Everything You Wondered About The No Fap Movement

The No Fap Movement has been an incredibly popular topic of discussion across online forums for the past decade. And there are about as many different claims about the benefits as there are people discussing it! 

From boosting testosterone to improved mood, the list just never stops. 

We get how difficult it is to try and weed through this sea of discussion, and we also know how important testosterone is. So we’re here to help. Let’s bring some clarity to the no-fap movement and find out what’s real, what’s not and how to move forward. 

So, What Is No Fap?

The no fap movement claims that there are surprising health benefits from abstaining from masturbating. The most common claim at the beginning of the movement was that cutting out masturbation would improve testosterone. 

Originally, members seemed to have a more health-centric focus, making claims about testosterone and various mental health benefits. But as time has progressed, the movement has shifted its primary focus to pornography addiction. 

Common signs may include:

• Preoccupation with sex
• Compulsive behavior around masturbation
• Difficulty in orgasms

Today, the no fap movement is an aim to break people out of unhealthy sexual fantasies and pornography habits. 

Where Did It Come From?

For those of you who don’t know, the no fap movement was started in 2011. It began on a Reddit thread, quickly gaining popularity for its enticing claims. The Reddit group has since grown to over 800,000 members. 

What Do People Say It Does?

The first claim that the no fap movement made was that not masturbating would reveal a testosterone increase. 

This came from a claim from a small sample size study that saw 40% increases in testosterone after not ejaculating for a week. After more and more people tried it, more and more people made more and more claims. They made claims of better sleep, better relationships, and other practical benefits of nofap habits. 

Benefits may also include:

• Increased happiness
• Boosted confidence
• Increased motivation
• Lower levels of stress and tension
• Heightened spirituality 
• Improved sperm quality 

But the claims did not stop there. Many were claiming it drastically improved their energy or that it fixed their depressed mood or even that it removed their anxiety. These benefits are obviously very appealing, and that’s why the movement generated so much following so quickly. 

Others take a more aggressive attitude when it comes to their claims, targeting masturbation and claiming it had negative health benefits. A common claim was that masturbation caused infertility. 

Has It Changed Over The Years?

Yes, it has. The movement has now shifted its focus more towards pornography and porn addiction recovery. They claim that internet porn and masturbation have taken a stronghold on many people, and taking a break from masturbation for 30-90 days would help you break that addiction. 

They focus on self-control and self-betterment. Those in this movement sometimes view porn as immoral, and that’s why they are abstaining. Others do it because they just want to become less dependent on masturbation. 

Many members say they have allowed pornography and masturbation to become an unhealthy part of their life that controls too many aspects of their day to day. They claim not masturbating for an extended period of time is a way to reduce the hold it has on them.

Is It Legit?

There are certain claims of the no fap movement that are valuable, but many of their statements about not masturbating don’t really hold water. The simple fact is, there are no major studies that demonstrate any effectiveness or health benefits of abstaining from masturbation. 

Testosterone Levels

This is one of those statements that is partially true but a little misleading. While it is true that the study they reference shows 40% increase in T levels, there have been many studies done since that show mixed results about this claim.

Most people agree that refraining from ejaculation increases your testosterone about 7 days after you quit. But the truth of the matter is that those changes are not permanent. Testosterone levels return to normal after about a week. 

You should also know that testosterone is constantly in flux. Testosterone levels are impacted by a variety of different factors: diet, environment, blood sugar. Minor body changes affect testosterone levels, so it only makes sense that masturbation, or lack thereof, would also affect your T. 

Mood And Confidence

As far as mood and confidence go, there is little evidence to suggest there is a direct correlation between abstaining and increased confidence. However, there is a potential connection between the self-improvement mentality and improved confidence. 

Taking active steps to improve yourself can cause you to experience feelings of ownership over yourself. This can boost your confidence and make you feel more in control. 

What About Addiction?

Too much of anything can be bad for you and those around you. If you allow one aspect of your life to take over so much that it negatively affects other parts of your life, you may have a problem.

For those who have allowed pornography and masturbation to negatively affect their lives, the no-fap approach might be helpful in getting them to kick the habit. Improving your self-control is never a bad thing. 

