Men’s Testosterone 40% Lower than in 1980's
How to reverse the trend.
Since 1980, men’s testosterone has dropped about 1% per year. That’s not just a 'diet' issue. It’s systemic. Testosterone now declines faster, and starts declining earlier than ever recorded: A 2017 meta-analysis of 185 studies found sperm counts in Western men dropped 59% in 40 years. At this rate, men could be infertile by 2045. This isn’t about aging. It’s a reproductive collapse.
Here are the steps you can take, in the context of typical exposure to various environmental endocrine disruptors, to protect your swimmers:
1. Good quality sleep
Hormonal production (especially LH → testosterone) is tied directly to deep sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation can tank Testosterone by 10–15% in one week. No recovery happens without fixing sleep first.
2. Lose excess body fat
Adipose tissue converts testosterone into estrogen via aromatase. More fat = more estrogen and less testosterone. Obesity is one of the most consistent predictors of hypogonadism.
3. Strength training
Lifting heavy compound weights increases androgen receptor density and boosts free T. Men who lift 3–4x/week consistently see 20–30% Testosterone gains within 12 weeks. Muscle mass supports every other hormone system.
4. Get vitamin D (sunlight or supplement)
Testosterone levels correlate with vitamin D status. The testicles have D receptors, and supplementation can boost Testosterone in deficient men.
5. Quit porn
Excessive use desensitizes dopamine receptors and spikes prolactin. High prolactin = low testosterone. Your brain thinks you’ve already “won.” The chemical reward kills your drive.
6. Avoid seed oils
Corn, soybean, canola, sunflower. They oxidize under heat. That oxidation suppresses testicular function and promotes systemic inflammation. Cook with beef tallow, nut oil, butter or olive oil instead.
7. Take a natural supplement
Karlmennska is a traditional and entirely natural testosterone booster. It is handmade with 100% natural as well as traditional nordic plants and ingredients harvested by hand without the use of mechanical means in Norway and Sweden. Karlmennska is available through Sønnungr Viking Co.
Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis, Niels Jørgensen, Chief Andrologist (University Department of Growth and Reproduction), Rigshospitalet, National University Hospital: Copenhagen, Denmark.