Androgenic Impact of Exercise
Exercise can impact androgenic hair loss by affecting androgen and estrogen levels. The Rancho Bernardo Study, a large cross sectional examination of a community in southern California based on self report, found that among both genders there was no significant difference in premature graying or balding status related to alcohol, smoking, exercise, appropriate use of calcium supplements, diuretics, or thyroid medication. In women with androgenic alopecia, there was an increased association with corticosteroid and estrogen use. Self reports typically have less strength in the context of evidence based medicine and hormonal indices were not measured in this study.
Quantification of androgen indices in response to exercise can be understood in four categories: short versus long term, and anaerobic versus aerobic. These are indirect assays of exercise impact on hair loss, although the ability of exogenous androgen to worsen or precipitate miniaturization in the genetically predisposed is well documented. Investigations have been either self-report, or cross-sectional and cohort studies with exercise and serum hormonal indices, but no phase III clinical trials. In some studies, conflicting results are thought related to differences in exercise mode, volume, or physical condition of subjects.
In cross-sectional analyses, aerobic exercisers have lower basal total and free testosterone compared to the sedentary. Anaerobic exercisers also have lower testosterone compared to the sedentary with slight increase in basal testosterone in resistance training over time. There is some correlation between testosterone and physical activity in the middle aged and elderly. Acutely, testosterone briefly increases when comparing aerobic, anaerobic and mixed forms of exercise. A study assessed men who were resistance trained, endurance trained, or sedentary in which they either rested, ran or did a resistance session. Androgens increased in response to exercise, particularly resistance, while cortisol only increased with resistance. DHEA increased with resistance exercise and remained elevated during recovery in resistance-trained subjects. After initial post-exercise increase, there was decline in free and total testosterone during resistance recovery, particularly in resistance-trained subjects. Endurance-trained subjects showed less change in hormone levels in response to exercise than resistance-trained subjects. Another study have found relative short term effects of aerobic, anaerobic and combined anaerobic-aerobic exercise protocols on hormone levels to not be different. It showed increases in testosterone and cortisol immediately after exercise that returned to baseline in 2 hours.
Read more about this topic: Androgenic Alopecia
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