CoachingAnswer

HOW DO HORMONAL CHANGES AFFECT MASTERS CYCLISTS?

By Anthony WalshRoadman CyclingUpdated 26 May 2026

ANSWER

After 40, anabolic hormones decline — testosterone and growth hormone drop roughly 1% per year in men, and oestrogen falls sharply for women through menopause. The practical effect is slower recovery, harder muscle retention, and reduced tolerance for back-to-back hard sessions. The response isn't hormone replacement for most riders; it's training and lifestyle: heavy strength work, adequate protein, proper sleep, and not under-fuelling — the levers that protect anabolic signalling.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Testosterone and growth hormone fall ~1%/year in men after 40; oestrogen drops sharply for women through menopause.
Lower anabolic hormones mean slower recovery and harder muscle retention — the training load that worked at 30 now bites more.
Heavy strength work, sleep, and protein protect anabolic signalling far more reliably than chasing supplements.
Chronic under-fuelling and low energy availability suppress hormones further — restricting hard is counterproductive.

WHO THIS IS FOR

IS THIS YOU?

The masters rider who feels flat and under-recovered

You're training as before but recovery, motivation and muscle retention all feel different, and you suspect hormones.

The rider tempted by testosterone or hormone products

You've seen the marketing and want to understand what's normal, what's fixable through training, and what the rules say.

THE ROADMAN VIEW

Hormones are the invisible layer under everything else that changes with age. Anthony has dug into this on the podcast — including a frank conversation with Dr Mark Gordon about testosterone — and the honest summary is that the decline is real, gradual, and mostly something you manage through how you train and live rather than through a needle.

Here's the thing the marketing won't tell you: the biggest levers on your hormonal environment are the boring ones. Heavy resistance training acutely raises anabolic signalling. Sleep is when the bulk of your testosterone and growth hormone is produced. Adequate protein gives the repair machinery something to work with. Chronically under-fuelling — which a lot of weight-conscious masters riders do — actively suppresses anabolic hormones and makes the whole picture worse. Fix those four and you've done more than any over-the-counter product.

And a clear word, because the podcast has covered the darker side of masters racing: exogenous testosterone is a banned substance in competition, and recreational use carries real health risks. Roadman's position is that the genuine performance gains for an ageing amateur come from training, fuelling and recovery done properly — not from hormones. That's not the soft answer; it's the one that actually holds up.

EXPERT EVIDENCE

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Dr Mark GordonPhysician specialising in hormone health and testosterone
Anabolic hormone decline with age is gradual and individual, and many men sit within a normal range yet still feel the effects of falling levels. Lifestyle factors — sleep, resistance training, adequate energy intake and stress management — strongly influence the hormonal environment and are the first place to intervene.
Hear it: Testosterone Truth: 99% Don't Know This Energy Secret | Dr Gordan
Joe FrielAuthor of Fast After 50 and The Cyclist's Training Bible
The hormonal decline that comes with age slows recovery and muscle retention, but its effect on performance is heavily mediated by training. Riders who maintain strength work, protect sleep, and fuel adequately offset much of the change that less deliberate athletes simply absorb as decline.
Hear it: The Training Secret To Going FASTER After 40 | Joe Friel

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

DO THIS WEEK

Lift heavy twice a week
Compound resistance work at meaningful load acutely raises anabolic signalling and is the most reliable training lever on your hormonal environment. Two sessions a week, 6–10 reps, progressed over time.
Protect 7–8 hours of sleep
The bulk of testosterone and growth hormone is produced during deep sleep. After 40, sleep quality often declines just as it matters most — treat it as a training session you don't skip.
Stop under-fuelling
Chronic low energy availability suppresses anabolic hormones. Eat enough to support your training load, prioritise protein at 1.6–2.2g/kg, and fuel hard sessions rather than training depleted.
Get bloods checked before assuming
If you feel persistently flat, a GP blood panel gives real data rather than guesswork. It separates a genuine clinical issue from under-recovery or under-fuelling, which present similarly.

COMMON MISTAKES

WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG

MISTAKEReaching for testosterone or hormone products before fixing the basics.
FIXSleep, heavy strength work, protein and adequate fuelling move the hormonal needle more reliably and safely. Exogenous testosterone is banned in competition and carries real health risks.
MISTAKEUnder-fuelling to stay lean while wondering why recovery is poor.
FIXLow energy availability suppresses anabolic hormones and worsens recovery. Eat to support training load — restriction is self-defeating for a masters athlete.
MISTAKEBlaming hormones for what is actually under-recovery.
FIXLow hormones and chronic under-recovery feel almost identical. Check sleep, fuelling and training spacing — and get bloods — before concluding it's purely hormonal.

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How fast does testosterone decline with age?

In men, testosterone declines gradually from around the 30s, often cited at roughly 1% per year, though the rate varies widely between individuals. Lifestyle factors — sleep, training, body composition and energy intake — strongly influence where you sit within and across that range.

Can training raise testosterone naturally?

Heavy resistance training acutely raises anabolic signalling, and protecting sleep, avoiding chronic under-fuelling, and managing stress all support a healthier hormonal environment. These won't reverse age-related decline entirely, but they make a meaningful difference.

Should masters cyclists consider testosterone replacement?

Only as a medical decision for a diagnosed clinical deficiency, made with a doctor. Exogenous testosterone is banned in competition and carries health risks. For most ageing amateurs, training, sleep and fuelling deliver the real gains without those risks.

How do hormonal changes affect recovery?

Falling testosterone and growth hormone slow tissue repair between sessions, which is why recovery lengthens after 40. The same hard session needs more easy days around it than it did a decade earlier.

Do women and men face the same hormonal changes?

No. Men experience a gradual decline in testosterone, while women face a sharper drop in oestrogen through perimenopause and menopause. The training responses overlap — strength, intensity, protein — but the timing and context differ.

Can blood tests tell me if my hormones are the problem?

A GP blood panel gives objective data and can identify a genuine clinical deficiency. But many riders sit within normal range and still feel flat — in which case under-recovery, poor sleep or under-fuelling is usually the real culprit.

RELATED EPISODES

HEAR THE CONVERSATIONS

Testosterone Truth: 99% Don't Know This Energy Secret | Dr Gordan

The Training Secret To Going FASTER After 40 | Joe Friel

How to Beat 99% by Getting Faster with Age | Dr David Lipman