Question: Is testosterone replacement therapy acceptable for recreational cycling? —Allen J.
RBR’S STAN PURDUM REPLIES: I assume you specified “recreational cycling” since in professional competitive cycling, using testosterone is considered an anti-doping rule violation. Cycling authorities strictly prohibit its use, and age-related decline in one’s testosterone level is not grounds for a medical exemption.
But for recreational cycling there is no such prohibition. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is a personal choice best made in consultation with your doctor.
While to some degree TRT may seem like a way to turn back the clock on muscle loss, virility and mental acuity — and there are specific circumstances where your doctor might recommend it — the downsides are several. For one, TRT can stimulate noncancerous growth of the prostate, but if you already have prostate cancer, the risk is worse, for supplement testosterone can speed up the progress of the cancer. For another, since TRT triggers red blood cell production, it increases the risk of blood-clot formation, which can travel through your bloodstream and lodge in your lungs or other locations. For yet one more, TRT can shut down your body’s natural testosterone production. There are other risks as well, but the three I’ve just mentioned are enough to cause many men to say no to TRT.
There is another option, however. Strength training and resistance exercises increase testosterone levels naturally in ways that do not carry the same risks as TRT. This natural training stimulates your endocrine system to optimize your existing levels safely without exceeding your physiological limits. Most cyclists get a lot of endurance training while on the bike, which yields some rise in natural testosterone, but according to this study, the longer effects of the testosterone rise occur with resistance training. This suggests that cyclists can benefit from adding some strength workouts to their exercise regime.
One other way to help minimize your loss of testosterone benefits is to keep your alcohol consumption at a moderate level. This study suggests why.
I’ve answered this question with men in mind, since they are the sex more likely to consider TRT, and because the question came from a man. I am aware that there are circumstances where some form of TRT might be prescribed for women, but I’ll leave that discussion to women and their physicians.
Stan Purdum has ridden several long-distance bike trips, including an across-America ride recounted in his book Roll Around Heaven All Day, and a trek on U.S. 62, from Niagara Falls, New York, to El Paso, Texas, the subject of his book Playing in Traffic. Stan, a freelance writer and editor, lives in Ohio. See more at www.StanPurdum.com.
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