{"id":8914,"date":"2022-03-28T11:40:44","date_gmt":"2022-03-28T10:40:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zoeharcombe.com\/?p=8914"},"modified":"2022-06-26T13:40:25","modified_gmt":"2022-06-26T12:40:25","slug":"low-carb-diets-cortisol-testosterone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zoeharcombe.com\/2022\/03\/low-carb-diets-cortisol-testosterone\/","title":{"rendered":"Low-carb diets, cortisol & testosterone"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Executive summary<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

* A systematic review (look at all evidence) and meta-analysis (pool it together to see the overall effect) has been published reviewing the effect of low-carb diets on cortisol and testosterone in young, healthy, active, men.\n<\/p>\n

* As a general principle, findings of higher cortisol and\/or lower testosterone, resulting from a diet, would be seen as bad outcomes.\n <\/p>\n

* The review examined 27 studies involving 309 men with an average age of 27. \n <\/p>\n

* Various permutations of resting and post-exercise, cortisol and testosterone, exercise duration and whether the low-carb diet was high or moderate protein were examined in separate sub-groups.\n <\/p>\n

* Half the sub-group analyses did not achieve significant results; the other half did. Non-findings are important as well as findings. \n <\/p>\n

* The most important non-findings were that nothing significant was found \u2013 for either cortisol or testosterone \u2013 in diets lasting longer than three weeks. \n <\/p>\n

* The most important findings were that low-carb diets resulted in higher cortisol after exercise lasting 20 minutes or longer. This may have been the result of gluconeogenesis. Also, high-protein low-carb diets decreased resting testosterone, but moderate-protein low-carb diets didn't, so don't blame the low carb for what the high protein did.\n <\/p>\n

* This was a thorough and impressive study with some interesting findings. Anyone following a low-carb diet for longer than three weeks should not be concerned by the results.\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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