Weightlifting And Hair

[xetawaves]

Does anyone here believe that weightlifting increases the rate of hair loss in male pattern baldness? I weight trained from 2012-2015, but never really took notice to if it affected mine or not. I'm really wanting to get back in the gym and put some size on again, but my hair has certainly gotten thinner within the past year so I'm hesitant. Has weightlifting accelerated or slowed your male pattern baldness?

 

[opethfeldt]

Didn't notice any changes. I lost hair the most long before I started weight lifting. I guess in theory, it could. If you were to overtrain and thus increase stress hormones.

 

[Mastodonhugger]

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it. Just don't over train. Focus on breathing and oxygenating your body during the workout. I have found that this gets rid of the stress response keeps you body from releasing Nitric Oxide.

I don't know for sure on the NO thing, but I used to get migraines after heavy exercise and I theorize that it was NO that was causing them. I don't get migraines after exercise now as long as I keep a steady supply of air and carbs into my body.

 

[opethfeldt]

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it. Just don't over train. Focus on breathing and oxygenating your body during the workout. I have found that this gets rid of the stress response keeps you body from releasing Nitric Oxide.

I don't know for sure on the NO thing, but I used to get migraines after heavy exercise and I theorize that it was NO that was causing them. I don't get migraines after exercise now as long as I keep a steady supply of air and carbs into my body.

Niacinamide is handy for this as well. I don't do a workout without it.

 

[Mastodonhugger]

Niacinamide is handy for this as well. I don't do a workout without it.

I have been taking a B vitamin complex that has Niacinamide in it and I also credit that to getting rid of my migraines as well. My hair also got thick as heck after taking that! So, I can attest to this.

 

[Luckytype]

Something to consider. I am going through, rather hopefully coming back from a stress induced, chronic exercising year of hypo. Tons of shedding, low temps, low pulse, cold extremities etc. it started about 15 months ago.

I was a lean vascular 175 when i decided to give up the gym(rather 3 hours of weight training 5 days a week) cold turkey. I gave it up for 7 months, my body comp changed dramatically(im hybrid peating) but around the 6th month my hair shedding slowed by about 70 percentish, didnt stop completely but i had hope. I had to get back to the gym because my shoulder joints where in terrible pain(likely use over time injuries worsened by poor muscular balance). Ive been back to the gym for about 8 weeks. My hair loss has doubled over the past two weeks(so about 70 percent of what it was at its worst).

Im only working out 1 hour, twice a week.

I didnt want to believe it but there is definitely a connection, especially in those that are compromised.

Source: im also a physiologist aside from a former physique addict

 

[raypeatclips]

I could see why it might cause more hair loss, if someone was training in a way that was very strenuous on the body, but I don't think it necessarily has to.

 

[Lukas]

If you are healthy weight training shouldn't have an effect on your hair. There might be something else going on.

 

[Avishek]

It is certainly possible. When we discuss causation, let's understand that statistically speaking, just because there is a probable cause, not everyone will experience the effects.

Not only hair loss, but graying of the hair can be caused by weight lifting. I will share with you two stories, one about myself, and about an ex-gf.

1. I became maniacally obsessed with strength training in 2009. I was 18 years of age.
Around the age of 20 and a half, I noticed a gray hair in my head of long hair. I surmised the only possible cause could have been my intense heavy weightlifting routine. However, I had restricted my diet for a period of time and was raw vegan the year before that, so that may have resulted in deficiencies.
My hair continued to gray however after adding meat and dairy to my diet. I'd say 5% of my hair was gray, especially around the sides above the ears.

2. I put my ex-gf on a weight lifting regimen similar to crossfit. It was the regimen I put my clients on as a personal trainer. She did it 4 times a week for one-month and reported to me that more hair was falling out in the shower than usual.

Eventually I slowed down my weight training. I was lifting near my 1RM every workout, for almost every exercise, whether it was bench, dips, pullups, deadlifts, squats, or lunches. I usually lifted a weight that was between my 3-6RM max I would say.

Now in 2017, I lift moderately, and do not push myself to great extents, have removed major stresses from my life (save for non native EMFs, living in a city), and my hair graying seems to have slowed down. However more is falling out again than usual, and I don't know if it's because i'm low in iodine or because I have been lifting more again in an attempt to lean out.

 

[Luckytype]

Its really the only thing that has changed over the past two months. Ive been more sluggish, colder(despite it being damn near summer temps until this past week) and between last week and this the shedding has basically doubled.

Ive probably been better with nutrition and sleep since feeling crappy, shedding etc and really this is the only regular thing thats changed

 

[Soundios]

Its really the only thing that has changed over the past two months. Ive been more sluggish, colder(despite it being damn near summer temps until this past week) and between last week and this the shedding has basically doubled.

Ive probably been better with nutrition and sleep since feeling crappy, shedding etc and really this is the only regular thing thats changed

I know this is a late reply, But I'm certain that there is a connection between heavy lifting and hair loss due to the amount of stress hormones released with frequent training. I can speak from experience myself.

 

[stevrd]

Exercise is a stress, but a necessary stress to improve overall health. What's important is that you ensure that you can recover adequately. Pre, intra, and post workout nutrition is paramount for this. Lots of carbs, sodium, and protein surrounding your workouts. Studies show that moderate activity induces cortisol release, but the effect is negligible when supplementing athletes with a glucose drink. Bottom line, if something is causing hair loss, then reasonable amount of exercise isn't it.

IMO the sooner men with male pattern hair loss understand that it is inevitable, and nothing they do will change it, the better. Obsessing over it is just a waste of time. There are far more important things to worry about.