Biohacking Testosterone: Tools and Tricks That Actually Work

Let's Turn to Biohacking Tools and Toys that Have Great Efficacy for Boosting Testosterone, Sperm Count, Drive, etc.

Ben Greenfield

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1. Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS)

A study done on rats' gastrocnemius muscle (calf) found that electrical stimulation induced a rapid increase in the number of androgen receptors in the early parts of the stimulation. This led to an increase in muscle mass by enhancing the muscle sensitivity to androgens. Another study conducted in humans showed that electrical stimulation of volunteers’ meridian points (which basically means electro-acupuncture) increased their concentrations of total testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) without affecting luteinizing hormone (LH) or follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (secreted from the pituitary gland). In terms of actually figuring out how to self-administer electro-acupuncture, I'd recommend looking into a device called the “NES scanner” which will scan your body and show you where to apply the electrical stimulation, and for actual electrical muscle stimulation on specific muscles, I'd recommend this article on how to use electrostim (and a whole lot more).

2. Red Light or Low-Lever Laser Therapy

You can get the highly entertaining, nitty-gritty details on this strategy in the Men's Health article entitled “I Put a Giant Red Light on My Balls to Triple My Testosterone Levels” .

Red light, near-infrared light (NIR), or low-level laser therapy has been used to treat various conditions from pain and muscle aches to wound healing, skin conditions, osteoarthritis, and even depression. These effects are usually local, but near-infrared light has also systemic effects via the circulation of blood. For more details on these effects, you might want to read this super comprehensive article on red light and NIR.

The basis for stimulating testosterone production by shooting red light and near-infrared light (yep, especially on your testicles) lies in the mechanism of how red (or infrared) wavelengths work inside the cell. The key is that they stimulate ATP production in Leydig cells, thus increasing the energy available for the cells. This means more testosterone production. There might also be other mechanisms, which are speculated on the “Red Light Man” site:

“Another potential mechanism involves a separate class of photoreceptive proteins, known as ‘opsin proteins’. The human testes are especially abundant with various of these highly specific photoreceptors including OPN3, which are ‘activated,’ much like cytochrome, specifically by wavelengths of light. Stimulation of these testicular proteins by red light induces cellular responses that may ultimately lead to increased testosterone production, amongst other things, although research is still in the preliminary stages regarding these proteins and metabolic pathways. These types of photoreceptive proteins are also found in the eyes and also, interestingly, the brain.”

According to a few studies done on rats, the positive effects on testosterone production are enormous. For example, a Korean study found that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) with a wavelength of 670nm (which is on the border of visible red light and infrared light) 30 minutes per day showed a significant increase in serum testosterone by the fourth day of the treatment without any harmful tissue penetration. Ultimately, a few best practices for red light include:

Overall, red or infrared light from an LED source is generally thought to be a safe therapeutic method

Avoid heating the testicles, since the heat will destroy sperm cells and have a negative effect on the Leydig cells

Avoid blue light and UV light exposure on testicles (blue light inhibits ATP production in mitochondria)

3. Cold Thermogenesis

In the 1820s, a German farmer named Vincenz Priessnitz started touting a new medical treatment called “hydrotherapy,” which used cold water to cure everything from broken bones to erectile dysfunction. He turned his family’s homestead into a sanitarium, and patients flocked to it in the hope that his cold water cure could help them. The first hydrotherapy facility opened up in the U.S. in 1843, right when the sanitarium craze hit America. By the end of the 19th century, over 200 hydrotherapy/sanitarium resorts existed in the United States, the most famous being the Battle Creek Sanitarium founded by John Harvey Kellogg.

There is no straightforward evidence that cold therapy can raise testosterone levels. But indirect evidence definitely exists. One study investigated serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), growth hormone (GH), and prolactin in men after a two-hour stay in a cold room (10 degrees Celsius). There were no significant changes in the serum concentration of adrenalin, T3, T4, testosterone, TSH, or LH. The serum level of noradrenaline increased from 4.5 to 6.3 nmol L1 (P < 0.01) and those of cortisol, GH, and prolactin fell by 20%, 87%, and 48% (all P < 0.01). This means that by lowering cortisol, you would probably have more of the raw material for testosterone production and less stress response.

The indirect research evidence by in vitro (and animal) studies on optimal testicle function provides information that the ball sack (yes, that’s my highly technical term) should be kept cool (under 35 Celsius or 95 Fahrenheit) for optimal testosterone production. Heat exposure to testicles has been shown to reduce testosterone levels in rats.

Also, an observational study done on over 6,000 men showed that sperm quality and volume were greater in the wintertime. This is due to stimulation by FSH and LH secreted from the pituitary gland, which stimulates testosterone synthesis and secretion. There are also anecdotes from old-school Chinese and Russian powerlifters who iced their balls after training and before a competition. Apparently, their goal was to increase performance and testosterone function.

To improve testicle function, you can do these things:

Take cold baths and showers
Wear loose boxers or go ”commando” to keep optimal temperature for testicles and to avoid compression
Sleep naked or wear just loose pajamas (no undies)
Sleep in a relatively cold room temperature
Don’t sit unless it is necessary

Ben Greenfield

Cold Plunge

4. Platelet Rich Plasma Injections (PRP)

In the article “I Got a Shot In My Dick For Stronger Erections, and I Have Zero Regrets,” I describe the PRP injection known simply as “The P-Shot.”

