Is Testosterone a Lipid? (3 Main Issues Answered)

The sex hormone testosterone is a lipid and not a protein [1].

This refers to the molecular structure and how the body actually creates it based on other molecules.

Let me explain.

One of the building blocks that form the basis for the body’s ability to create testosterone is cholesterol.

Yes, that lipid that you need to keep a close eye on for heart health reasons plays a key role here.

And because it’s a sterol lipid, it means that testosterone also remains a lipid, even once the body has added carbon molecules around it to transform it into the messenger hormone known as testosterone [2].

What that ultimately means is that testosterone is not water-soluble, which is important as you don’t want it to break down in your blood serum or muscle tissue.

One question that my nutritionist often gets is whether higher testosterone levels then also have a negative effect on overall serum lipid levels.

Let’s see what our research had to say about that.

Yes, testosterone can impact your overall serum lipids because cholesterol and testosterone have a relationship.

And studies have shown that it can do this in a negative way that you need to monitor carefully, especially when undergoing hormone treatment [3].

What researchers have found is that as testosterone levels increase, there can also be an increase in the bad cholesterol LDL and a decrease in the good HDL.

The matter is further complicated because, in the same study, scientists identified that the luteinizing hormone that stimulates testosterone production could further influence serum lipids and heart health.

It seems like high luteinizing hormone levels with low testosterone could still contribute to coronary heart disease. 

With all that in mind, it’s still important to highlight the symptoms of low testosterone levels can also have serious implications for certain health issues.

These include muscle wasting, low bone density, and even obesity [4].

And that leads me to the next question.

“The cause of low testosterone is classified as either primary or secondary and further categorized as functional or organic. Primary hypogonadism originates from a problem in the testicles, while secondary hypogonadism indicates a problem in the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland, which are the parts of the brain that signal the testicles to produce testosterone.”

- Mike Murray RDN at Examine.com

Yes, testosterone therapy can impact body fat.

But unlike the situation with serum lipids, testosterone can have a positive effect on how your body stores and metabolizes fat, as shown in several research studies and meta-analyses [5].

What the research has shown is that there seems to be a vicious circle. Low testosterone has been linked to increased fat storage.

An increasing volume of belly fat can then cause lower levels of the brain signals to produce more testosterone.

Essentially, the lower your testosterone goes, the fatter you can become and the less testosterone you’ll produce.