Is Masturbating Bad For Me?

The claims brought about by the no fap movement regarding the harms of masturbation are not true. Masturbation does not cause infertility, it does not decrease sperm count, and it does not shrink your genitals.

Actually, masturbation is a very normal and common part of human sexuality, and it has some perks that you may benefit from. 

Masturbating has been shown to improve sleep and reduce stress, release stress-reducing endorphins in your brain, and enhance your body image. So you may actually benefit from masturbation. 

However, masturbating becomes bad when it becomes a dependency. If you use masturbation to deal with stress and anxiety, you have developed an unhealthy coping mechanism. If masturbating is getting in the way of your sleep or your time with loved ones and friends, it may be a real problem that needs to be addressed.

I’m Worried About T Levels, What Should I Do?

If you are worried about your testosterone levels, there are a number of steps and life changes you can take that can actually make a long-lasting difference. 

Get to a Healthy Weight

The first thing to focus on is obtaining and maintaining a healthy weight. Obesity has been linked to lower testosterone levels. This is thought to be because higher gut fat leads to greater production of an enzyme called aromatase.

Aromatase is responsible for turning testosterone into estradiol, thus reducing your free testosterone count. So you would benefit from trimming that extra fat. Here’s how to do that.

Exercise

Cardio is great for losing weight, but make sure you incorporate strength training into your workout regimen as well. Strength training builds muscle, which helps you burn more passive calories. 

But also, strength training can activate testosterone in the body because testosterone is linked to muscle growth. If you work to make your muscles grow, more testosterone will be released. Prolonged periods of regularly achieving this state can increase overall testosterone levels.

Diet

Diet is also essential for weight loss. You need to focus on dieting for weight loss. This means ensuring you are in a caloric deficit and making sure you take in enough macros to fuel your workouts. 

With testosterone, you also need to focus on blood sugar. High blood sugar limits testosterone, so cutting down on your sugar intake could help your natural T levels as well as contribute to weight loss.

Supplements

Testosterone supplements can be an effective way to optimize your body to produce and maintain testosterone. By promoting your body’s natural hormone-creating system, supplements like ours help boost testosterone more naturally. 

This is not hormonal therapy, where synthetic testosterone is put into your body. Rather, it’s a more natural way to promote healthy levels of testosterone in the body. 

Supplements are your body’s companion and teammate in the testosterone journey.

Reduce Stress

Stress is an enemy of testosterone. Prolonged states of stress cause your brain to release a hormone called cortisol. This is the primary hormone associated with stress. 

The purpose is to put the body in a state of high alert and divert energy and resources only to essential functions, so cortisol actually limits the amount of free testosterone in your body. 

Talk with a loved one about the things that are bringing you feelings of anxiousness. Perhaps go to therapy to deal with them professionally. 

And don’t forget to make sure to get plenty of sleep. Making your body well-rested will not only help to reduce stress, but it will also help your body optimally recover to help with weight loss. So sleep is highly important. 

Conditions and Medicines

Finally, if you have a medical condition or are on some sort of prescription, that could hinder your testosterone levels. 

Many different medical conditions can contribute to changes in your testosterone levels. Treating symptoms and managing your physical struggles will help get your body to a point where it can regulate and maintain testosterone again. 

Building on that, many medicines can inhibit testosterone. Check with your doctor to see if low T levels are a side effect of one of your medications. If it is, you can weigh the pros and cons of changing to a different medication. 

Conclusion

Overall, the no fap movement doesn’t hold much water when it is confronted with science. Abstaining from masturbation and ejaculation doesn’t make long-lasting changes to your testosterone levels, and masturbation does not have any adverse side effects. 

However, the no fap movement has given people a community to keep each other accountable to control their unstable habits. It has helped people to increase their self-control and confidence. 

But if you’re worried about your testosterone and are considering no fap to fix your levels, better solutions are available. Those in the NoFap community are often referred to as noFappers, fapstinent, and fapstronauts. If you get your health in check, reduce your stress, and manage your weight, you can restore your T levels to where they belong.