There’s a lot of rumour and misconception swirling around male abstinence.
Online communities like reddit’s “Nofap” group encourage each other to abstain from pornography, claiming to have better sex, more testosterone and increased confidence as a result of this self-imposed masturbation ban. But does an imaginary chastity belt really make you a better man?
The scientists checked the testosterone levels of a group of abstaining men every day for a week. During most of the week, the testosterone fluctuations were minimal at best. However, on day 7, the researchers found that testosterone levels rocketed to a massive 145% of their baseline levels. That’s a lot of T.
Why are people searching for more testosterone? Because your T-levels account for much more than your sex drive.
Testosterone also increases the potential for muscle growth by forcing our body to increase protein synthesis, according to the Journal of Applied Physiology. Low testosterone is also a contributing factor in hair loss, weight gain and decreased bone density.
It’s unclear why it takes exactly 7 days to take effect, but there are safer ways to boost your T. Boston University found that frequent ejaculation is linked to a decreased prostate cancer risk, so building up a backlog may not be the best idea.
Combine our natural testosterone-boosting foods with a big-lifts leg day workout proven to spike your hormones, and you’ll have all the benefits of abstinence without the irritability.
