Can Semen Retention Naturally Boost Testosterone?
These days, there is little chance of you subscribing to a men’s lifestyle or health influencer’s content and not hearing about semen retention. The topic is so popular that you’d think it is the holy grail of men’s health. In fact, many of them stop short of saying things like, “retain semen/ejaculate frequently and you’ll unlock the keys to eternal life”, with the way they discuss this topic.
There are a lot more people on the side of semen retention than there are against it, however. People who make content, write articles and host forums on this topic peddle narratives that suggest semen retention as a way to sharpen focus and increase testosterone levels. They peddle different narratives and research suggesting that a man will become more manly if they don’t ejaculate frequently.
How much of this research is fact, though, and how much is myth?
This blog will break down all their talking points to point you in the right direction. It will do so with medically and scientifically backed evidence that you can rely on as you choose which path to follow: the popular culture path, or what science says.
The definition of this trendy topic is as simple as it gets: semen retention is retaining your semen. It is choosing not to ejaculate for as long as you can.
These days, people who practice semen retention follow structured programs that last days, weeks, months and sometimes up to a year. Their goal is to see how long they last without an orgasm and document the benefits that practising it has been claimed to give.
Some don’t follow programs, but just choose to stay away from whatever can fire up those sexual urges. They apply mindfulness techniques to their daily life, focusing on work, self-development, gym gains, and so on. Some have even learned tricks to orgasm without ejaculating. That’s right – a semen-free orgasm is actually possible.
The idea is cute, really, but is there any real health benefit to it?
First, where does this whole trend come from?
It will interest you to know that the podcasters, Instagram influencers, TikTokers and YouTubers didn’t start it. It’s a belief that goes way back. Like many trends, it just popped up again after years, even decades, of being dormant.
Ancient Taoist practitioners believed that not ejaculating made a man stronger. They believed that with every ejaculation, a man released some of his life force, or ‘qi’. These guys even believed that the semen in your balls could be recirculated to your brain to slow down your ageing process. Wild, isn’t it? In essence, they believed that holding on to semen for longer could extend life, health, and strengthen the man.
Ancient Hindu traditions also had this belief and propagated it. They believed, however, that semen retention made a person closer to God, which means that theirs was all about spiritual benefits. Fast forward to a few decades, and you have many religions encouraging men to abstain from ejaculation for pretty much the same reasons.
But when the belief came back around, a new dimension was added: that semen retention could increase testosterone levels and boost the ‘masculine’ hormones.
Again, what’s the science behind any of this? Keep reading!
Before we come around to answering this question, what is the testosterone connection in the whole trend?
If you didn’t know before now, testosterone is the primary male sex hormone in humans. It is what makes your bones strong, makes your muscles strong, facilitates the production of red blood cells, and drives male libido. It comes from the same place as the sperm – the testes. (Note that sperm is a part of semen, and semen comes from everywhere in the male reproductive system, then gathers in the testes).
The hypothalamus and pituitary gland in the brain oversee the testosterone production process in the testes. This process peaks in early adulthood (between 20 and 30 years old) and starts to decline by 1 percent every year after a man turns 30.
Now, semen, as a fluid that gathers from all around the male reproductive organs in the testes just to collect the sperm, sometimes collects a little testosterone too. And when it leaves the body through ejaculation, the testosterone it collected is lost forever.
This is the foundation on which the trend is built.
Testosterone drives bone density and muscle mass, while also playing a key role in the production of red blood cells. It is the energy hormone. When it gets into semen and is ejaculated, it leaves the body with a (negligible) shortage. This shortage is what the influencers believe is the problem and must be curtailed.
The smart ones often cite some early studies that observed hormone fluctuations after abstinence in some men as a reason for their belief in semen retention. The logic isn’t totally flawed, to be honest.
But the truth is that the feelings of power, motivation, and so on that semen retention gospel preachers describe are more psychological. As for the sperm (semen) and testosterone, your body simply reabsorbs them to decongest the reproductive system. It makes no difference to your health, fertility or sex drive.
Let’s look at the science before we look at what the men’s health influencers say.
The core pillar of science is fact-finding. You make a claim, science asks for proof. Where you fail to provide it, one scientist takes it upon themselves to find supporting evidence.
