The End of Masculinity Has Been Somewhat Exaggerated

Are testosterone levels in men really falling? If so, what might be the causes? And is it something to worry about. We have looked at what the literature says and summarize it for you.

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Data for the rise in testosterone supplement sales are here

FDA advice on the use of testosterone supplements is here:

The paper about how testosterone levels change during the day is this:

The paper about lower testosterone level in married men is here:

The paper about testosterone levels falling when holding an infant is this:

The meta-analysis about male testosterone levels is here:

The 2007 paper about the decline of testosterone levels in Boston is here:

The 2013 study about the decline of testosterone levels in Finnish men is this:

The 2016 paper about the decline of grip strength is here:

The 2013 paper about children running slower is this:

The paper about the impact of a high-protein diet on testosterone is here:

The paper about the two-way causation between obesity and decline in testosterone levels is here:

The 2015 meta-analysis about the link between testosterone levels in men and smoking is here:

00:00 Intro
00:28 The Worry
02:43 How Much Testosterone Is Normal?
06:03 Are Testosterone Levels Really Falling?
09:06 Possible Causes
11:45 Should We Worry About It?
12:53 Protect Yourself from Cyber Threats

[parsahasselhoff]

I feel like no matter what the problem is, overexposing extremely sensitive glands to UV light can't possibly be the solution.

[captcorajus]

"How do I explain this to my mom?" I lost it. Sabine, you are a treasure.

[ZioStalin]

Ok, here's what I learned:
I'm gonna double the smoking, eat only potatoes, and never ever touch a small child or get married.
Thanks, Sabine! (=

[juliahenriques]

I'd love to see a breakdown by sedentary and non-sedentary lifestyles, a breakdown by income per capita, a breakdown by exposure to physical violence, and by a couple other factors. That could bring lots of insights.

[RiedlerMusics]

this is actually a statistical error caused by me. I drag down the average so much that I shouldn't be counted.

[eddiepires]

I've only watched a handful of Sabine"s videos. What a cool channel 🙂 Scientifically informative, and technical without being 'dry' or boring and so well presented with a sprinkle of dead-pan faced humour . I'll certainly keep watching.

[josephlabs]

Early morning classes should be illegal. Well said 👏🏿😩

[kbqwdyt]

If Tucker Carlson has become the representative of masculinity, it officially ended a long time ago.

[douglaswilkinson]

My doctor reluctantly tested me for Low-T. Protocol requires a blood test at exactly 8 a.m. on different days. My levels were consistently 60% below the mimimum level generally considered safe. She prescribed testosterone gel. (There is no pill form of testosterone. Also, it's a Schedule III controlled medication in the USA.) It took 3 months to reach "safe, normal" levels. It made a significant positive impact on my life. I feel better, lost 54 pounds, sleep through the night and more. There are drawbacks. So due diligence is important!

[jameskantor]

Seven years ago my family doctor wanted to give me testosterone supplement. I said let’s wait a year since I’m already taking level thyroxine for hypothyroidism.
When I asked a year later, he said we shouldn’t do it because it can cause a heart attack.
So be careful about testosterone supplements.

[christopherrmurto]

Microplastics have been found to negatively affect testosterone levels as well. I may have heard we ingest microplastics all the time, so this is likely more difficult to change.

[robertortiz-wilson]

Thank you for being able to make some light-hearted jabs while still researching and explaining the topic at hand very well! It's ridiculous that some people mock the conversation and just dismiss it off hand. You're right that there needs to be more research to the various causes though of course. Bye!

[leachy]

I love that you're branching out and giving other topics your no nonsense gaze!

[dwinsemius]

For those who are checking their own testosterone results, note that nmol/L is quite different than the usual units of reporting in the US in ng/dL. The Kaiser system lab reports a normal for total testosterone as >=240 ng/dL. Also note that testosterone is bound to both human serum albumin (HSA) and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG, also known as testosterone binding globulin) so measuring free testosterone might be more indicative of the active levels. Also note that the target organs have specific receptors and genetic variation might play a role is determining the effect of any given level in a particular person.

[PetraKann]

Sabine ranting on about balls and the scrotum has made my day here in Australia.
A country that needs a laugh

[Ann_T_Social]

I say this with no snark whatsoever...you are an absolute delight, Dr. Hossenfelder. And your new book is very good, too. Kudos to you. 👏👏👏😀

[DeLambada]

This was the smoothest transition to the ad section ever. Because it actually made sense and contributed to understanding the original topic.

[technomech]

A few years ago I read an article about how girls have been experiencing their first period at a younger age compared to previous generations. And one of the possible culprits mentioned is our much longer exposure to light during our waking hours since the dawn of the light bulb. This prolonged exposure has affected our circadian rhythm in ways that we don't yet fully understand.

Could this factor also influence the aforementioned decrease in men's testosterone levels?

[neddreadmaynard]

Small balls as a side effect, true. But also smaller ball tanning machine needed, so energy savings balance it out! I luv balance!

[MsRainingDays]

Sabine I can't explain how I never found someone I can point to and say 'that, I want to be that when I grow up' until I found you. I'm in my thirties but better late then never