How Hormones Help Muscles Grow After Lifting Weights
Links Between Testosterone, Oestrogen, and the Growth Hormone/Insulin-Like Growth Factor Axis and Resistance Exercise Muscle Adaptations
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Your body uses special chemicals called hormones to help your muscles grow stronger after exercise. Testosterone, estrogen, and growth hormone tell your muscles to repair and grow, especially when you lift weights.
Surprising Findings
Muscle androgen receptor content is more closely linked to hypertrophy than circulating testosterone levels.
Most people assume higher testosterone = more muscle, but this shows the muscle’s ability to *respond* to testosterone matters more than the amount in your blood.
Practical Takeaways
Focus on training consistency and intensity rather than worrying about daily testosterone levels.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Your body uses special chemicals called hormones to help your muscles grow stronger after exercise. Testosterone, estrogen, and growth hormone tell your muscles to repair and grow, especially when you lift weights.
Surprising Findings
Muscle androgen receptor content is more closely linked to hypertrophy than circulating testosterone levels.
Most people assume higher testosterone = more muscle, but this shows the muscle’s ability to *respond* to testosterone matters more than the amount in your blood.
Practical Takeaways
Focus on training consistency and intensity rather than worrying about daily testosterone levels.
Publication
Journal
Frontiers in Physiology
Year
2021
Authors
N. Gharahdaghi, B. Phillips, N. Szewczyk, Ken Smith, D. Wilkinson, P. Atherton
Related Content
Claims (3)
Everyone can lose fat, get stronger, and build muscle with the right diet and exercise — how much they gain might differ, but the ability is there for all of us.
When men lift weights, their testosterone helps their muscles grow by turning on certain signals in the muscle cells. This hormone response can last up to two days after a workout, making muscles more responsive to testosterone during that time.
When women work out during the part of their cycle when estrogen is high, they might build more muscle because estrogen helps protect muscles and speed up recovery.