And so, when the semen retention trend began to rear its head in the mainstream, several studies were done, and findings were made. The most important ones are:
So, based on the date we have available, we can say that testosterone peaks after one week of abstinence and returns to normal immediately after. There is no evidence of a sustained peak. And there is a scientific explanation for this.
You know how the body absorbs the extra sperm that’s not ejaculated, and how the semen just keeps cycling around the reproductive organs until it is? The body does the same for every hormone it produces, including testosterone. There’s a hormone regulation mechanism in our bodies that makes sure none of the good stuff is overproduced.
And this is how the body maintains balance.
In essence, if you’re chasing a true testosterone boost, then semen retention may only help you for about a week. If you want longer, sustained boosts, find other means.
Now, let’s take a look at the claims of these influencers, who claim that the lives they enjoy are because they don’t ejaculate often. These influencers claim that semen retention makes them more spiritually aware, mentally sharp, and keeps them at peak physical and emotional condition.
They all claim that this practice boosts testosterone, which can:
This is a pretty exhaustive list. And it’s a convincing one, too. These listed benefits will definitely get a man or twenty to buy a course, a workout plan, or a pill.
Some even suggest that semen has other nutrients along with testosterone that, if retained, will be directed to repairing different muscle (and other) tissues in the body.
No research backs this, or any other item on that list, of course. The only item on that list that’s backed by scientific research is that semen retention helps improve sperm quality.
In 2017, a literature review of an analysis on the effects of abstinence on semen showed that abstinence can indeed help sperm move better, make them bigger and better, help them host all the important packages that DNAs must contain, and improve how much sperm a jet of semen can carry (sperm count).
BUT the review also pointed out that there was quite a few conflicting evidence in the analyses, making it a bit of a stretch to draw any watertight conclusions from it.
This is not the only conflicting research on the link between semen retention and testosterone levels that exists. Some research supports the idea that ejaculation reduces testosterone, and other studies claim that the drop only lasts for a few minutes and even rises significantly after.
Then there are others that claim that ejaculation doesn’t do a single thing to testosterone levels in the body. There are even studies that go further to claim that semen retention could harm the body!
What all of these tell us is that there’s nothing to back the claims that these men’s lifestyle thought leaders make with regards to benefits of semen retention.
There are three risks that you could be dealing with if you choose not to ejaculate for long periods. They are:
By now, you should be convinced by the science. All the facts have been laid bare. Semen retention isn’t a testosterone booster by any means, but rather, it gives you a one-week peak at best. But if you’re still considering it, here are practical tips to help you.
Seeking Medical Advice
Sometimes, releasing the semen may not release you. If your semen retention journey causes constant pain, swelling and affects your mood greatly, releasing yourself may not do much to help you. If, after you release yourself, you find that your libido is low or that you’ve suddenly developed Erectile Dysfunction, get to a doctor quickly!
Since the science does not quite back the semen retention trend, surely, you must be wondering how much or how often you should release yourself. Should you be aiming for twice a week? Ten times a month? Once a day?
The truth? There is no specific answer. Anyone who recommends a number to you is, in fact, dishonest. You are in control of how many times you ejaculate.
Some men have sex every day. Some men go years without it. As long as you know what you want and understand how testosterone, semen and sperm work (read this blog again to refresh your memory), you’re good.
Make sure you never ignore any signs of discomfort, too. Call your doctor if you feel uncomfortable at any point.
Now, to the main issue.
The one thing that the men’s lifestyle and men’s health influencers have gotten right (albeit with some miscommunication and misinterpretation) is that high testosterone is great for your body.
Since semen retention does little to boost this hormone, how can you maintain high T levels?
Just do the following:
And there you have it!
There is no science that backs semen retention as a testosterone booster. The best you can get out of it is a peak at one week of abstinence, when you feel like Superman. Eventually, it will all go back to normal.
But you can be Batman if you channel all that energy into staying healthy, being disciplined, and doing manly things that improve your confidence.
If you still want to go the route of semen retention, be mindful. And follow our recommended tips to boost your T levels, so that you can get the full benefits.
We’ve developed a comprehensive six-step process that acts as your personal health roadmap, to follow towards your health goals.
