I originally came to this website after watching a video (1) by the YouTube channel What I've Learned. I was most interested when a study (2) was presented showing the testosterone levels increasing after seven days of non-PMO.
I'm astonished by just how much testosterone increases after day 5, peaking at nearly a 150% on day 7. Granted, this study only followed ten men (mean age of 26), so its results are limited by its sample size, yet it seems to have been performed thoroughly.
Just in case we needed a reminder, the effects of testosterone on the brain help boost social confidence and willpower, along with boosting one's desire to "get shit done". I presume this is an evolutionary trait as nature would drive men to seek out mates for procreation, especially pre-civilization. So by committing to at least a 7-day fap fast, you boost your testosterone to its highest potential.
But the peculiar part of this chart is the shift after day 7, showing a similar negative curve as the spike before it. The results of the study are a bit strange, seeing such a sudden boost and drop, but what I am curious of is what comes next. The study suggest 3 weeks were observed, but I've only been able to find this single chart comparing testosterone change to days abstained. I wonder if T-levels drop negative at any point, and if there would be another spike, say at 14 days. Maybe there's some chronobiology involved suggesting that humans only naturally seek to mate once a week. The science of abstinence is unfortunately vague--and I hope NoFap inspires future research--but there must be some process regulating testosterone when abstinent for longer periods. This is new research for me, so any enlightening ideas or different studies would be greatly appreciated in expanding our knowledge on the subject.
My initial take from this was that PMO-ing only once every seven days would create a cycle optimizing testosterone levels. However, upon further contemplation, even on the final days, testosterone was still up 25-35%, perhaps the increase persist, and, comparable to daily PMO, still resulting in a net boost of T-levels. Another note is that testosterone drastically peaks on the later days, which may or may not be desirable, and resetting the cycle with PMO, as well, may or may not be desirable. If you couldn't tell already, there's a lot we don't know about abstinence as it is seldom studied and is rarely practiced outside of religions. Maybe if I can gather the resources, I could do a personal case study showing my results from prolonged abstinence.
Anyways, I'm just a nerd for new science and self-improvement. I'm also new to this NoFap community, so feedback and links to other related articles would be great in learning more about the science behind all this.
References:
(1) Video: "WHY Porn Changes the Brain..." What I've Learned (YouTube)
(2) Study: Endocrine response to masturbation induced orgasm in healthy men following a 3-week sexual abstinence
I'm astonished by just how much testosterone increases after day 5, peaking at nearly a 150% on day 7. Granted, this study only followed ten men (mean age of 26), so its results are limited by its sample size, yet it seems to have been performed thoroughly.
Just in case we needed a reminder, the effects of testosterone on the brain help boost social confidence and willpower, along with boosting one's desire to "get shit done". I presume this is an evolutionary trait as nature would drive men to seek out mates for procreation, especially pre-civilization. So by committing to at least a 7-day fap fast, you boost your testosterone to its highest potential.
But the peculiar part of this chart is the shift after day 7, showing a similar negative curve as the spike before it. The results of the study are a bit strange, seeing such a sudden boost and drop, but what I am curious of is what comes next. The study suggest 3 weeks were observed, but I've only been able to find this single chart comparing testosterone change to days abstained. I wonder if T-levels drop negative at any point, and if there would be another spike, say at 14 days. Maybe there's some chronobiology involved suggesting that humans only naturally seek to mate once a week. The science of abstinence is unfortunately vague--and I hope NoFap inspires future research--but there must be some process regulating testosterone when abstinent for longer periods. This is new research for me, so any enlightening ideas or different studies would be greatly appreciated in expanding our knowledge on the subject.
My initial take from this was that PMO-ing only once every seven days would create a cycle optimizing testosterone levels. However, upon further contemplation, even on the final days, testosterone was still up 25-35%, perhaps the increase persist, and, comparable to daily PMO, still resulting in a net boost of T-levels. Another note is that testosterone drastically peaks on the later days, which may or may not be desirable, and resetting the cycle with PMO, as well, may or may not be desirable. If you couldn't tell already, there's a lot we don't know about abstinence as it is seldom studied and is rarely practiced outside of religions. Maybe if I can gather the resources, I could do a personal case study showing my results from prolonged abstinence.
Anyways, I'm just a nerd for new science and self-improvement. I'm also new to this NoFap community, so feedback and links to other related articles would be great in learning more about the science behind all this.
References:
(1) Video: "WHY Porn Changes the Brain..." What I've Learned (YouTube)
(2) Study: Endocrine response to masturbation induced orgasm in healthy men following a 3-week sexual abstinence
