Video·3 min read·May 2026

Unlocking Resilience: The Impact of Cryotherapy on Testosterone Levels

Cold Therapy • 3 min read • Based on research by Zhiguang Zhao, Ke Sun (2018)

In our pursuit of wellness, the balance of hormones plays a crucial role in our overall vitality. Among these hormones, testosterone is often associated with energy, mood, and resilience. As we age, maintaining optimal testosterone levels becomes increasingly important. What if a simple ritual could help enhance these levels? This is where cryotherapy enters the conversation.

A recent study sheds light on how exposure to ultra-low temperatures can influence testosterone levels in a way that may benefit both younger and older individuals. Understanding this relationship invites us to explore how we can incorporate contrast therapy into our recovery protocols for improved health and longevity.

The Science Behind Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy involves exposing the body to extremely low temperatures for a short duration. This practice is known to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and enhance recovery. However, recent research indicates that it also significantly impacts hormone levels, specifically testosterone.

The study conducted by researchers Zhiguang Zhao and Ke Sun observed the effects of cryotherapy on testosterone levels in two age groups: younger individuals around 22 years old and older individuals around 42 years old. The findings revealed that while younger participants initially experienced a decrease in testosterone levels—by approximately 7.8% immediately after treatment—the older group saw a remarkable increase of 27% in testosterone levels two hours post-cryotherapy.

Understanding the Benefits

So, what does this mean in practical terms? For older individuals, the increase in testosterone levels following cryotherapy suggests that this treatment may serve as an effective protocol for enhancing hormonal balance and overall vitality. Testosterone is vital for muscle strength, mood stability, and energy levels, making its optimization essential as we age.

For younger individuals, while the immediate drop in testosterone levels may seem concerning, it’s important to note that the body’s response to cold exposure can lead to longer-term benefits. The brief decrease may stimulate the body’s adaptive mechanisms, potentially leading to improved resilience and recovery over time.

Incorporating Cryotherapy into Your Wellness Ritual

Integrating cryotherapy into your wellness routine can be a straightforward yet impactful choice. As a sanctuary for recovery, it encourages your body to recalibrate and find equilibrium. Whether you are in your 20s or 40s, the practice of cold exposure can support your hormonal health.

Consider coupling cryotherapy with other recovery methods, such as sauna sessions, to create a balanced contrast therapy protocol. This combination can amplify the benefits, promoting not just hormonal health but overall well-being. Remember, consistency is key; establishing a regular ritual will yield the best results.

Key Takeaways

Cryotherapy can enhance testosterone levels, particularly in older adults, supporting energy and resilience.
Younger individuals may initially experience a drop in testosterone, but this can stimulate adaptive responses that benefit long-term recovery.
Incorporating cryotherapy into your wellness routine can provide a sanctuary for both body and mind, promoting hormonal balance and overall vitality.

Based on: CHANGE of SERUM TESTOSTERONE and ENDOCRINE INDEXS after CRYOTHERAPY in DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS
Zhiguang Zhao, Ke Sun (2018). Proceedings of IBEC

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CHANGE of SERUM TESTOSTERONE and ENDOCRINE INDEXS after CRYOTHERAPY in

What This Study Actually Found

The headline here is seductive: cryotherapy boosts testosterone. But the truth is more specific — and more interesting — than that. Zhao and Sun's 2018 study out of Beijing found something that only makes sense once you understand how hormones change with age. For young men in their early twenties, whole-body cryotherapy at minus 130 degrees Celsius for 150 seconds actually caused testosterone to drop — roughly 7.8% immediately, 13.4% at 30 minutes, recovering slightly to 3.6% below baseline at two hours. For men in their early forties, the opposite happened: a 27% increase in testosterone two hours after cryotherapy, while the control group declined 7.5% over the same period.

This isn't contradictory. It's biology being precise about what the body actually needs.

Where the Other Research Fits

The 2014 cold exposure study in our knowledge base on leukocytes, hormones, and cytokines points toward the mechanism. When you expose the body to extreme cold, you trigger a norepinephrine cascade — and norepinephrine is a key player in the immuno-endocrine system, targeting receptors on immune and hormonal signaling cells. The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, which governs testosterone production, is sensitive to this catecholamine surge. In younger men, who already have robust testosterone production, the acute stress may temporarily suppress output — likely a protective downregulation. In older men, where that axis has already started to downshift with age, the cold stimulus appears to act as a wake-up call to the pituitary and testes.

There's also a parallel with the exercise research in our database on testosterone and cortisol responses to repeated stress. Hormetic stressors — whether sprinting, lifting, or cold exposure — don't produce uniform hormonal responses. The response depends entirely on the baseline state of the system receiving the signal.

The cold doesn't add testosterone to your body. It reminds an aging endocrine system to keep doing its job.

Where Experts Would Push Back

This study is small — eight participants per group — and the measurement window is narrow, ending at two hours post-treatment. We don't know what happens over days or weeks of repeated exposure. The 2025 soldier study referenced in the paper's background suggests sustained hormonal effects after a week of cold treatment, but that data isn't fully detailed here. Researchers would also flag that FSH and LH in the older group actually decreased in both the cryotherapy and control conditions, which complicates the picture. If the pituitary signals (FSH and LH) went down but testosterone went up, something more nuanced is happening — possibly a reduction in testosterone breakdown rather than increased production. The authors acknowledge this distinction.

The Practical Recommendation

If you're over 35 and noticing the early signs of declining energy, recovery capacity, or mood stability — all markers that track with testosterone — whole-body cryotherapy is worth taking seriously as a protocol element. Not as a replacement for sleep, resistance training, or nutrition, but as a meaningful addition. Once or twice weekly sessions, giving your endocrine system time to register the signal and respond. Don't chase the acute discomfort as evidence it's working. Work within a recovery-first framework where cryotherapy is one stimulus among many.

The Surprising Connection

The estradiol findings in the younger group are easy to overlook, but they matter. Estradiol dropped significantly over time in the young men — 8.6% immediately, 21.9% at 30 minutes, 35.2% at two hours. Estradiol is converted from testosterone via an enzyme called aromatase, so a drop in estradiol alongside a drop in testosterone isn't surprising. But the pattern suggests that cold exposure is shifting the entire sex hormone landscape, not just one variable. For men managing hormone optimization — especially those navigating aromatase activity — this is a thread worth following. The cold may be doing more hormonal housekeeping than the testosterone headline suggests.

OR-038 CHANGE of SERUM TESTOSTERONE and ENDOCRINE INDEXS after CRYOTHERAPY in DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS

Unlocking Resilience: The Impact of Cryotherapy on Testosterone Levels

The Science Behind Cryotherapy

Understanding the Benefits

Incorporating Cryotherapy into Your Wellness Ritual

Key Takeaways

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