Should your eyebrows now be raised, please allow me to add the term P-Shot to your vernacular. Named for the Greek god of virility, Priapus, the P-Shot involves harvesting your own plasma-enriched growth factors in your blood and injecting them into specific areas of the penis. The process involves drawing a small amount of blood from the arm and then transferring it to a centrifuge, where it spins for about 10 minutes to separate the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and the platelet-poor plasma (PPP). The PRP is then taken from the tube and reinjected into the penis, which ostensibly stimulates blood flow and makes the penis appear larger and rejuvenated (there is also a version for women called the O-Shot.)

This might sound crazy to you, but it's actually not: for years, athletes like Tiger Woods have been getting PRP shots in other parts of their body to recover from injury, and Kim Kardashian famously received a variation of the therapy when she got a vampire facial in 2013. While some evidence suggests that the benefits are marginal at best, considering how popular PRP has gotten, I knew I had to try it, and I report on the results here.

5. Acoustic Sound Wave Therapy

Shockwave therapy has existed in modern medicine for decades and has primarily been used as a treatment for lipoatrophy (localized loss of fat tissue) and to break up kidney stones using high-frequency acoustic waves.

About fifteen years ago, researchers in Europe realized that by using lower-intensity acoustic pulse waves, they could also apply these same waves to the penis without damaging the skin or organs. Based on this trendy breakthrough of kidney doctors blasting their gonads with sound waves, physicians were eventually able to treat erectile dysfunction at its root source: poor blood flow.

When the acoustic pulse waves are applied to the penis (or the vagina), they supposedly break up micro plaque and also create a micro-inflammatory process that releases nitric oxide, a vasodilator, and the same chemical induced via the consumption of stuff like Viagra or Cialis. Over the course of eight to twelve weeks after the procedure, new blood vessels in the genitals are supposed to grow, a process known as “neovascularization.”

Scientific studies suggest that this therapy might be more effective than other treatments, including medications and really expensive penis pumps. But thanks to the overcrowding of the sexual performance industry by pharmaceutical and supplement companies, there were no standardized protocols, machines, or training programs until Dr. Richard Gaines of the GAINSWave clinic designed his own patented method of bringing this technology to the masses. As a bonus, these same shockwaves also may supposedly “wake up” dormant stem cells in the penis, leading to improved erectile function and enhanced tissue growth. In other words, GAINSWave therapy may also increase the size of the penis.

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6. Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields

Electromagnetic fields emitted from various sources (mobile phones, microwave ovens, Wi-Fi, etc.) have been reported to have causative effects on biological systems such as inflammation, radiation, and hyperthermia. All of these can disrupt the seminiferous tubules and reduce the Leydig cell population and testosterone concentration (studies done in rats). A host of research on this issue exists in the new book The Non-Tinfoil Guide to EMFs: How to Fix Our Stupid Use of Technology, which I'd highly recommend you read if you care about not just your fertility, but your health overall.

As a way to fix this issue, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF therapy) has been used successfully to treat various health conditions ranging from bone healing and pain relief to balancing the neuroendocrine system (including hormone production and melatonin levels). A study conducted on male Wister rats showed that PEMF therapy helped rats bounce back from microwave radiation in terms of testosterone production and combat oxidative stress. In fact, rats’ testosterone levels went a bit higher than before the microwave radiation exposure after they were treated with PEMF for 60 days.

What does this mean for you?

Many folks keep their mobile phones in their pockets, quite close to testicles or ovaries. It is actually a fact that mobile phones emit microwaves that are harmful to normal tissues when kept very close to the skin. Several studies have shown relationships between mobile telephone use and reduced sperm count and sperm quality. The negative effects are highly likely to extend to reduced testosterone levels in men.

So the takeaway is this: if you know that you are being exposed to external microwaves, Wi-Fi, and cell phones, the use of a small PEMF device is likely to revive testosterone levels.

7. Peptides

When it comes to biohacking testosterone and enhancing manhood, peptide stacks are emerging as powerful tools. Peptides are short chains of amino acids that play crucial roles in regulating various functions in the body, including hormone production. They can help optimize testosterone levels, sperm count, and drive, through their actions on the endocrine system.

As my friend and expert in testosterone and peptides, Jay Campbell, explains on his website:

“First, peptides can directly impact the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and stimulate testosterone synthesis. These types of peptides support the release of hormones that play major roles in increasing serum testosterone levels, including GnRH, LH, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).

Second, peptides can boost growth hormone levels in the pituitary gland, increasing LH and FSH levels and thereby leading to a boost in testosterone.

Third, peptides may play a role in preventing the conversion of testosterone into estrogen, particularly in individuals with excess body fat. When a man is fat, inflamed, and/or insulin resistant, high aromatization (overproducing estrogen) can send a negative signal to the pituitary gland, reducing its ability to produce LH, FSH, and testosterone, instead of making more.”

Ben Greenfield