Calcium ameliorates exercise-induced reduction in testosterone levels, which may be useful for increasing overall athletic performance. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Testosterone levels in athletes at rest and exhaustion: effects of calcium supplementation.
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2009;129(1-3):65-9. Epub 2008 Dec 20. PMID: 19099204
Karaman High School of Physical Education and Sport, Selcuk University, Karaman, Turkey. [email protected]
The effects of 4 weeks of calcium supplementation on free- and total testosterone levels were established in active and sedentary adult males at rest and exhaustion. Thirty healthy male athletes were equally divided into three study groups, as follows: Group 1-non-exercising subjects receiving 35 mg calcium/kg body weight; Group 2-subjects receiving 35 mg calcium/kg body weight undergoing training routines for 90 min/day, 5 days a week and Group 3-subjects undergoing training routines for 90 min/day, 5 days a week. The testosterone levels were determined before and after supplementation, at rest and following a hard training routine. The plasma free- and total testosterone levels increased at exhaustion before and after supplementation relative to resting values (p<0.05). This was also true when active subjects were compared to inactive subjects (p<0.05). Our results show that training results in increased testosterone levels in athletes and that the increase is greater if accompanied by calcium supplementation, which may be useful for increasing overall athletic performance.