Last Updated on December 27, 2018 by Robert Price

Exercise is ultimately a good thing. But if you go overboard and start training like Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1975, then you may experience some hair loss. May being the operative word. A sedentary lifestyle can also cause hair loss, according to this study. So it’s complicated! And laying around all day won’t solve your balding issue, either.

In this article I’ll review the hair loss-exercise link, citing studies and expert opinions on the matter. I’ll also offer some tips to help you create a healthy, balanced workout routine — a routine that won’t make you look like Dr. Phil. Sound good? Great, let’s get started.

Does Exercise Cause Hair Loss?

No, hair loss is primarily genetic. But it does appear that excessive exercise can precipitate hair loss is some men, according to an Indian Study. So how much exercise is too much? They didn’t elaborate, but in the article I read, one of the experts asserts that 45 minutes to an hour of exercise per day is plenty.

Dr. Thomy Kouremada-Zioga, a UK-based hair restoration surgeon, states that she has seen an increase of men who experience accelerated hair loss due to their rigorous workout routines; she also notes using supplements containing growth hormones like Creatine and DHEA can prompt or expedite the balding process in some men (source).

Weight Training and Hair Loss

She goes on to say that weight training increases DHT levels in the body, which is the hormone that effectively causes hair loss. Cardio workouts, on the other hand, decrease DHT levels. So in theory, extreme weight training programs could accelerate hair loss.

Leonora Doclis, the senior Trichologist at the Belgravia Centre in England, concurs with Dr. Kouremada-Zioga’s assessment; Doclis says that excessive exercise can possibly accelerate hair loss, but only in men who are genetic predisposed to male pattern baldness (source).

It should be noted that many prominent hair restoration surgeons are skeptical of the exercise to hair loss link, including Dr. William R. Rassman of BaldingBlog. Rassman states that hair loss in men is “fundamentally genetic.” He does concede, however, that malnourishment or extreme weight loss can precipitate hair loss in some cases (source).

So Yes, You Should Exercise. And You Shouldn’t Lay Around All Day

The dude on the couch from Half Baked.

A sedentary lifestyle can also lead to premature hair loss, according to a hair loss study conducted on 90 male and 98 female twins. Twins are programmed to have the same amount of hairs, according to Bahman Guyuron, the director of the study. He concluded that other factors such as exercise, stress, and smoking can play role in causing or exacerbating hair loss (source). Outdoor exercise was also linked to hair loss in the study, due to sun exposure.

Exercise and Hair Loss – Summary & Takeaways

• Hair Loss is Primarily Genetic – Exercise doesn’t cause hair loss. But rigorous workout and weightlifting routines may accelerate the balding process in men who are prone to male pattern baldness.
• Nutrition is Important – If you adequately refuel your body after your workouts, that could help prevent hair loss.
• Go Easy on the Growth Hormones – Protein shakes containing growth hormones like Creatine and DHEA can stimulate hair loss in some men.
• Sitting Around All Day is Also Bad – A sedentary lifestyle won’t help your follicular cause.
• Consider Adding More Cardio and Reducing Your Lift Load – Cardio can reduce your DHT levels, whereas weight training will increase them. So if you’re lifting like Schwarzenegger or Ferrigno in 1975, you may want to take it down a few notches.
• Try Wearing a Hat – I’m a little skeptical of the supposed the sunshine to hair loss link, but throwing a hat on before your afternoon run is easy to do. It can’t hurt you!
• Exercise is Good! – The benefits far outweigh the negatives. So get out there, hit the gym, pump iron, hit on the women while you’re there, or if you prefer, you can exercise in your own neighborhood or living room. Enjoy yourself, maintain a healthy hair diet, and you’ll be fine. If you’re destined to go bald, you’ll go bald anyway, unless of course you seek treatment.

Robert Price

Robert Price is a writer, consumer advocate, and hair loss researcher with thousands of hours of experience in the field. His goal is to keep you out of the hair loss rabbit hole, underworld, or whatever you want to call it. He founded Hair Loss Daily, the unbiased hair loss blog, in 2016. You can learn more about Robert in the my story section of this website.