Low Testosterone in Women: How Hormones Affect Strength, Energy, and Training Adaptation

For many women from 35 onwards, training can reach a confusing phase.

You’re consistent. You move regularly. You care about your body.

And yet strength gains slow, recovery feels harder, and motivation dips in a way that doesn’t match your effort.

This is often framed as discipline, mindset, or age.

But very often, it’s physiology.

One of the least discussed — and most misunderstood — contributors is testosterone in women.

Testosterone Is Not Just a “Male Hormone”

Testosterone is an essential hormone for women.

Women produce testosterone primarily in the ovaries and adrenal glands. While levels are lower than in men, its role is significant. Testosterone contributes to:

• Muscle repair and strength adaptation

• Bone density and structural integrity

• Energy production and metabolic efficiency

• Nervous system drive and resilience

In other words, testosterone supports how we move, recover, and adapt to training.

This is not about becoming more “masculine.”It’s about understanding the hormones that help the female body respond to physical stress.

Testosterone Levels Decline — Gradually and Naturally

Testosterone levels in women tend to decline with age and during hormonal transitions such as perimenopause and menopause.

This decline is not pathological. It is not a failure. It is not rare.

But it does change how the body responds to training stress.

Many women are never told this. Instead, they are encouraged to push harder, add intensity, or assume they’re simply “losing motivation.”

The body, however, is responding intelligently to its hormonal environment.

Low Testosterone in Women Is Not Only About Libido

Low testosterone in women is often reduced to conversations about sex drive.

That narrow framing misses the bigger picture.

Some women with lower testosterone notice:

• Reduced muscle strength

• Slower recovery between sessions

• Increased inflammation or joint sensitivity

• Lower motivation or training drive

• A general reduction in vitality and confidence

These experiences vary between individuals and are influenced by many factors. This is not a diagnosis — it’s an observation rooted in physiology.

What matters is understanding how hormones influence training adaptation, not just symptoms.

Why Training Can Suddenly Feel Harder

Training works through a simple but demanding cycle:

Stress → Recovery → Adaptation

Hormones help regulate every stage of this process.

Testosterone plays a role in muscle protein synthesis, tissue repair, and the nervous system’s capacity to tolerate load. When levels are lower, the same training stimulus can feel disproportionately demanding.

This is why some women experience:

• Workouts that feel draining rather than energising

• Strength gains that plateau despite consistency

• Longer recovery times between sessions

The solution is not to abandon strength training.

The solution is to train with physiological awareness.

This Is Not Weakness — It Is Physiology

When training feels harder, many women internalise it as failure.

“I should be able to do more." “I used to be stronger.” “I’m just not as resilient anymore.”

These narratives are inaccurate and unhelpful.

Your body is not breaking down. It is responding appropriately to its hormonal context.

Understanding hormones removes blame and replaces it with clarity. Clarity allows for better decisions — not less ambition, but smarter training.

Hormone-Aware Strength Training Supports Longevity

Strength training remains one of the most important tools for women’s health across the lifespan.

But the how matters.

Hormone-aware training prioritises:

• Progressive load without excessive fatigue

• Adequate recovery as part of the program

• Load-bearing work that supports bone density

• Nervous system regulation alongside strength development

This approach does not chase exhaustion. It builds capacity.

Strength Is About More Than Aesthetics

Muscle tone is not the primary goal.

Strength training supports:

• Structural integrity

• Bone health

• Physical confidence

• Long-term independence

These outcomes become more important — not less — as hormones shift.

Strength is agency. Strength is resilience. Strength is the ability to trust your body over time.

Train With Your Hormones — Not Against Them

You do not need punishment to build strength. You need informed care.

SoulSculpt is built on intelligent, hormone-aware strength training for women who want results they can feel — not just push through.

👉 Try a free SoulSculpt class Experience strength training designed to work with your physiology, not against it.