Fit Focus: Why's today men have less testosterone

SOMETHING strange is happening to men. And no, it's not just that we're all spending too much time looking at our phones.

Over the past 50 years, the average man's testosterone levels have fallen by more than half. That's not a typo. A massive analysis of over 118,000 men across five countries found that testosterone dropped by 54% between 1972 and 2019—and the decline seems to be speeding up since the year 2000. Think of it this way: your grandfather at 40 likely had significantly more testosterone than you do at 40. That's a big deal.

Testosterone is the hormone that makes men, well, men. It builds muscle, drives sex drive, keeps mood stable, maintains bone density, and helps with everything from energy levels to cognitive function. When it drops too low, you feel it: fatigue, low libido, brain fog, stubborn belly fat, and a general sense of "meh."

The medical term for clinically low testosterone is hypogonadism, and it affects a surprising number of men. By age 60, about 20 per cent of men have testosterone levels low enough to be considered hypogonadal. By 80, that number jumps to 50 per cent. But the concerning part is that this isn't just about aging anymore. Younger men are showing up with levels their fathers didn't have until decades later.

Scientists have a few prime suspects on what’s driving this slide, and the frustrating answer is: probably all of them.

The Obesity Connection: This one is the heavyweight (pun intended). Fat tissue contains an enzyme called aromatase that converts testosterone into oestrogen. So, the more body fat you carry, the more testosterone gets "feminized" into oestrogen. It's a nasty feedback loop—low T makes it easier to gain fat, and fat lowers T further. With obesity rates climbing globally, this alone could explain a huge chunk of the decline.

The Brain Problem: Here's something wild. It's not just that your testes are slacking off. Research shows that aging—and possibly other factors—erodes the entire signalling chain from your brain to your gonads. Your brain produces a hormone called GnRH, which tells your pituitary to release LH, which tells your testes to make testosterone. In older men, all three links in this chain become weaker. Your brain is literally forgetting to tell your body to be male.

Environmental Chemicals: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) like BPA and phthalates are everywhere — plastics, food packaging, cosmetics, even receipts. These chemicals can interfere with hormone production and signalling. The evidence isn't definitive yet, but the pattern is concerning.

Lifestyle Factors: Poor sleep, chronic stress, sedentary behaviour, and insulin resistance all tank testosterone. Modern life, in many ways, is practically designed to suppress male hormones.

The Dark Side of "Just Get Testosterone Online"

Here's where things get dangerous. The awareness of declining testosterone has spawned a booming online market for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). A few clicks, a credit card, and boom — testosterone arrives at your door. No blood tests. No medical supervision. No follow-up.

This is a terrible idea.

For starters, up to 50 per cent of medications from illicit online pharmacies are counterfeit or substandard. You literally don't know what you're injecting.

Beyond that, without proper testing, you could be treating a problem you don't have—or missing a more serious underlying condition. Incorrect dosing can cause blood clots, liver damage, heart problems, and mood swings.

And perhaps most ironically, taking external testosterone shuts down your body's own production, potentially causing permanent infertility and testicular shrinkage.

The pharmaceutical journal has highlighted concerns about "dependency" even among legitimate TRT users—feeling unwell if they're a day late for their injection. This isn't a harmless supplement. It's a powerful hormone with serious consequences.

Identity Question I want to be careful here, because this is a sensitive topic. But it's worth considering honestly.

If testosterone is plummeting across the population — if men are literally becoming less hormonally "male" with each generation — does that have anything to do with the rise in non-binary and transgender identification among males?

One recent paper (published on the preprint server Zenodo, so not yet peer-reviewed) argues exactly this. It proposes that declining testosterone in aging men causes "phenotypic drift"—a gradual movement toward a more sexually neutral or mixed physical state. The author frames this as an "involuntary gender transition" that happens to all men to some degree as they age.

This is speculative and, honestly, politically charged territory. But the core idea is worth pondering: if the hormonal foundation of masculinity is eroding generationally, might that affect how people experience and express their gender identity?

The paper suggests that transgender individuals offer a "model" for navigating intentional identity changes, and that insights from trans endocrinology might help aging men.

Now, I want to be clear: I'm not saying low testosterone "causes" people to be trans or non-binary. Gender identity is complex, deeply personal, and not reducible to a single hormone. But the correlation between declining male hormones and shifting gender demographics is a legitimate area of inquiry that deserves more research—and less shouting.

How to Actually Boost Testosterone (Without Buying Sketchy Pills) Here's the good news: the fundamentals work. They're not sexy but they work.

Lift Heavy Things: Compound movements—squats, deadlifts, bench press—trigger acute testosterone spikes and build muscle that helps regulate hormones long-term. Aim for at least two strength sessions per week.

Sleep Like It's Your Job: Your body produces most of its daily testosterone during deep REM sleep. Seven to nine hours. Dark room. Cool temperature. Consistent schedule. This alone can make a measurable difference.

Eat Real Food: Zinc (oysters, beef, pumpkin seeds), magnesium (nuts, legumes, leafy greens), and vitamin D (fatty fish, eggs, sunlight) are all directly involved in testosterone production. You don't need exotic supplements—you need nutrients.

Chill Out: Chronic stress floods your system with cortisol, which directly suppresses testosterone. Meditation, time in nature, and actual relaxation aren't woo-woo—they're hormonal medicine.

Drop the Extra Weight: This is the big one. Since fat converts testosterone to oestrogen, reducing body fat is one of the most powerful natural interventions available. You don't need to be shredded — just healthy.

And skip the ‘T-booster’ supplements. As one researcher put it, they have "questionable efficacy and questionable safety," with many contaminated with doping agents or unknown substances. Save your money.