Testosterone becomes the center stage of the conversation in topics like muscle building, energy levels, mood fluctuations, and more. Experts often discuss the many downsides of having low testosterone. However, Arnold Schwarzenegger focused on one negative effect of low testosterone that’s often left undiscussed. Arnie highlighted how the hormone can affect life expectancy.

Arnold Schwarzenegger cited a new study that found a link between t-levels and lifespan. The 76-year-old bodybuilding icon revealed how low levels of testosterone didn’t just negatively affect muscle mass, weight, and mental health, but may even shave off years of your life. The story also concluded that poor lifestyle behaviors put far more people at risk than people may think.

The study suggested “lower testosterone is associated with a higher risk of death,” Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote in Arnold’s Pump Club. However, research also found an additional downside of increased “cardiovascular disease” risk. The research looked at “11 cohort studies,” with a total of 24,000 male participants.

They found that men below “levels below 7.4nmol/L (213 ng/DL), luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations above 10 IU/L, and estradiol concentrations below 5.1 pmol/L had a higher risk of mortality,” wrote Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, the study didn’t aim to explain why these men had low testosterone, so Arnie explained in his newsletter.

The 76-year-old former Mr. Universe explained that other studies have shown low testosterone levels to be associated with lifestyle behaviors. Not sleeping at least six hours every night, avoiding resistance training, leading a sedentary lifestyle, social isolation, and ultra-processed food can all contribute to low testosterone levels.

So, the bodybuilding icon explained that improving these lifestyle behaviors would drastically improve a person’s testosterone levels. However, many often ignore sleep even if they live an active lifestyle. Yet it’s one of the most crucial metrics that improves t-levels and overall health.

Arnold Schwarzenegger on sleep deprivation

The bodybuilding legend has highlighted sleep deprivation several times in his newsletter. That’s because far too many people ignore sleep. Even people who train regularly and eat right think they can get away with less sleep. However, Arnold Schwarzenegger has explained that you can’t fool your body into clearing sleep debt by sleeping for 12 hours during the weekend.

Besides lowering testosterone, sleep deprivation increases the risk of various health issues like cardiac arrest. Not sleeping enough also impacts hunger, metabolism, and eating patterns, leading to overeating, weight gain, and even type-2 diabetes. It also causes mental health problems. So, it’s easy to see how sleep deprivation and low testosterone similarly affect cardiac health.

Hence, while low testosterone levels reduce lifespan, Arnold Schwarzenegger explained that you can change that by simply making healthy lifestyle changes.