Hormones

1. Hormonespreliminary · human dataAdded 8 August 2026

   The post-workout testosterone spike depends on how you measure it

   A meta-analysis of 21 studies found salivary testosterone and cortisol generally rise after acute aerobic, resistance and power exercise in men, but the size of the response varied heavily with study design and when baseline samples were taken, and the authors judged the overall evidence weak.

   ⚠What it shows: Only 2 of the 21 included studies were randomised controlled trials and 18 were uncontrolled; effect sizes differed sharply by design and baseline sampling time, and the authors call for standardised salivary hormone methodology.Meta-analysis · Sports Med

   Full breakdown →Cortisol explained →Recovery Readiness Index →Exercise-induced responses in salivary testosterone, cortisol, and their ratios in men: a meta-analysis. Sports Med 2015
2. Hormoneswell supported · human dataAdded 8 August 2026

   Low SHBG emerges as a telltale marker of PCOS

   Women with PCOS have significantly lower levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) than women without the condition, according to a meta-analysis drawing on 62 studies. Therapeutic interventions improved SHBG levels in women with PCOS, which was linked to fewer PCOS-associated complications.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of observational comparisons with very high heterogeneity between studies (I2 93.9%); shows an association, not causation, and SHBG is proposed as a candidate biomarker rather than a stand-alone diagnostic test.Meta-analysis · Syst Biol Reprod Med

   Full breakdown →Sex hormone binding globulin - an important biomarker for predicting PCOS risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Syst Biol Reprod Med 2018
3. Hormonespreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026

   Fasting left reproductive hormones largely alone

   Pooling 15 randomised trials in 954 adults, fasting and 20%-30% calorie restriction had largely neutral effects on reproductive hormones, with no significant change in testosterone (fasting WMD −0.88 ng/mL, p = 0.24; calorie restriction −0.02 ng/mL, p = 0.65) and no significant effects on SHBG, DHEA-S, FSH, LH, oestradiol, AMH, prolactin or progesterone. The one exception was free testosterone, which fell by 4.9 pg/mL, a result driven by some of the smaller trials.

   ⚠What it shows: Systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 randomised trials in 954 adults with GRADE assessment, but there was significant heterogeneity for testosterone, the free-testosterone signal rested on smaller trials, and the authors did not assess symptoms, so a neutral hormone panel is not the same as clinical neutrality.Review · Food Sci Nutr

   Full breakdown →Energy balance explained →Calorie Deficit Calculator →The Effects of Fasting and Caloric Restriction on Reproductive Hormones: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and GRADE Assessment. Food Sci Nutr 2026
4. Hormonespreliminary · human dataAdded 26 July 2026

   Andropause education improved sleep in retired men

   A four-week virtual education programme about andropause, delivered over WhatsApp, significantly improved general health and sleep quality scores in retired men compared with a control group, with effects assessed again two months later.

   ⚠What it shows: Quasi-experimental study of just 60 retired men in Iran (30 per group), relying on self-reported questionnaires; not registered as a trial and needs replication in larger, more diverse samples.RCT · Sleep Breath

   Full breakdown →Sleep Calculator →Effects of andropause-related health education on general health and sleep quality among retired men: a quasi-experimental study. Sleep Breath 2026

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