They’re seeing benefits – but at what cost?
among “luxmaxingIncreasingly, young men are turning to “testosterone-maxing”, which refers to using testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) or natural testosterone boosters to increase levels of the muscle-building hormone.
“I just wanted to get more excited,” 23-year-old Joseph Wells said. nervous,
Personal trainer and content creator who shares his fitness progress Onlinestarted therapy when he was only 18 due to “insecurities”.
“I was really skinny – I’m six foot three – and was very thin before,” he explained.
Now, Wells has nearly 200 pounds of rippling muscle and it’s all thanks to TRT, he claimed. He takes 1,000 milligrams of testosterone every week — which is six times more than the standard dosage for men whose levels of the hormone naturally produced in their bodies are clinically low, per Dazed.
“To be honest, I’m really pushing the boundaries with this,” he said.
“But obviously, it’s not something I regret.”
And he is not alone. according to business insiderTRT prescriptions increased 20% from 2016 to 2019, and Wells is one of many young men praising testosterone-maxing on TikTok.
James Manteit, a 27-year-old fitness influencer with over 75,000 followers, preaches about the many ways men can Reportedly increases testosterone levels naturallyAlso shared his progress on TRT.
“I get looks from girls all the time,” Monteit said in a now-deleted video. to fast company“They can smell testosterone in the air.”
Meanwhile, Cade Martinelli, a 25-year-old content creator who has been at TRT for more than four years, claimed that “high level” And “AlphaMen use the therapy, citing celebrity examples such as Joe Rogan, who revealed in 2021 that he started TRT at age 40. Around the same time, actor Dax Shepard said that the use of “massive testosterone injections” helped him gain 24 pounds. According to Fast Company, of muscles.
“I spent my whole life as a middle boy,” Shepard said, “and now I’m a big boy and I love it.”
The male body needs testosterone to develop sperm, regulate fat distribution, build muscle, and develop what are known as “secondary male characteristics,” such as facial and body hair, a deep voice, and bone shape. Increase in, according to. very good health,
medically, low testosterone may result in men low sex driveErectile dysfunction, small testicles, infertility and hair loss in the armpit or pubic areas.
Culturally, to be “low t” tossed around as an insult Among men, it is the result of social pressure on men to look and behave a certain way.
Debbie Ging, professor of digital media and gender at Dublin City University, told Dazed that “the onus has traditionally been on men to be physically strong.”
He said, “The Manosphere is clearly about pushing back against what they see as powerless ‘soyboys’, and focusing on physical strength and skill under the guise of wellness – that’s an important part of that.”
Dr. David Kelly, a biochemistry lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, told the outlet that he worries that “predatory” companies will exploit men’s insecurities as a result, and is concerned about the mental health effects of the aesthetics trend.
“This can lead to unattainable ideals of masculinity—which is dangerous,” said Kelly, who warned that TRT should only be used for older men who demonstrate medical need.
“This is somewhat similar to what we saw a few years ago with size 0 female models; the ideals promoted actually lead to harmful health behaviors.”
