Test Production and Cardio Training/Muscle Growth

I’ve been on T-replacement for approx 7 months now. Trying to lose some fat and regain some lost muscle. I’ve always read that natural T production slows with excessive cardio, and raises with a program of minimal cardio and heavier weight lifting. Does the same hold true when my testosterone is artificial? is it ok to ramp up the cardio to assist fat loss and not have to worry about its negative impact on testosterone levels and/or impacting muscle growth/maintenance?

That’s a multi faceted question, because Testosterone alone is not the be-all end-all of whether or not you gain mass. There are many other factors that come into play with excessive cardio (energy re-routing, adrenaline elevation, cortisol production etc…)

The short version (and most important factor) is that cardio ramps up cortisol, which can be counter productive to building muscle.

In a TRT environment, cortisol doesn’t effect Testosterone so much, but it still has the negating effect on mass building (muscle glycogen intake, adrenaline increases leading to crash and fatigue, etc…)

My philosophy (if you’re interested) is that, if you aren’t stepping on a stage in a few months, then your best method for losing fat is to actually eat a slight surplus, work your ass off in the gym, and gain muscle.

People just can’t seem to get that for some reason. Muscle burns fat!

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