The average testosterone levels of people between 20 and 40 years old today are lower than those of their grandparents when they were 50 years old. What's going on? What is this due to and how can we solve it? What does science say about it? In this article we are going to see what is the main cause of this problem and how to easily solve it.

First we are going to analyze the reasons that are currently usually given for this decline, what the internet gurus and broscience tell us about what is happening, and then we will see if this is confirmed by science and how to act accordingly.

One of the first factors blamed for this drop in levels is the influence of toxins and chemicals in our environment, such as parabens in hygiene or cosmetic products, plastic packaging or pesticides used in agriculture. But is this proven by science?

The current evidence on this issue at the moment is based mainly on animal studies or in vitro studies, and the studies that exist in humans are associative and do not show a really significant effect, so we can say that there is not sufficient and clear evidence to say that this issue is really affecting. Furthermore, what does seem likely is that if these chemicals were really affecting us, the effect would be very slight, and we will see why below.

But first, let me inform you, especially those who live in Europe, that this issue is highly regulated, for example, parabens in hygiene and cosmetic products have clear limits so that the quantity is not dangerous, and they must also be clearly indicated on the label.

Also, due to the bad press that these compounds have had, most companies have decided to stop using them, often displaying a label that indicates “free of parabens”, so they are no longer so present in our daily lives. Also in agricultural products produced in Europe, there is very strong regulation on which chemicals can be used and which are not allowed, so it is not as simple as farmers or companies using the chemicals they want even if they are harmful.

Another product to which anti-testosterone effects are attributed is soy and its derivative products, due to their phytoestrogen content. But again, science does not support this argument, as we have a meta-analysis studying a population of over 10,000 men who regularly consumed soy products and no effect was observed on their hormone levels. So don't worry about the soy.

A quick note related to this, the product that contains the most powerful phytoestrogen, specifically 50 times more powerful than those found in soy, is beer. To date it is not clear if it has any effect on human hormonal levels, but it is true that if you are concerned about the issue of phytoestrogens you should pay more attention to beer and not so much to soy.

Another of the factors currently sought to explain this drop in testosterone is the feminization of society. There is talk that today's men are less “masculine” and that is why they do not have as much testosterone. The science that exists in this regard tells us that testosterone can vary depending on the context, for example in situations in which the person has a high hierarchical position, when he is the boss at a job, the leader in a group, his testosterone levels will be higher. However, in situations where his hierarchical or social position is low, he will have lower testosterone levels. Also situations in which the man is a winner or loser, for example in any type of sport, can produce changes in testosterone.

But with this there are two problems, the first is that these context-dependent rises and falls are circumstantial, and do not affect the base levels, which are precisely those that have been reduced compared to those of previous generations. The second is that there are contexts that reduce testosterone, such as having a stable partner and being a parent, which are currently in decline compared to previous generations, so the effect that we should see would be an increase in testosterone, more than a drop, if this effect, as we have just commented, were not ephemeral.

The key factor for low testosterone levels today

The point is that there is one factor that seems to explain most of this drop in average testosterone levels, which is directly correlated and therefore would not require us to focus as much on other factors to blame. This factor is that of habits.

You see, in recent decades obesity levels in the male population have risen in practically the same proportion as testosterone levels has fallen. And this relationship between body fat levels and testosterone levels is 100% proven in humans. Furthermore, it has also been proven that we are not facing a confusion of cause and effect.

It should be noted that in the first studies in which this drop in testosterone was detected in recent decades, it was indicated that this drop was not explained by the increase in obesity. But more recent studies, carried out specifically to analyze this issue and with a superior methodology, have indeed found this correspondence.

In this way we see that, if we really have to look for a reason why the testosterone of today's men is much lower than that of their previous generations, the most likely thing, according to current knowledge, is that it is mostly due to their eating habits, sports habits and everything that affects body weight and composition. And if there really is an effect from chemicals, plastics, pesticides and so on, this effect must be comparatively very low.

So, if you're worried about having optimized testosterone, you should above all focus on training, eating a healthy diet, and keeping your body fat percentage in check, and not be so stressed about whether your shampoo or your vegetables have chemicals. or not.

By the way, speaking of stress, I think it is convenient to mention other factors that have also been shown to affect testosterone, that are directly related to body composition and eating habits and that would be worth monitoring if you want to increase your testosterone levels. The first would be cortisol, which we should always keep at healthy levels, especially controlling our sleep and our stress levels. To do this, I think it would also be advisable to be careful with the use we make of social networks and the continuous hits of dopamine that we are receiving, which I explained in another article. Try to sleep more, have a regular and consistent sleep schedule, lead a calmer life and do not spend all day swiping on social networks.

Another related factor that directly affects is that of key nutrients for testosterone, such as zinc, boron, magnesium, selenium and vitamin D. To ensure a sufficient supply of these nutrients, you must have a diet rich in whole vegetables of all kinds, with special emphasis on including nuts such as walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, etc. And regarding vitamin D, you could obtain it from sun exposure, if you live in a climate that allows it, with moderate exposure, avoiding midday hours and using sunscreen if you are going to have prolonged exposure. If you do not have this possibility, I recommend you consider supplementing this vitamin and/or minerals.

In summary, the whole issue of chemicals, plastics and pesticides is not ruled out that could have a certain effect, although at the moment there is no conclusive evidence in this regard, but if so it would probably be a slight effect, since the decline in current testosterone levels seem to be mostly explained by the direct relationship with increased levels of obesity. So if you want to have optimized and healthy testosterone, simply eat healthy, train hard, avoid stress and rest well.

Finally, we remind you that at Calisteniapp we have free routines of all kinds and for pro users we have training programs, smart routines, 21-day challenges and much more. In addition, we are preparing an update that will add a lot of content for people who want to do hybrid training, combining calisthenics with gym, weight exercises and ballast exercises. Download it and stay tuned for news.

By Yerai Alonso


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