Home › Biomarkers › Testosterone/cortisol ratio
The testosterone/cortisol ratio sets a building hormone against a breaking-down hormone. A lower ratio may point to a balance that leans more towards breaking down. A higher ratio may point to a balance that leans more towards building up.[1]
On this page you can read what the testosterone/cortisol ratio is, what the guidelines say about a value that is too low or too high, what affects your value and which values are best to look at alongside it.
Also known as: TCR, T/C ratio. At the lab: not applicable.
Testosterone is mainly a building hormone. Cortisol is mainly a breaking-down hormone. The testosterone/cortisol ratio sets the two side by side.[1]
In this way, the ratio gives an indirect picture of the balance between building up and breaking down in your body. Researchers call these the anabolic and the catabolic state.[1]
The ratio has mainly been studied in sports endocrinology. That is the field that looks at hormones in sport.[1]
In athletes, the ratio turns out to be important for predicting overtraining. The ratio also helps with timing peak performance in competitive sport.[1]
The ratio has also proved relevant in psychological stress and in socially aggressive behaviour.[1]
The ratio has also been tested as a marker for an increased risk to the heart and blood vessels.[1]
The data are still limited and sometimes contradict each other. More research is needed before the ratio is widely used in practice.[1]
| Value | Can point to | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Higher ratio[1] | A balance that leans more towards building up | General, mainly studied in athletes |
| Lower ratio[1] | A balance that leans more towards breaking down | General, mainly studied in athletes |
| Fixed cut-off value[1] | Not yet set, the data are limited and contradict each other | Everyone |
Source: Mondal and colleagues, an overview of research on the ratio in endocrinology. The review gives no fixed cut-off values.[1]
A higher ratio may point to a balance that leans more towards building up. A fixed limit for too high has not yet been set.[1]
A lower ratio may point to a balance that leans more towards breaking down. Here too, a fixed limit has not yet been set.[1]
BioProfile is working on its own zones for each value, from risk to optimal. A doctor reviews those zones before they appear in your result.
The ratio has mainly been studied in athletes. It turns out to be important for predicting overtraining and for timing peak performance in competitive sport.[1]
According to the review, psychological stress is linked to the ratio. The same goes for socially aggressive behaviour.[1]
The testosterone/cortisol ratio is included in BioProfile 121 and 150.[2]
The BioProfile editorial team wrote this page on 7 November 2026 from the sources below, which we read on 7 November 2026. Every number on this page appears in one of those sources, with that source's number next to it. An expert has yet to check this page; once checked, the expert's name and the date of the check will appear at the top. This page offers explanation, not a diagnosis. Discuss an abnormal value with your GP.
