Weightlifting Causing Hair Loss?

[Revolver]

When I'm at the gym, I can't help but notice that a good number of the guys who are especially built up, look like they've been at it for quite a while, are balding - usually more often than those of the same age who don't seem as if they've been training as hard/long. Sure, plenty of them have full heads, but (and this is my own observation, so it could very well be skewed somehow) they seem to have receding hairlines/start of baldness/baldness more often. I've also noticed this trend in the guys up on stage at competition.

Upon looking into it, it seems logical - weightlifting increases the total amount of testosterone in one's body, I'd assume, and the cause of most types of baldness, dihydrotestosterone, is created by free testosteone - the more free /unbound testosterone in your body, the more dihydrotestosterone is created.

I don't see the same effect in other athletes. And indeed, aerobic activity, as a side note, apparently decreases the level of both total free testosterone in your body.

So... does anyone have any information on this? Could weightlifting accelerate/cause baldness, thinning hair, receding hairline, or whatever? It could just be me being concerned over nothing, but if anyone does have any info, it'd be great if they could share it.

It could be that the guys you are looking at are using something other than their natural testosterone. Synthetic varieties will cause balding, and if you are referencing pros then they are most certainly users.

[richard82]

i would agree. its in many peoples genes that hair loss will occour during their lifetime, but there is no reason why natural bodybuilding should speed up/ worsen the effect of this.

If you have a look at just about any testosterone booster, you will see a warning (usually small print!) about the side effects, hair loss being one of them.

therefore i would have thought there is a good chance that this is the cause, and not to worry about this too much if you are not usuing such supplements

[Revolver]

Ah, thanks. Yeah, I only use Creatine - no testosterone items.

[Ekmo]

YEa my opinion would also be there somethin not "natural" with those guys.