shift work and testosterone
how night shifts impact your tesosterone levels
Studies have shown that sleep in shift workers is typically shortened or displaced. This sleep disturbance affects the bodies circadian rhythm which impacts the production and regulation of several important hormones. This imbalance affects each individual differently. Unfortunately, when your hormone levels are imbalanced many experience negative, unwanted side effects, and a decreased quality of life. Research indicates that during sleep testosterone levels increase. Consequentially, these levels decrease when you’re awake.
The hormone imbalance resulting from irregular sleep patterns can lead to:
Urinary issues
Low libido
Weakness
Decreased cognitive functioning
Weakened immune system
cortisol and testosterone
When we face any form of stress, our bodies counteract this stressor with biological and behavioral changes. When we react to stress we experience an increase in the production of cortisol. Often, cortisol and testosterone have an inverse relationship battling against one another. If you’re experiencing low testosterone levels, it’s likely that you also have high cortisol levels. Whether chronic or acute, this stress hormone tends to lower testosterone levels and produce a chain like reaction within the body.
If your stress level remains high for a long period of time, the body responds by signaling the adrenal glands to continuously produce cortisol. If this reaction continues, the adrenal glands will be unable to keep up with the bodies demand leading to fatigue, loss of muscle, anxiety, body pain, erectile dysfunction and other unwanted symptoms.
References
Balasubramanian, A., Kohn, T. P., Santiago, J. E., Sigalos, J. T., Kirby, E. W., Hockenberry, M. S., Pickett, S. M., Pastuszak, A. W., & Lipshultz, L. I. (2020). Increased Risk of Hypogonadal Symptoms in Shift Workers With Shift Work Sleep Disorder. Urology, 138, 52–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2019.10.040
Rodriguez, K. M., Kohn, T. P., Kohn, J. R., Sigalos, J. T., Kirby, E. W., Pickett, S. M., Pastuszak, A. W., & Lipshultz, L. I. (2020). Shift Work Sleep Disorder and Night Shift Work Significantly Impair Erectile Function. The journal of sexual medicine, 17(9), 1687–1693. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.06.009
Sigalos, J. T., Kohn, T. P., Cartagenova, L., Dao, Z., Gondokusumo, J. C., Santiago, J., Kohn, J. R., Pickett, S. M., Pastuszak, A. W., & Lipshultz, L. I. (2019). Shift Workers With Shift Work Disorder Have Worse Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms. Urology, 128, 66–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2019.02.025
