High Testosterone Doesn't Increase Libido, But May Have a Strange Effect
A lagging libido in males is commonly attributed to a decline in testosterone, leading many men to hit the gym or supplement their diet in the hopes extra testosterone will give them a boost.
Yet in spite of testosterone's role in reproduction, evidence that typical fluctuations may account for changes in an individual's sexual appetite is lacking.
A study from an international team of researchers has failed to uncover any links between testosterone levels and indicators of sexual desire.
Yet the results weren't a complete fizzle – higher levels of the hormone could drive men to make more of an effort on date night, especially if they're single.
The research team recruited 41 young adult men for the month-long trial, of whom around a third were in a committed relationship and all but three were heterosexual. It's unclear how the sex of the participants was qualified.
Each day the volunteers donated saliva for testosterone and cortisol analysis and provided personal evaluations to questions on the previous day's sexual thoughts, desires, and fantasies. Two questions required an assessment of opportunities and degree of effort the individual put into attracting a romantic or sexual partner.
The team's modeling accounted for a degree of flexibility in the production of testosterone in each volunteer and the impetus for their responses, to allow for time-lags between a surge in levels and a change in behavior.
In general, levels of testosterone and cortisol were significantly higher among participants who were single at the time of the study, a finding that echoes similar findings in other studies on testosterone and relationship statuses.
Yet the tides of testosterone within individuals had no noticeable relationship with any day-to-day incidences of lusty daydreaming. Nothing that could be distinguished from random responses, at least.
"In other words, a man experiencing higher-than-usual testosterone concentrations on a given day does not typically exhibit higher-than-usual sexual desire on that same day," the researchers conclude in their report.
"We also found no evidence that men with higher mean testosterone across the study experienced higher mean sexual desire, which is also consistent with results from prior studies."
If anything, the researchers' choice of modeling revealed a small, negative association between daily levels of testosterone and sexual desire in days to come. While more research is needed to pull that finding apart, it suggests men can't reclaim their sexual spark solely by beefing up their hormones.
Unexpectedly, that boost in testosterone could prompt single individuals to bust out the dating apps and get swiping, with signs that even coupled men might be more inclined to book a table for two at the Oyster Shack.
Whether such efforts end in any hanky-panky isn't clear – the study wasn't a kiss-and-tell affair. The researchers also conceded their study couldn't determine whether the reverse was true. Perhaps an attempt to woo was the driving force behind elevated testosterone levels that day, a possibility requiring more research to confidently rule out.
While they're at it, those future studies could expand on the diversity captured by the sample, including participants with a greater range of genders, sexualities, relationship types, or age groups. They could even explore changes in sexual desire for those who take testosterone for hormone therapy.
In spite of some limitations in the current research, it's becoming increasingly clear that of all the potential reasons sexual appetite might weaken – from stress to medication to a decline in mental health – the daily ups and downs in testosterone levels probably aren't to blame.
Sexual desire is a complex behavior with its roots buried deep within the brain. While there's no easy fix to reviving the passion, exercise, plenty of sleep, and a balanced diet make for a solid foundation for finding solutions to most health problems.
This research was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
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