Will not masturbating help increase testosterone levels? Expert opinion

Sexual abstinence will increase blood testosterone levels and lead to rapid muscle growth, a surge of energy and improved erections? The biochemist believes that such expectations are hardly justified.

NoFap is a growing movement that declares the goal of avoiding masturbation and even sex for extended periods time, usually about 90 days. The founders describe NoFap as a public sexual health platform designed to help people with porn addiction and compulsive sexual behavior.

Now, however, NoFap is making claims about the benefits of not masturbating that go far beyond alleviating porn addiction. The organization reports a range of sexual, physical and mental improvements, including increased testosterone levels. Is there any evidence for this?

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Increasing the feeling of happiness

Increasing self-confidence

Increasing motivation and strengthening the will

Reducing stress and anxiety

Growing spirituality

< span>Better self-acceptance

Improve relationships with people of the opposite sex

Testosterone does have a profound effect on men's moods. It has been shown to affect motivation and happiness, and improve depression. It is associated with muscle growth and physical ability (which is why it is banned from most sporting events). Many aspects of male sexual function also depend on testosterone. Why don't we connect the dots between NoFap and testosterone?

The reason is weak evidence. In support of the theory that sexual abstinence increases testosterone levels, two studies are regularly cited. In the first, ten men had their testosterone levels measured twice before masturbation and orgasm, and again 10 minutes later. The study participants were then asked to abstain from any sexual activity for three weeks. Then the described experiment with the measurement of testosterone levels was repeated. In the second experiment, after abstinence, the level of this hormone before masturbation was higher than after.

Despite the findings of this study, the study itself was small. The increase in testosterone levels in men could actually come from the anticipation of sexual arousal during the second experiment after abstinence. Moreover, during the first experiment, testosterone levels before and after masturbation were the same, and during the second, they differed only slightly. Thus, without more data, it is impossible to state that abstinence increases testosterone levels.

The authors of the second study reported a 45% increase in testosterone levels after seven days of abstinence. But this was a temporary peak, after which the level returned to its previous value even after the continuation of abstinence. Such transient fluctuations in testosterone levels are unlikely to have a lasting effect on men's health,they aremay predominantly serve to regulate the formation of new sperm.

On the other hand, several studies have shown no effect of abstinence onand testosterone levels or even increasing these levelsafter masturbation or sex. Measurement of testosterone levels in 34 young healthy men after self-satisfaction showed precisely its increase. However, long-term effects have not been tested. At best, the evidence linking masturbation with testosterone levels is limited or mixed.

NoFap's Arguments AgainstandThere are well documented health benefits of sexual activity, including masturbation. The release of endorphins during orgasm causes positive feelings. Masturbation can relieve stress, help you relax, improve sleep, elevate your mood, relieve sexual tension, and even better understand your sexual needs. It may reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men, although a causal relationship has not yet been proven.

Psychological factors

In fact, masturbation itself does not seem to have negative effects on sexual and general health, in particular on their aspects related to testosterone. The problem may be excessive masturbation and an attitude towards self-gratification.

Personal perception of masturbation can have a psychological effect that affects testosterone levels. If a person has a feeling of guilt after masturbation, he may accumulate anxiety and depression. This guilt may come from a sense of immorality, such as being dishonest with a partner or a religious conflict. A study that looked at the motivation behind sexual abstinence found that it is usually associated with the perception of masturbation as something wrong and unhealthy.

Stress from prolonged guilt, depression, and anxiety can cause testosterone levels to drop. In such a situation, abstinence can lead to alleviation of these mental problems and, theoretically, increase testosterone levels. In that case, perhaps the arguments should not be about masturbation itself and its frequency, but about improving understanding of sexual behavior.

At the same time, abstaining from masturbation can help people with destructive addictions to pornography. Distracting from porn, masturbation, and even sex for long periods of time can help break the cycle. Beyond that, the benefits of not masturbating are limited to anecdotal stories, and the evidence for its effect on testosterone levels is simply lacking.

By Daniel Kelly, Biochemist, University of Sheffield-Hallam

Original article published in The Conversation

Translation — MedNews