A study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society has found that visceral fat, the fat stored deep around the abdominal organs, is more closely linked to low testosterone in men than age is. Researchers Karl Friedl and Adam Potter, of the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, analysed data from 4,948 men aged 20 to 59 in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, of whom 4,492 had visceral fat measured by DEXA scan alongside a morning testosterone reading. Within every BMI category, from normal weight to obese, men with high visceral fat had 33 to 36% lower testosterone than men with low visceral fat in the same category, and normal-weight men with high visceral fat had testosterone levels comparable to obese men carrying less visceral fat. Because the study is cross-sectional, it shows an association rather than proving that visceral fat causes the drop in testosterone.
What the researchers said the finding changes
The researchers said current guidance already treats obesity as a risk factor for low testosterone, but argued that fat distribution "may provide additional information beyond total body mass alone," according to the paper. They noted that BMI and waist circumference are common but imprecise proxies, since men with similar measurements can carry very different amounts of visceral fat and show correspondingly different testosterone levels. Friedl and Potter also said reversible metabolic contributors should be characterised and considered before testosterone therapy is started, rather than treating a low reading as fixed. The study relied on a single morning blood sample, did not measure gonadotropins to confirm the underlying mechanism, and was funded by US Defense Health Agency restoral funds.
What this means for your supplement routine
This is a body-composition study, not a verdict on any single product, and the authors do not suggest that losing visceral fat alone restores testosterone to a target number. What it adds is further weight behind waist and body-composition measurement, rather than weight or BMI alone, as markers worth tracking as part of general health, alongside diet and activity levels that already shape metabolic health. Readers wanting to understand how Perqen describes the products it sells, and what it does and does not claim about them, can read the Perqen FAQs, which set out our approach to health claims across the catalogue.
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This article reports published news and research and is for information only. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet or medical care, and no product mentioned is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking prescribed medicines.