TL;DR: Avoid letting your testicles get too warm for long periods of time and try cold showers to naturally support your testosterone levels.
Welcome back Upriver, biohacker.
Today, we are discussing the connection between cold exposure and increased testosterone. Perhaps you’re wondering why on UpRiver we place such an importance on raising T levels.
Put simply, regulating testosterone levels is key in maintaining optimal health in all departments as well as keeping the same aggression, drive, and strength of your youth. Thus, optimizing our testosterone is well worth it [1].
With that quickly stated, let’s jump into some of the wisdom practiced by serious biohacker legends from Wim Hof, all the way to Ben Greenfield – namely, how the cold can positively benefit your T levels.
Why Does The Cold Affect Testosterone?
In truth, research hasn’t shown a direct effect of cold exposure on testosterone levels.
A 2007 study found that with daily cold exposure as brief as 3-5 minutes had testosterone raising effects on subjects [2]. However, a few other studies show no increase in testosterone after cold exposure, so the science is still out [3]. Cold exposure has many other benefits [4], but directly boosting testosterone may not be one of them. Read more in our general article on cold exposure here.
However, two important factors are still at play:
- Prolonged heat is bad for your testicles
Research suggests that when the testicles are at a colder temperature, they produce more sperm cells, sperm cells of greater volume, and sperm cells with greater motility (a sperm’s ability to move) [5]. Interestingly, sperm quality and volume are greater in winter time according to one observational study.
A Japanese study in 1997 found that the optimal temperature for the male body to produce proteins, DNA and RNA, was around 37 degrees in vitro. Furthermore, spermatogenesis occurred most at this body temperature as well [6].
So it appears the benefits to testosterone production in terms of scrotal temperature are really more about avoiding high temperatures than getting them to low temperatures.
Heat shows the opposite effect. In rats, heat exposure on testicles reduced testosterone levels. [7] Furthermore, reducing exposure to warm water in one study increased participants sperm count by 500% [3].
The bottom line is skip the skinny jeans and hot showers and keep your gonads cool. If you really want to take this to another level, ice your nuts like old school Chinese and Russian body builders did to keep your testosterone at its peak (just kidding). [7]
- Cold exposure lowers cortisol in the long term
Testosterone and cortisol compete for resources; they’re both made from the same things, mainly pregnenolone. This is why long periods of stress significantly reduce testosterone levels [7].
The great thing about cold exposure is that by stressing your body temporarily, it actually decreases cortisol in the long run. Cold exposure reduced cortisol levels by 20% in one study where participants stayed in a room at 10 degrees Celsius for 2 hours. This frees up a lot of resources for your body to make testosterone.
How?
To achieve benefits of cold exposure only requires a few minutes a day [8].
Try starting off with a regular shower and finishing it off with a cool blast. As your tolerance builds, try going a full 5 minutes exposing your entire body to the cold water.
When?
While this isn’t a fully comprehensive guide on cold showers, we feel there is an optimal time to take a cold shower. While remembering that a lacklustre protocol you follow is still better than a perfectly crafted one that you don’t, the best time to take your cold showers seems to be before bed.
While some may argue that it is best in the morning – as the cold does seem to wake you up if you’re feeling lethargic – this article ultimately is about prioritizing your T-makers. Allow us to explain.
A powerful way to make sure your body is producing its utmost natural T, one must try to optimize one’s sleep (Check out the UpRiver Sleep Stream here). Cold showers have a great effect on helping people sleep. The reason for this is because the ideal core temperature for sleep is between 60 – 67 degrees, according to sleep.org.
Therefore, taking a cold shower before bed is hitting two birds with one stone when it comes to your T-raising protocol.
Conclusion
Ultimately, there are tons of benefits to increasing testosterone, especially as men age.
The connection between cold exposure and our male hormone appears strong enough that we should take some seems to be something a true biohacking pursuing a life UpRiver, ought not overlook. With a simple 3-5 minutes a day in a cold shower or bath, you can level your body and sex life naturally to a point otherwise untapped. Let us know about your experiences with cold exposure and what your protocol is for embracing it.
Note: Another way to increase testosterone is to hit the weights in the gym. If you’re interested in learning more about how to lift, click here.
Best of luck biohacker Keep moving upriver.
Click the button below to read the next article in our series on Sex.
References
[1] https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-testosterone
[2] Arumugam TV, Gleichmann M, Tang SC, Mattson MP: Hormesis/preconditioning mechanisms, the nervous system and aging. Ageing Res Rev. 2006, 5 (2): 165-178. 10.1016/j.arr.2006.03.003.
[3] https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-shower-testosterone
[4] (JEROME M. HERSHMAN, DALE G. READ, ANNE L. BAILEY, VICTOR D. NORMAN, TIMOTHY B. GIBSON, Effect of Cold Exposure on Serum Thyrotropin, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 30, Issue 4, 1 April 1970, Pages 430–434)
[5] https://www.dontcookyourballs.com/icing-balls-improve-fertility-skinny-testicular-cooling
[6] M. Nakamura, M. Namiki, A. Okuyama, E. Koh, N. Kondoh, M. Takeyama, H. Fujioka, Y. Nishimune, K. Matsumoto & M. Matsuda (1988) Optimal Temperature for Synthesis of DNA, RNA, and Protein by Human Testis in Vitro, Archives of Andrology, 20:1, 41-44, DOI: 10.3109/01485018808987051
[7] https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/biohacking-articles/how-to-biohack-your-testosterone/
[8] https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/podcast/biohacking-podcasts/cold-thermogenesis-how-to/
