Leptin and Testosterone: What is The Connection?

Leptin and Testosterone

The relationship between leptin and testosterone levels is a bit complex.

So, in order to know more about this relationship, we need to know more about what leptin actually is.

Leptin is an interesting hormone which controls a number of functions in the body like the feeling of satiety, suppressing the appetite and regulating hunger.

It’s also proportional to body fat. So, the more overweight you are, the higher your leptin levels are.

The rising leptin levels slowly put off your appetite, which is actually a good thing if you want to lose some weight.

However, the reverse situation can actually cause difficulty when dieting. When you lose weight, your leptin levels fall and consequently, hunger increases. This makes it quite difficult to stick with a diet.

So how does testosterone fit into all this?

Researchers have noted that testosterone levels go down when a person is on leptin.

The leptin circulates throughout the body and makes its way to the hypothalamus, a gland located in the center of your brain which is responsible for the release of hormones, like testosterone.

Studies have shown that when leptin reaches the hypothalamus, testosterone levels decline.

Bottom Line: When the leptin levels go up, the testosterone levels go down and vice versa.

Leptin and Testosterone Production

Now let us see some studies showing the relationship between leptin and testosterone levels:

Study 1

Leptin is responsible for linking the energy stores to the reproductive system.

To know the relationship between testosterone and leptin, researchers studied the leptin concentrations of 269 old non-diabetic men.

The researchers also followed the leptin levels of ten healthy men during a 12 month period who were given a dose of 200 mg testosterone enanthate.

The researchers discovered that the injections of testosterone lowered the men’s leptin levels.

When the injections were stopped the serum leptin levels returned to normal.

Study 2

A study was done way back in 1997 to examine the year-long effect of testosterone in aged men.

In the study, 15 hypogonadal men were assigned to receive placebo and 17 hypogonadal men were given a boost of testosterone. The ages of all these men were between 60 and 70 years.

The men received either a placebo injection or 200 mg testosterone twice a week for 12 months.

The main outcomes which were measured included hemoglobin, grip strength, memory, and leptin levels.

Testosterone improved the grip strength and increased hemoglobin levels. The men given testosterone injections also had a greater decrease in leptin levels as compared to the control group.

The researchers concluded at the end of the study that testosterone supplementation increased hemoglobin levels, improved strength and lowered the leptin levels in older hypogonadal men.

So an increase in testosterone levels clearly does decrease leptin levels.

Study 3

Another study was done which noted the possible association between leptin and testosterone levels.

Group 1 consisted of 22 untreated hypogonadal patients having testosterone levels lower than 7 nmol/L. Group 2 and Group 3 included 36 patients with testosterone levels higher than 30 nmol/l.

Blood samples were taken in the morning to find out the levels of SHBG, testosterone, and leptin. 

The results showed no significant differences in the leptin levels of group 2 and 3. However, the group 1 patients with low testosterone levels had quite high leptin levels.

Multiple associations show a relationship between leptin and testosterone levels. This study, therefore, shows a link between leptin and testosterone levels in the body.

Study 4

Yet another study was done to find out the effects of high-intensity exercise on leptin and testosterone concentrations.

Many studies have been done to find out the effect of exercise on leptin concentrations.

The main objective of this study was to see whether leptin responses to progressive exercise were related to testosterone concentrations.

In the study, well-trained runners completed intermittent bouts of exercise on a treadmill at 60, 75, 90 and 100% VO2 max. The result showed a significant increase in testosterone levels.

Although the researchers found no exclusive relationship between leptin and testosterone levels, the research found that an increase in testosterone levels does lead to a small decrease in leptin levels.

Ways to Optimize Leptin to Increase Testosterone Production

Here are some ways of optimizing leptin levels to increase testosterone production:

• Limit Caloric Intake – The first thing you need to do to reduce leptin levels is limit caloric intake. If you eat too much food, you are likely to gain weight which in turn, increases leptin production. So you should pay attention to the foods you consume and limit your daily intake to 2000.

• Limit Fructose and Sugar Intake – It’s very important to limit fructose intake because it has been shown to be a massive contributor to leptin resistance. In one particular study, rats who were fed a high fructose diet experienced a 66% decrease in leptin receptors. And when leptin receptors decrease the body needs greater amounts of leptin to feel satisfied.

• Be sensible with Dieting – To increase your testosterone levels, you have to lower leptin levels but make sure that they don’t become too low. Long-term caloric restriction can significantly decrease leptin levels. However, if you keep on incorporating cheat meals in your diet and practice intermittent fasting, you can keep your metabolism going.

• Exercise – The importance of doing exercise to decrease leptin levels can’t be stressed enough. All kinds of training can lower leptin levels which will increase a person’s appetite.

So it’s quite clear that the lower the leptin levels, the higher the testosterone levels.

So, try to follow the steps mentioned above to lower your leptin levels and incorporate intermittent fasting into your life.

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