10 Bizarre Facts Men Need To Know About Testosterone

Men, I’m about to teach you everything you need to know about this beautiful chemical called testosterone. This chemical is produced naturally by your body and it reduces fat, improves concentration, helps you sleep better at night, increases bone density and strength, increases your mood and most importantly, it gives you one hell of a sex drive.

But it’s not all fun and games. 13 million men in the United States have low testosterone levels, and 90% of those men aren’t doing anything about it. You’re about to learn ways to boost your own testosterone levels, and other glorious facts about the almighty chemical that makes us what we are: Men.

 

10. Chopping Wood Increases Testosterone Production

Chopping wood is hands down one of the most manly things that you can do. There’s something magical about how it’s so physically demanding, but it is a necessary action in order to keep you and your family warm at night. It’s manly, and that’s why I’m not even a little bit surprised that a study revealed that chopping wood increases testosterone production.

The study was performed by a group of academics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and published in the magazine Evolution And Human Behavior. It focused on measuring the testosterone levels of the indigenous Tsimane people in central Bolivia, before, and after they cut down trees. Amazingly, the results showed a 46.5% increase in testosterone levels after the group would cut down trees, a full 17% higher than the testosterone boost measured after playing soccer.

Lead author Ben Trumble explained the results by saying, “If you’re better able to pull blood sugar into your muscle tissue, and better able to use that energy, you’ll be able to chop more trees.”

 

9. Erections Boost Testosterone Levels Which Helps Reduce Belly Fat

Good news, gentlemen! According to a study performed by the New England Research Institute (NERI), popping a boner every now and then boosts testosterone levels, and because of these levels, belly fat can be removed.

Now, they didn’t exactly say ‘pop a boner,’ but the study of 1,800 men revealed that a man’s waist circumference is the strongest predictor of low testosterone levels. The study also found that men who became overweight or obese experienced a severe drop in testosterone compared to the men who stayed at a normal weight.

The answer to why belly fat lowers testosterone levels is a complicated one. But to put it simply, body fat contains an enzyme called aromatase, which converts testosterone into estrogens, the main sex hormone in women. Having more estrogen pumping through your body confuses it, and in turn, your body will produce less testosterone. The less testosterone you produce, the more body fat you gain, and the more estrogens you produce, which leads to even more body fat, which leads to…. you get the idea, right?

So while popping a boner doesn’t directly reduce stomach fat, it does raise your testosterone production, which in turn, lowers your estrogen and aromatase levels, which will lead to less body fat.

 

8. Avoiding Ejaculation Boosts Testosterone Levels

Don’t worry – we’re not telling you to stop touching yourself at night. But, if you want to get that extra boost of testosterone to turn you into the manliest man that ever was a man, you should probably cut back on jacking off.

According to the researchers at Zhejiang University, ejaculation, followed by 6 days of abstinence, will lead to peak testosterone levels on the seventh day. In fact, the researchers discovered that testosterone levels leading up to the seventh day will be unaffected, but on that seventh day, testosterone levels reach around 146%.

Of course, this isn’t the only study that backs up this data. Other studies have found that less sexually active adults had higher testosterone levels. And, well, there’s that old wives tale that fighters and boxers live by: Don’t have sex in the days before a big fight. However, the wives tale is a little bit less scientific than the study done by the researchers at Zhejiang University.

 

7. Standing In A Superhero Pose Boosts Testosterone

Why do you think Superman is looked up to by so many little boys? It’s not because of his tights, chiseled jaw, and gorgeous hair. No – it’s because when Superman would stand, he looked like he was in charge. He was standing in a high power pose, which, according to researchers Dana Carney, Amy Cuddy, and Andy Yap, boosts testosterone.

The researchers held a study that measured the levels of testosterone and cortisol (the stress hormone) while participants were just standing casually. Then, the researchers measured the participants’ levels after standing in a ‘high power’ pose, which is a pose that radiates confidence. An example of a high power pose would be standing in front of a table, sitting in a chair with your feet up and arms behind your head, leaning forward on your hands on the table bearing weight, all poses that take up a lot of space. By definition, the superhero pose, where you stand with your legs wide, and fists on the sides of your waist, is a high power pose.

Researchers found that when participants stood in a high power pose, their stress levels decreased and their testosterone levels skyrocketed. Alternatively, when the participants stood in a ‘low power’ stance, their stress levels increased, and their testosterone levels decreased. An example of a low power pose would be if a participant was standing with their legs close together and their arms in a position that looks like they are giving themselves a hug.

The participants were asked to hold these poses for a minute each, which means that even standing like Superman for as little as a minute can boost your testosterone and give you the extra energy you need.

 

6. Eunuchs Live Around 13.5 Years Longer Due To Lack Of Testosterone

A study of 80 eunuchs in South Korea, run by Kyung-Jin Min, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Inha University, found that on average, eunuchs live longer than non-eunuch men. A eunuch (in case you didn’t know) is a man that has decided to become castrated. Sort of like what you do with a horny dog.

The study found that on average, the eunuchs lived 13.5 years longer than non-eunuch men, who lived with the same economic status as the eunuchs. The researchers behind the study believe that this is because without all that testosterone pumping through their body, eunuchs are less likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as violence.

Similar studies have been performed on animals, and found that castrated animals live longer than their non-castrated counterparts.

