Testosterone Crisis: Men’s Declining Testosterone

Men all over the world are facing a crisis. Studies have shown that worldwide levels of testosterone have been dropping as much as 1% per year. And we can clearly see the difference in testosterone when we look at photos from high schoolers in the past and in the present

(Class of 1970 vs. Class of 2020)

As we can see by the high school photos there is a noticeable difference. The high schoolers in 1970 look like adults in the current day, while the high schoolers in 2020 look like boys.

There are several reasons why testosterone levels are dropping but the main causes are:

• Food
• Obesity
• Exercise
• Sleep
• Plastics
• Sex

I’ll start off with how men feed themselves. Think back to the hunter-gatherer days of humanity, our bodies are built to eat fruits and vegetables from trees and plants and eat the meat of wild animals. The point being is that food before modern times was a lot more natural and pure. Modern pre-packaged and processed foods contain noticeably fewer micronutrients and contain harmful chemicals that inhibit testosterone production.

Speaking of food, what happens to your testosterone when you’re obese? It’s been proven that obesity and increased levels of fat convert testosterone into estrogen, leading to a number of conditions and one of them being Gynecomastia which is when a male develops breast tissue.

Exercise is a great way to boost testosterone and lose fat. After all, men weren’t built to sit in an office cubicle every day, they were built to be hunters and run and fight, so doing a sport or regular exercise is a must if you’re trying to increase testosterone.

Exercise like weightlifting and cardio boost testosterone but you shouldn’t do too much cardio as marathoning has been shown to decrease testosterone but sprinting has been shown to increase testosterone.

Sleep is integral not just in testosterone production but in overall health. Studies have shown that men who sleep a healthy amount have on average 60% higher testosterone than men who don’t. Sleep is also integral for many aspects of health, doctors recommend 10 hours of sleep for adolescents and 8 hours of sleep for adults.

Plastic is everywhere in the modern world. Plastic often contains xenoestrogens. They are everywhere ranging from furniture, self-care products, and food coloring and the list of products is endless. Xenoestrogen acts like estrogen when you consume it or are exposed to it. This is by far the most difficult step as plastics are impossible to avoid in the modern world. But it doesn’t have to be so difficult, drink out of metal or glass containers, avoid buying foods wrapped in plastic, harmful cosmetics, and self-care products.

Sex is integral to life and ultimately one of the main steps in life. But excessive masturbation and watching pornography have been shown to wreck testosterone levels. Studies have shown that people who abstain from masturbation have elevated testosterone compared to those who don’t abstain. And sex between and man and a woman has been shown to increase testosterone. Pornography is harmful in many ways not just in testosterone. Quit watching pornography and you might just find that your libido and expectations will be restored.

Testosterone is integral to men, it is the hormone that makes us what we are. From the days of the hunter-gatherer to the office worker it is and always will be integral. The modern world seeks to crush men’s desire to be men, male traits and activities are shunned and spat on. Each generation of men is becoming less of a man than their father was and that should never be the case. So I encourage any man or boy reading this to improve your testosterone and simultaneously improve your life.