes cortisol, suppresses testosterone [3]
Low energy availability (LEA) – not eating enough to match output causes the body to downregulate hormones to conserve energy [4]
Sleep disruption – testosterone is produced during deep sleep. Inconsistent or poor sleep can drastically reduce production [5]
Micronutrient deficiencies – intense training depletes zinc, magnesium, and B vitamins—all vital for hormone synthesis
Age and stress – testosterone naturally declines with age, but excessive training stress accelerates that curve

Symptoms of Low Testosterone in Endurance Athletes

If you’re an endurance athlete, pay attention to these red flags:

Loss of motivation or drive
Persistent fatigue or poor recovery
Decreased muscle mass or strength
Brain fog or irritability
Increased body fat
Declining performance despite consistent training

1. Optimize Recovery and Rest

Recovery isn't optional—it’s the foundation of hormonal health. Testosterone is produced in the early hours of sleep, so getting 7–9 hours of high-quality sleep is non-negotiable [5].

Tips:

Stick to consistent bed/wake times
Use blue-light blocking glasses/screens in the evening
Don’t train hard every day—schedule deload weeks
Prioritize active recovery like walking, sauna, or mobility work

2. Fuel Enough—Consistently

One of the biggest hormone killers in endurance athletes is under-fueling. You can’t support testosterone if your body thinks it’s starving.

Avoid long-term low-carb diets if you’re logging high mileage
Make sure you're eating enough fat (testosterone is cholesterol-derived)
Get adequate protein (1.2–1.8 g/kg/day) to support lean tissue
Fuel before, during, and after long training sessions

Studies show that athletes with low energy availability have significantly lower testosterone levels and reduced metabolic function [4].

3. Target Key Nutrients

Testosterone synthesis requires a range of micronutrients, and endurance athletes are often deficient due to high turnover and sweat loss.

Zinc – essential for testosterone production; deficiency = low T [6]
Magnesium – improves free testosterone and recovery [7]
Vitamin D – acts as a hormone, supports testosterone, immune health, and bone strength [8]
B vitamins – needed for energy metabolism and hormone conversion
Omega-3s – reduce inflammation and support endocrine signaling

Supplements like Testosterone Balance deliver these key nutrients alongside herbal support.

4. Train Smart, Not Just Hard

Endurance athletes often train in the "gray zone"—not easy enough to recover, not hard enough to build strength.

Add resistance training 2x/week to stimulate testosterone and maintain muscle mass [9]
Include sprint intervals or hill work to promote anabolic responses
Don’t ignore zone 1/2 work—it reduces stress and improves base capacity

5. Support with Adaptogenic Herbs

Herbs won’t replace sleep or food—but they can support your body’s resilience to stress and gently encourage hormonal balance.

Some proven allies:

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

Reduces cortisol, improves strength, and boosts testosterone naturally [10].

Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia)

Improves testosterone and reduces fatigue and cortisol levels [11].

Shilajit

Boosts mitochondrial energy and increases total testosterone in active men [12].

Maca root

Enhances stamina, libido, and stress tolerance—especially helpful for endurance athletes under constant output.

Why Use Testosterone Balance?

Testosterone Balance by StHealthy Nutrition combines all four of these herbs—plus zinc, magnesium, and B6—into a single, potent daily formula. It’s designed for active men and women who want to:

Maintain healthy testosterone levels
Improve recovery and training output
Reduce stress and fatigue
Boost physical and mental performance—naturally

Whether you're logging trail miles, climbing peaks, or pushing limits in your sport, Testosterone Balance gives your endocrine system the support it needs to keep up with your goals.

Final Word

Testosterone is not just about sex drive or muscle size—it’s about sustained energy, mood, recovery, and performance. For endurance athletes, maintaining healthy testosterone is critical to avoid burnout and keep training productive and enjoyable.

With the right mix of training, recovery, nutrition, and herbal support, your hormones can work for you—not against you. Testosterone Balance is a smart, clean way to stay sharp, strong, and naturally aligned with your performance edge.

🧪 References

Basualto-Alarcón, C. et al. (2013). Testosterone signaling in skeletal muscle: mechanisms and therapeutic potential. Current Opinion in Pharmacology, 13(3), 322–326.
Hermans, E. J. et al. (2008). Testosterone administration reduces empathetic behavior: a neural mechanism for dominance and social status. Biological Psychiatry, 63(3), 263–270.
Meeusen, R. et al. (2013). Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the overtraining syndrome: joint consensus statement. European Journal of Sport Science, 13(1), 1–24.
Mountjoy, M. et al. (2018). Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(11), 687–697.
Leproult, R., Van Cauter, E. (2011). Effect of sleep loss on neuroendocrine function. Hormone Research in Paediatrics, 76(4), 252–258.
Prasad, A. S. (2013). Discovery of human zinc deficiency: its impact on human health and disease. Advances in Nutrition, 4(2), 176–190.
Cinar, V., Polat, Y. (2008). Effect of magnesium supplementation on testosterone levels of athletes and sedentary subjects. Biological Trace Element Research, 122(3), 180–184.
Pilz, S. et al. (2011). Vitamin D and testosterone in men. Clinical Endocrinology, 73(3), 243–248.
Kraemer, W. J., Ratamess, N. A. (2005). Hormonal responses and adaptations to resistance exercise and training. Sports Medicine, 35(4), 339–361.
Lopresti, A. L. et al. (2019). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial examining the hormonal and vitality effects of ashwagandha in aging, overweight males. American Journal of Men’s Health, 13(1).
Ismail, S. B. et al. (2012). Tongkat Ali as a potential herbal supplement for physically active males. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 9(1), 43.
Pandit, S. et al. (2016). Clinical evaluation of purified Shilajit on testosterone levels in healthy volunteers. Andrologia, 48(5), 570–575.