Does Sex Increase Testosterone? What the Research Actually Shows
The relationship between sex and testosterone is one of the most searched and most misunderstood topics in men's health. Social media is full of confident claims in both directions: that frequent sex drains testosterone, that abstinence builds it, or that more sex means more testosterone. The research is smaller, older and messier than those claims suggest, and one of the most popular studies has been retracted.
Key takeaways
- In lab studies of 10 men, plasma testosterone was not significantly changed by sexual arousal and masturbation-induced orgasm.[1]
- In a field study at a US sex club, salivary testosterone rose 36% on average (72% in men who participated, 11% in those who only watched).[2]
- The much-quoted "145.7% of baseline on day 7 of abstinence" finding comes from a 2003 paper of 28 volunteers that was retracted in 2021.[3]
- A 2022 meta-analysis found that sex 30 minutes to 24 hours before exercise did not affect aerobic fitness, endurance or strength and power.[4]
Does Arousal or Orgasm Change Testosterone?
The honest answer is that studies disagree, partly because they were done in very different settings.
Controlled laboratory studies have mostly found nothing. In one study of ten healthy men, blood was drawn continuously during sexual arousal and masturbation-induced orgasm. Orgasm produced transient increases in heart rate, blood pressure and noradrenaline, and prolactin rose, but none of the other hormones measured, including testosterone, was significantly affected.[1] A second study of ten men found that plasma testosterone was unaltered by orgasm.[5] And in eight men shown erotic films in the lab, substantial sexual arousal occurred without significant changes in testosterone or other hormones.[6]
Naturalistic studies have found increases. In a field study at a US sex club, researchers measured salivary testosterone in 26 men who watched and 18 who participated in sexual activity. Testosterone increased 36% on average over the visit, with a significantly larger change among participants (72%) than observers (11%).[2] In four heterosexual couples followed over 22 evenings, salivary testosterone increased across evenings with intercourse and decreased on evenings without.[7]
Those studies are small and the settings are unusual, and they measure short-term changes in saliva, not your baseline. The reasonable reading is that testosterone may move up and down around sexual activity depending on context, and that none of this shows a lasting change in your hormonal set point.
Does More Frequent Sex Mean Higher Testosterone?
We could not find a controlled trial showing that increasing sexual frequency raises resting testosterone. Some surveys find that men who have more sex have higher testosterone, but that does not establish which direction the effect runs: men with higher testosterone tend to have more libido, and other factors such as health, age, stress and relationship status affect both. The couple study above hints that sexual activity can influence same-evening testosterone,[7] but it cannot tell us about long-term baseline levels.
The relationship between testosterone and libido is better thought of as a two-way feedback loop than a lever you can pull. The factors that are better supported for baseline testosterone, such as sleep, body composition, and stress levels, operate through different mechanisms.
The Abstinence Question
The abstinence claim deserves a careful correction. The most widely cited source is a 2003 paper in the Journal of Zhejiang University Science. It followed the serum testosterone of 28 volunteers during abstinence after ejaculation and reported a peak on day 7 at 145.7% of baseline, with no regular pattern after that.[3] The journal retracted this paper in December 2021, so it should not be treated as evidence.
A second, smaller study is sometimes cited. In ten healthy men measured before and after three weeks of sexual abstinence, plasma testosterone was higher after the abstinence period.[5] With only ten participants, no control group and no follow-up, it cannot establish that abstinence is a way to raise testosterone, and it does not support the idea of a day-7 spike or progressively larger gains from longer abstinence. For a deeper look at the broader claims, see our analysis of NoFap and testosterone.
✓ Do This
- •Lab studies mostly show no testosterone change from arousal or orgasm
- •Field and couple studies suggest short-term, context-dependent changes
- •A healthy sex life is part of overall well-being
- •Sex 30 minutes to 24 hours before exercise did not affect fitness measures in a meta-analysis
✗ Not This
- •The 45% day-7 abstinence spike comes from a retracted paper
- •No controlled trial shows that more sex raises baseline testosterone
- •No evidence that long abstinence raises testosterone
- •Claims of massive testosterone gains from abstinence are not supported
Sex Before Competition
The idea that sex before competition hurts performance dates back to ancient Greece and Rome, but the evidence does not support it. A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of crossover trials found that sexual activity within 30 minutes to 24 hours before exercise did not appear to affect aerobic fitness, musculoskeletal endurance or strength and power. The authors noted some concerns about bias in the studies.[4] A 2016 systematic review reached a similar conclusion, that sexual activity the day before competition does not appear to harm performance, while saying high-quality randomized studies are still needed.[8]
Practical Takeaway
What to Take From the Evidence
The acute effect of sex on testosterone is inconsistent
Controlled lab studies found no significant change, while field and couple studies found increases. Either way, these are short-term changes, not a lasting shift in your baseline.
There is no good evidence that more sex raises baseline testosterone
Association is not causation. Libido and testosterone influence each other, and health and stress affect both.
The day-7 abstinence spike is not reliable evidence
It comes from a paper that was retracted in 2021. Abstinence is not an evidence-based way to raise testosterone.
Focus on better-supported habits
Sleep, resistance training, body composition and stress management have far more research behind them for healthy testosterone than sexual frequency or abstinence.
The Bottom Line
Sex and testosterone are connected in complicated ways, but the popular claims are overstated. Neither frequent sex nor extended abstinence has been shown to meaningfully change resting testosterone over time, and the best-known abstinence finding has been retracted. If you are concerned about low libido, fatigue or other symptoms, those are reasons to see a doctor for proper testing rather than to adjust your sexual habits.
If your goal is general hormonal health, your effort is better spent on sleeping 7 to 9 hours, resistance training, maintaining a healthy body composition, and building consistent daily habits.
Related Reading
- How to Increase Testosterone Naturally: the lifestyle interventions with the most supporting evidence.
- Signs of Low Testosterone: when low libido is a symptom worth discussing with a doctor.
- The Complete T-Maxing Guide: the habit stack behind healthy testosterone.
References
- Kruger T, Exton MS, Pawlak C, et al.. Neuroendocrine and cardiovascular response to sexual arousal and orgasm in men. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1998. doi.org/10.1016/s0306-4530(98)00007-9
- Escasa MJ, Casey JF, Gray PB.. Salivary testosterone levels in men at a U.S. sex club. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 2011. doi.org/10.1007/s10508-010-9711-3
- Jiang M, Xin J, Zou Q, Shen JW.. A research on the relationship between ejaculation and serum testosterone level in men (retracted article). Journal of Zhejiang University Science. 2003. doi.org/10.1631/jzus.2003.0236
- Zavorsky GS, Brooks RA.. The influence of sexual activity on athletic performance: a systematic review and meta-analyses. Scientific Reports. 2022. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19882-2
- Exton MS, Kruger TH, Bursch N, et al.. Endocrine response to masturbation-induced orgasm in healthy men following a 3-week sexual abstinence. World Journal of Urology. 2001. doi.org/10.1007/s003450100222
- Carani C, Bancroft J, Del Rio G, et al.. The endocrine effects of visual erotic stimuli in normal men. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1990. doi.org/10.1016/0306-4530(90)90031-4
- Dabbs JM Jr, Mohammed S.. Male and female salivary testosterone concentrations before and after sexual activity. Physiology & Behavior. 1992. doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(92)90453-9
- Stefani L, Galanti G, Padulo J, Bragazzi NL, Maffulli N.. Sexual activity before sports competition: a systematic review. Frontiers in Physiology. 2016. doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2016.00246
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