Does masturbation increase testosterone? Does masturbation decrease testosterone? The effects of masturbation on testosterone have always been a big mystery among the health freaks. People always have different opinions about this topic. Some say masturbating is not good, especially when you are under some sort of training program. It reduces the testosterone level in the body. But is there a medical proof which concludes this theory?
Many also argue that it is a good way to remove excess energy from the body and to get it into a relaxed state. And, in a relaxed state our body produces more testosterone. All these are claims but are there some facts or studies backing them up?
In this article, we discuss various aspects of masturbation and testosterone production. Does masturbation cause hormonal changes that trails back to the testosterone?
Masturbation and testosterone and Zinc
Zinc is a very important nutrient for the production of testosterone. Hypogonadism relates to the zinc deficiency. There is a good percentage of people who are low in Zinc, the reason being, the availability of Zinc in the natural food that we eat. Oysters, pumpkin seeds and some nuts have high Zinc content, but these food items are rarely included in the diet. So, the point is, the input of Zinc is low in a normal person.
Now, is there a connection between Zinc and masturbation? Apparently there is, a huge one. You must know that bodily fluids both in men and women are rich in minerals such as Zinc. That means, when you masturbate you are just throwing it away. So, when the Zinc level is less, it will automatically lead to less production of testosterone. Like Zinc, this also goes for Selenium.
Zinc that you get from your diet is very less, it is a good idea to get Zinc supplement. Zinc supplements are cheap, so, it won’t hit your pocket hard. But, the thing is, Zinc causes Copper deficiency. So, along with Zinc you must have copper supplements too.
Many people might also argue, that while having sex you also you lose bodily fluid. Yes, you do. First of all, having too much sex is not good too. But, the difference is, when you have sex with a female, that physical connection alone, helps to boost up your testosterone. Which is not the case with masturbation. So, sex still makes up for it.
Will abstaining from masturbation increase testosterone?
We have seen previously, that masturbation depletes nutrients that are required for testosterone production. But, for how long the abstinence is required? Because masturbation is a way for releasing sexual tension for lots of people. If not done from time to time it can lead to reducing of their productivity.
A study conducted on the relation between masturbation and testosterone, showed that there was a significant increase in the level of testosterone after abstinence. And, on the 7th day, the testosterone level was 150%. But, the strange thing was that, the testosterone level didn’t go further up, even in the continuance of abstinence. So, a way around this is masturbating of the eight day of the abstinence. When the testosterone level will be already high and a little less production of testosterone won’t effect much.
Although, many sex expert suggest masturbating twice a week is okay.
Masturbation addiction and testosterone
Although, masturbation removes some important nutrients from the body but still it isn’t that bad, until it becomes an addiction. It is said that addiction of masturbation is one of the worst kinds of addictions.
So, lets say, you are jacking off around 2-6 times a day, apart from depleting the mineral, you are also exhausting yourself of the energy. That means, you have no energy left for any physical activity. And, it is pure science, the more and intense physical activity you perform the more testosterone is released.
Masturbation, sleep and testosterone
Excessive masturbation is known to mess up the hormonal levels of the body. It affects your sleep by reducing the level of a hormone, known as, Melatonin. Melatonin is a sleep hormone which is produced by many tissues and mainly produced by Pineal gland in the brain. It is released in huge quantity at night, but by masturbating in excess you disrupt this cycle completely, which leads to insomnia.
So, now you might wonder about the connection of sleep and testosterone. Well, majority of testosterone is produced while you are sleeping. And, when you don’t sleep for 8-9 hours or have frequent disturbance in your sleep, the testosterone is not produced to its fullest. Eating pumpkin seeds 20 minutes before going to bed can help you sleep better and it also has Zinc in abundance.
Estrogen speaks up
So, you jack off enough to pull your testosterone level below a certain amount, that is when Estrogen starts to play its role. It is kind of a struggle to dominate between estrogen and testosterone. In men, testosterone is the dominant hormone, but the whenever testosterone level significantly falls down, the estrogen tries to take control.
That is when your body becomes estrogen dominant. Estrogen, first of all, reverses all the effects of testosterone, like muscle gain and weight loss. But, the main thing is, estrogen is known to suppress testosterone level. In fact, Transgenders, turning from male to female, are given Estradiol, which is a type of Estrogen, to reduce their testosterone level.
So, is masturbation a lose-lose thing for you? Apparently not. Actually, masturbation also has it’s benefits. They are as follows:
- It reduces stress, which is actually good for testosterone production.
- It can help you sleep by releasing a set of hormones.
- Masturbation builds your immunity by increasing Cortisol.
- Improves your mood.
- And, enhances your productivity.
As you can see, masturbation has its good side as well. Actually, masturbation is a tool, it’s up to us, in which way we want to use it. First of all, try to not to masturbate more than twice a week. It will help reduce stress and simultaneously maintain an optimal testosterone level.
Although, masturbation can be used for sleeping but you should not make it a habit because you might get used to it and you won’t be able to sleep without masturbating.