Scientists are now starting to believe that testosterone affects the male immune system negatively, making them more likely to suffer from cardiovascular attacks. Testosterone could also be the reason why women live longer than men.

But you’ve got to ask yourself: Is the 13 extra years really worth it? Absolutely not. Keep those sex hormones pumping. It’s what God intended.

 

5. Cold Showers Boost Testosterone Levels

In the 19th Century, doctors constantly told patients to take cold showers to reduce the sin of “self pollution.” In terms we can all understand, the doctors were telling their patients to take cold showers to calm the fuck down and stop masturbating so much. Ironically, a study conducted by the Thrombosis Research Institute found that cold showers actually boosted testosterone production in men, boosting their libido.

In addition, cold showers are actually good for your sperm count. Other experiments performed in the 1950’s discovered that hot baths were actually an effective contraceptive. If a man were to take a 30 minute hot bath every day for three weeks, he would be infertile for the next six months!

Keep those sperm counts high, gentlemen. Take a cold shower.

4. American Testosterone Levels Are Rapidly Declining

America: Land of the free, home of the horny. At least, it used to be, according to researchers behind the Massachusetts Male Aging Study.

The study has been tracking behavioral and psychological traits for over 1,700 men born between 1916 and 1945. The researchers found that a 60-year-old man had 15% less testosterone in his body in 2003, than another 60-year-old man who was 60 in 1988.

At first, this confused researchers. Sure, as you get older, the amount of testosterone your body produces is a lot less than when you were younger. That said, the scientists expected the men to have around the same testosterone levels. It wasn’t until they realized the connection between being overweight or obese, and a man’s testosterone levels, that their results made sense.

However, obese men aside, a Finnish study revealed that a man born in 1970 had 20% less testosterone at age 35 than a man in the generation before him had at the same age. Scientists are alarmed that we are seeing a true biological change, and they aren’t entirely sure why.

The strongest theory as to why testosterone levels are dropping is a result of men becoming more overweight or obese. That said, this testosterone drop is happening all around the world. From Sweden to Sri Lanka, men are facing low testosterone levels, genital abnormalities, and an increase of testicular cancer. To scare you even more, 40% of men in Denmark have subnormal sperm counts.

Without trying to sound like a conspiracy theorist too much, there is a growing theory in the scientific community that suggests men are losing testosterone as a result of the chemicals in the water they are drinking. Some believe that some of the estrogen from women isn’t being properly filtered out of the water that the men are drinking, causing their testosterone levels to drop. Of course, this is just a theory, and scientists are still trying to figure out what exactly is wrong with the men of the world.

 

3. Homosexuals Have Higher Testosterone Levels

You probably thought the opposite, didn’t you? It’s okay to admit it. It’s been a common misconception that has travelled through the grapevine. A lot of the early studies performed on homosexual vs heterosexual testosterone levels were found to be methodologically unsound, and that the people performing those studies were biased when starting the study. In one particular case, the study was tainted by psychotropic drug use which affected testosterone levels, but the results were published anyway. So, it’s time we cleared the air.

One study, performed by Keith Brodie, Nanette Gartrell, Charles Doering, and Thomas Rhue revealed that testosterone levels of 19 young male homosexuals were found to be significantly higher than the testosterone levels of 20 heterosexual men of the same age. Essentially, homosexuals have more man in them than heterosexual men ever will. Pun intended.

Interestingly enough, in a different study bisexuals were discovered to have more testosterone than homosexuals, and in turn, heterosexuals. The more you know!

 

2. Women’s Tears Reduce Testosterone Levels In Men

According to a recent study, if a man is around a woman when she is crying, his testosterone levels plummet, and his sense of sexual arousal declines. The study was originally designed to uncover the effects of tears on someone’s empathy and emotion, but it was discovered that there were no effects to be uncovered.

Instead, the researchers noticed that women’s tears influenced sexual arousal. Although this was a self-reported rating, 17 of the 24 men stated that they felt less sexually aroused after seeing a woman cry.

The psychological data revealed that the testosterone drop men experienced when seeing a woman cry was “pronounced” according to co-author of the study, Noam Sobel. Lower testosterone levels are associated with a lower sex drive, which is why most of the men’s sex drive was lowered.

Scientists are unsure what exactly about the women’s tears lowers testosterone levels, but they believe that a chemical is released into the air that men are able to detect, which affects them subconsciously!

 

1. Extra Testosterone Reduces Empathy

There’s a scientific reason behind the stereotype that men are emotionless bastards that rarely cry during movies. According to the researchers of Utrecht and Cambridge University, when a person produces extra testosterone, their ability to “mind read,” which is an indication of someone’s empathy, is affected.

The study revolved around the researchers asking participants to complete the “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” task, which tests how well someone can infer what someone else is thinking or feeling based on photographs and facial expressions from around their eyes. The tested 16 young women, because women have lower levels of testosterone than men. When the women were given small doses of testosterone, their ability to “mind read” plummeted.

This was one of the first studies to support the theory that testosterone levels in the womb have an ongoing effect on brain function later in life. For example, typically people with autism have difficulties with the mind reading exercise, and autism affects males more often than females. The results from this study can be used to support the androgen theory of autism, which suggests that a fetus that experiences high levels of testosterone in the womb are more likely to be born with autism.
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