Why Getting Shredded Crashes Your Testosterone

Why It Matters

The study shows that extreme cutting can depress testosterone, affecting performance and recovery, so athletes must balance leanness with hormonal health.

Key Takeaways

• Contest prep drops body fat from ~9.6% to 6.5%.
• Testosterone falls ~90 ng/dL during aggressive cutting phase.
• Hormone suppression occurs early and persists through leanest weeks.
• Recovery of testosterone typically follows weight regain after cut.
• Assumption that lean cut yields mostly muscle gain is false.

Summary

The video discusses a recent study on natural male bodybuilders undergoing contest preparation, highlighting how extreme leanness impacts testosterone.

Over an 11‑week cut, participants reduced body fat from 9.6% to 6.5%, while average testosterone dropped roughly 90 ng/dL, with the steepest decline occurring in the first half of the diet. The suppression mirrors the HPG‑axis response seen in other trained men.

Researchers noted that the hormonal dip persisted at the lower level through the final weeks, but typically rebounds once athletes regain weight. The presenter also debunks the common belief that cutting guarantees subsequent muscle‑dominant weight gain.

For competitors and coaches, the findings underscore the need to monitor endocrine health during aggressive cuts and to weigh performance risks against aesthetic goals, potentially prompting more gradual or hormone‑friendly strategies.

Original Description

Contest prep tanked these natural BBs’ testosterone even though they were the leanest they’d ever been. The hormonal cost of extreme leanness is real. #bodybuilding #testosterone #physique #barbellmedicine