Is Low Testosterone REALLY A Problem?

Shirtless guy. Flowing hair. Washboard abs. Deep voice. Cigar in hand. Whiskey in the other. Sitting on a John Deere.

“Low energy? Low drive? Once you’re out of your 20’s, your body turns on you. So buy this natural test booster so that you won’t be such a sad sack of worthless crap anymore.”

The health industry LOVES to talk about low testosterone levels.

ESPECIALLY making it seem like EVERYONE has low test, and if you had more test, then all your problems would go away. Right??

But are testosterone levels actually declining in our society?

And, if so, how can we honor God better in this area?

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The short answer - yes, testosterone levels are trending down in our society (Arun et al, 2025). 

However, it’s likely not to the severe level as the Internet might make you think.

In this study, they alarmingly found that the number of healthy adult males below the recommended testosterone levels doubled from 2003-2012.

However, when you dig deeper, you see that the results didn’t account for a change in the way testosterone was measured to improve accuracy during that time. That change in measurement style dropped the recommended test levels from 300 ng/dl down to 264 ng/dl. So, using the new measurement style with the old 300 ng/dl recommendation, the number doubled. But, using the new 264 ng/dl recommendation, the number of men with unhealthy levels of test is much lower.

AND - for most people, your body naturally maintains sufficient testosterone levels for quite late into your life. Significant declines don’t really start until well into your 60’s and 70’s (Chodick et al, 2020).

Not 40 years old, like the Internet will make you think.

(See image below by Eric Trexler of the MASS Research Review)

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What should Christians do about this?

Even though the data might have some errors, it’s clear that testosterone levels ARE down, and that’s still a significant problem.

Low testosterone levels cause a lot of things harmful to the Christian at a physical, mental, and spiritual level…

• Low energy

• Low motivation

• Reduced muscle mass

• Reduced bone mineral density

• Increase in symptoms of depression, irritability, and memory loss

• Increase risk of all-cause mortality

While we don’t know what is necessarily causing this decline, we know what can increase it (and the answer won’t surprise you one bit). The things that make the most difference are…

• Regular exercise

• Lifting weights

• Clean, balanced diet low in fried foods, alcohol, and simple sugars

• Good quality sleep

• Keep stress levels low

Shocker, right?

After you’ve mastered the fundamentals, you can optimize your endocrine health by…

• Limiting plastic in the kitchen (cutting boards, utensils, food storage, water bottles, etc.)

• Washing produce thoroughly before eating

• Using phthalate-free personal care products

• Using good quality water filtration, especially if your primary water source has a known PFAS contamination issue

Supplements, while sounding great, won’t do much. Sorry Doug Flutie.

As a coach, raising testosterone levels isn’t a direct goal that we train for, but I have used it as a progress marker over time. (We can discuss getting your blood tested if that’s a concern for you.)

My job is to help you master the fundamentals and make the right calls for your individual situation. This will ensure you’re stewarding your body the way that God has called you to!