Several possible studies
Story checked
Why Are Young Men Trying to Boost Their Testosterone Levels? We Asked Them. (opens in a new tab)
menshealth.com · 2026-09-29
Short answer
Several possible studiesNo clear answer.
More than one paper fits the article's details, and none fits well enough to single out. Checking claims against the wrong study would be worse than not checking them at all.
Checked against the study summary. The full text wasn't available, so some details couldn't be settled either way.
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The story
Why Are Young Men Trying to Boost Their Testosterone Levels? We Asked Them.
menshealth.com · 2026-09-29
The story’s checkable claims.
Read the original story (opens in a new tab)NewsLink checks it
Several studies could be the source of this story.
More than one paper fits the article's details, and none fits well enough to single out. Checking claims against the wrong study would be worse than not checking them at all.
Open claim evidenceSearch result
Several studies could fit.
More than one paper fits the article's details, and none fits well enough to single out. Checking claims against the wrong study would be worse than not checking them at all.
Source layer
The paper behind the story
The source record for this check.
The research anchor for the report.
- Cited as backgroundpresented as earlier work
Cigarette smoking and increased endogenous estrogen levels in men.
American Journal of Epidemiology · 1987
Evidence layer
Claim by claim
What the story asserts. With no source study, there is nothing to check these against.
Reading mode
Scan verdicts. Open evidence only when needed.
Claim 1 of 7Not checkedOnline testosterone-boosting culture, called “T-maxxing” or “testmaxxing,” has exploded among young men and now shapes how some see masculinity, fitness, and identity.View evidenceHide evidence
As statedover the past couple of years
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 2 of 7Not checkedInfluencers promote pseudoscientific or unsupported ways to raise testosterone, including raw honey with cocoa, raw buffalo milk, sunning the testicles, eating eggs, drinking coconut water, and claims that cigars, potatoes, or microplastics are linked to testosterone or testicular health.View evidenceHide evidence
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 3 of 7Not checkedThe article says prescriptions for testosterone replacement therapy rose from less than 1 million in 2000 to nearly 12 million in 2025.View evidenceHide evidence
As statedfrom less than 1 million in 2000 to nearly 12 million in 2025
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 4 of 7Not checkedDoctors quoted in the article say that higher testosterone is not the same as better health or greater manliness, and that there is no scientific basis for a specific testosterone number making someone more manly.View evidenceHide evidence
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 5 of 7Not checkedThe article says testosterone use can reduce fertility and shut down sperm production, and that recovery of sperm production and natural testosterone after stopping is not guaranteed and may take months or years.View evidenceHide evidence
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 6 of 7Not checkedSome young men interviewed say testmaxxing made them bigger, leaner, more confident, and more successful socially, and one says he moved from 400 to 1,500 ng/dL after a testosterone cycle.View evidenceHide evidence
As stated400 to 1,500 ng/dL
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 7 of 7Not checkedThe article warns that chasing testosterone or muscle ideals can contribute to anxiety, depressive symptoms, compulsive exercise, muscle dysmorphia, and other harmful compensatory behaviors.View evidenceHide evidence
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Method layer
No single source study was found.
NewsLink still surfaces nearby research so you can inspect the field instead of a single paper.
Nearby research
No exact source, but these papers are close.
PubMed, Crossref, Europe PMC · 16 candidate papers
Cigarette smoking and increased endogenous estrogen levels in men.
American Journal of Epidemiology · 1987 · PubMed
Day-to-day associations between testosterone, sexual desire and courtship efforts in young men.
Proceedings. Biological Sciences · 2024 · PubMed
424 TESTOSTERONE EFFECTS ON MUSCLE MASS AND STRENGTH: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF TRIALS IN YOUNG HYPOGONADAL MEN AND MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER MEN WITH LOW TESTOSTERONE LEVELS.
Journal of Investigative Medicine · 2006 · Crossref
Psychiatric and Cognitive Effects of Testosterone Therapy in Adult Men: A Systematic Review of Clinical Evidence and Mechanistic Insights.
2026 · Europe PMC
Acute effects of testosterone on whole body protein metabolism in hypogonadal and eugonadal conditions: a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study.
Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 2024 · PubMed
And 11 more candidates considered.