Lifting Weights Won't Make You Bald

The latest scare doing the rounds of the press and the internet is that if you lift weights you will go bald. This can be tracked to a short article in The Sun UK newspaper, which is notorious for controversial articles. The scientists who were supposed to have completed this study were not quoted directly, nor was a reference provided.

The idea is that weight training or any high-intensity training raises testosterone, the male hormone. Testosterone is converted to another hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is supposed to kill off hair follicles. The first part is true: weight training does raise testosterone and growth hormone levels. But then they subside quickly when you rest.

What you need to know is that testosterone and other hormones, in men and women, fluctuate quite widely throughout the day. A temporary rise, even a substantial rise for 30 minutes or so, is probably not going to be significant over the course of a day. Secondly, it's not just about testosterone and its conversion product because the hormone cascade is quite complex. And while it is true that DHT does affect hair follicles, it seems that this is a genetic susceptibility that does not apply to most men (or women).

Read my article on natural hormone enhancement for more information on how you can increase strength hormones naturally. Rest easy. It won't make you go bald because it's only temporary.