Fast Facts

Overview

Masturbating to porn:

• Reduces Testosterone and DHT
• Decreases sperm count
• Impairs testicular function
• Raises Estrogen, a female hormone that suppresses Testosterone production
• Elevates Prolactin, a hormone that causes fatigue, laziness, lack of motivation, low Testosterone and ED.

According to a 2021 study (Cui et al., 2021)

Evidence Masturbation Decreases Testosterone

Human Studies

3 out of 4 human studies show that:

• Regular masturbation with ejaculation reduces Testosterone (Cui et al., 2021)
• Semen retention increases Testosterone production. (Jiang et al., 2003; Exton et al., 2001)

These findings come from research with a large sample size (almost 600 participants), providing reliable data.

Animal Studies

One animal study found:

• Regular masturbation with ejaculation reduces the number of androgen receptors in the brain. (Swaab et al., 2003).
• As a result, less Testosterone molecules can attach to the brain.
• This makes the brain less sensitive to Testosterone’s positive effects.

This results in symptoms of low Testosterone:

• Reduced sex drive
• Decreased motivation
• Low energy levels
• Feeling tired and fatigued

Evidence Masturbation Does Not Decrease Testosterone

1 out of 4 human studies suggests that:

• Masturbating to porn does not reduce Testosterone. (Eduard Isenmann et al., 2021)
• Watching porn, with or without masturbation, increased Free Testosterone levels. However, no increase in Total Testosterone was detected.

The study faced criticism for:

• Small sample size. Only 8 men took part in the 14 day study.
• No analysis on the impact of masturbation on Testosterone without porn.
• Using a niche demographic of young, natural bodybuilders (not men of all ages and physical conditions)
• The study looked at the effects of infrequent masturbation (once over 14 days), not the effects of masturbating regularly (several times a week).

This reduces the accuracy of the study’s results.

In Depth

Evidence Masturbation Decreases Testosterone

Human Studies

2021 Study

A 2021 study in 563 men found masturbating frequently to porn:

• Decreased Testosterone
• Reduced DHT (Dihydrotestosterone)
• Reduced sperm count
• Impaired Testicular function
• Increased Estrogen (female hormone that suppresses Testosterone production and causes mood swings)
• Raised Prolactin (hormone that causes fatigue, laziness, lack of motivation and ED)

This study proves that on a hormonal level:

Masturbation to porn makes you:

• Less masculine
• More feminine
• Infertile
• Lazy

Criticism of study: The study used a large sample size, which ensures accurate results.

2003 Study

A 2003 found that:

Men who masturbated multiple times a week had 45.7% lower Total Testosterone than men who practiced semen retention for 7 days. (Jiang et al., 2003)

Criticism of the study: Study had only 28 volunteers. A larger sample size would have increased the accuracy of results.

2001 Study

A 2001 study by Exton et al. foud that:

• Men who masturbated regularly had lower Testosterone than men who practiced semen retention for 3 weeks.
• Achieving orgasm through masturbation increased: heart rate, blood pressure, adrenaline and prolactin upon ejaculation.
• Ejaculation had the same hormonal effect on men who masturbated regularly and men who broke their semen retention streak.

Essentially, the study concluded:

Semen retention raises Testosterone production. However, semen retention does not change how the body responds hormonally to ejaculation and orgasm.

Criticism of study: Number of participants not mentioned. We do not know if the study had a small or large sample size.

Animal Studies

2003 Study

A different 2003 animal study found:

Masturbation decreases androgen receptor density (the number of androgen receptors) in certain areas of the brain.

Thus, less Testosterone molecules can attach to the brain.

This makes the brain less sensitive to Testosterone’s positive effects.

As a result, test subjects experienced symptoms of low Testosterone (reduced sex drive, motivation, energy levels and increased fatigue).

The number of ejaculations was linked to the decrease in Androgen Receptor density (AR density).

Test subjects who experienced:

• One ejaculation had a smaller drop in AR density.
• Multiple ejaculations had a larger drop in AR density. This was linked with reaching sexual satiety (the point where they no longer desired sex).

However, it did not affect Total Testosterone or Free Testosterone.

Despite this, the decrease in AR density led to symptoms of low Testosterone.

The scientists concluded:

The decrease in AR density after multiple ejaculations is what contributes to sexual satiety and a decrease in sex drive, libido and motivation.

Criticism of study: Animal studies may not always apply to humans. The previous human studies show a drop in Total Testosterone production as a result of regular masturbation. Meanwhile, the animal study only show a decrease in androgen receptor density in the brain. Despite this, test subjects still experienced symptoms of low T.

Evidence Masturbation Increases Testosterone

2021 Study:

A 2021 pilot study in 8 healthy young men found:

• Watching porn without masturbation increased Free Testosterone.
• Watching porn while masturbating increased Free Testosterone
• Porn with masturbation caused a slightly greater increase in Free Testosterone than porn without masturbation. However, this was not statistically significant.
• Total Testosterone levels remained unchanged.
• Masturbating or watching porn prevented the decline of Free Testosterone throughout the day. It kept the Free Testosterone levels elevated. Normally, as your body only makes Testosterone during sleep, Testosterone levels are highest in the morning, and decrease throughout the day.

Criticism of the study:

• Small sample size: Only 8 participants. The scientists wanted to have a larger sample size to increase the accuracy of their results. We cannot make generalisations from studies with a small sample size. Previous studies that showed masturbation decreased Testosterone had much larger sample size – over 600 participants compared to 8.
• Lack Of Analysis On Masturbation Without Visual Stimulus: The study did not analyse the effects of masturbation without visual stimulus. How much of the Testosterone increase was attributed to watching porn?
• Specific Demographic: The men in the study were young advanced strength athletes. They worked out 4 days per week and ate extremely healthy diets. On average they could bench press 1.2 times their body weight and 1.5 times their body weight. These participants were at the top of their physical health. Meanwhile, the previous studies used average men, who were not in peak physical condition or ate an optimal diet.
• Frequency of Masturbation And Ejaculation: This study shows the impact of infrequent masturbation, not regular masturbation. All participants in the study only masturbated once in the 14 day period. Previous studies showed that regular masturbation (multiple times per week) decreased Testosterone production. This study shows that infrequent masturbation has a different effect on Testosterone.

Conclusion

3 out of 4 human studies suggest masturbation with ejaculation decreases Testosterone production.

These studies had a large sample size of over 600 participants, which makes the results more accurate.

One animal study found masturbation with ejaculation decreased androgen receptor density in the brain, reducing Testosterone activity.

The counter study, which suggests masturbation does not reduce Testosterone, had only 8 participants.

Due to the small sample size of this study, the results are less accurate. (Faber and Lilian Martins Fonseca, 2014)