What is T-maxxing? The TikTok trend trying to hack testosterone

Have a look across social media, and you might have heard of #testosteronemaxxing. Testosterone maxxing, or T-maxxing, offers a simple promise.

Raise your testosterone, improve your life, and be more of a man. That’s despite the fact that there’s no actual evidence that testosterone levels correspond with self-perceived masculinity [1]. Nevertheless, it’s yet another trend that sits alongside looksmaxxing and fibremaxxing.

So, what does T-maxxing actually mean, and is raising your testosterone levels naturally or otherwise going to turn you into a more independent, assertive, and all-round more masculine bloke?

What is T-maxxing?

T-maxxing is the simple goal of increasing your testosterone levels to increase confidence, build muscle, and improve how masculine you are. In other words, this social media trend is encouraging healthy young men to build their lives around increasing their testosterone levels.

Depending on where you look, some of these circles focus on healthy diets and proper exercise (good), whereas other circles promote artificially boosting testosterone levels to extreme levels, including through the use of synthetic hormones (bad). 

A quick refresher on testosterone

Testosterone is a sex hormone that both genders produce, but males naturally produce much more in their testes and adrenal glands, which is why it’s referred to as the male sex hormone [2].

In a nutshell, testosterone does a huge amount, including but not limited to:

• Grow muscle mass
• Repair bones
• Produce red blood cells
• Control your libido
• Stabilise your mood

When you hit puberty, testosterone production accelerates by about 30 times, which is why you experience a lot of changes, including facial hair and a deeper voice [3]. Everything from diet and sleep to your stress levels influences how much testosterone you produce, but testosterone and sperm production gradually decline with age [4].

Some people genuinely produce insufficient levels of testosterone, thus requiring testosterone replacement therapy, but what’s a healthy level of testosterone?

Typically, a healthy testosterone level is anywhere from 300-1,000 nanograms per decilitre (ng/dL) [5]. It’s such a wide range because normal testosterone levels differ between age brackets.

Why has T-maxxing gone viral?

T-maxxing has gone viral for the same reasons as other adjacent trends like looksmaxxing. Online influencers are making money off the insecurities of young men. And that’s relatively easy to do because one study found that 60% of Aussie men were dissatisfied with their appearances [6].

But rather than manufacturing insecurities, people are simply shining a light on the ones that are already there.

The manosphere, social media influence, and higher testosterone

The trend has been heavily hyped by the manosphere and influencers within that space. That also includes big names like Joe Rogan and Andrew Huberman. The narrative promotes improved strength and testosterone acting as an anti-aging serum. 

There’s also been a manufactured drive relating to “low T”, or low testosterone. It’s been framed as an epidemic among young men. What they’re referring to is conditions where you naturally don’t produce enough testosterone.

And testosterone is important for so many physical, mental, and emotional functions that low testosterone can be a problem. However, the truth is this is something that afflicts roughly one in 200 men (mainly older men and those with pre-existing conditions), with no evidence showing that there’s an epidemic going on [7].

However, if you’re genuinely worried about a testosterone deficiency, it might be time to talk to a doctor about your hormone levels. Speaking to an Australian-registered practitioner can open up medically-backed treatments, including replacement therapy and Pilot’s Testosterone Support supplement.

When so many content creators and celebrities people look up to both inside and outside the manosphere are pushing the same narrative, it’s no surprise that T-maxxing resonates among so many Aussies.

Common T-maxxing practices (and what the evidence says)

Supporting healthy testosterone levels is simpler than you think, and it all revolves around leading a healthier lifestyle. But that’s not what T-maxxing promotes. Instead, there’s a range of practices that claim to increase testosterone levels, like sunlight exposure, eating organ meats, taking cold plunges, and taking supplements.

Let’s target each of these common T-maxxing strategies in turn to see what the evidence is.

Sunlight exposure and “sun-maxxing”

Sun-maxxing means exposing your skin to sunlight to boost testosterone. There’s a limited amount of science supporting light exposure, but it’s been heavily stretched. One study found that exposure to ultraviolet B light activates the p53 gene in skin cells, which starts a chain reaction to signal the brain to stimulate testosterone production [8].

However, this doesn’t mean you have to walk around with your top off. Naturally going about your day (with sunscreen on) is more than enough to deal with this.

Raw eggs, organ meats, and “ancestral” diets

Adopting an ancestral diet, or a diet primarily consisting of meat, or “nose-to-tail” eating, is another idea. Essentially, this involves eating whole animals and staying away from modern ultra-processed foods.

This consists of:

• Raw eggs
• Organ meats (especially the liver and heart)
• Raw products generally

Now, there are two parts to this issue. Are ultra-processed foods bad for you? In short, yes, because they’ve been stripped of their natural fibre and nutrients. Moreover, they’ve been linked with plenty of severe health issues [9].

But does going raw or “ancestral” lead to increased testosterone, or provide other benefits? The truth is, there’s little to no evidence of a raw advantage, with issues like microbial contamination, nutritional imbalances, and sustainability being highlighted. If anything, it’s more rooted in perception than fact [10].

Cold plunges

Cold plunges have become the symbol of modern discipline. In this case, there is evidence to show improvements in testosterone levels, but only over time and when done safely.

A 2007 study discovered that testosterone levels increased by up to 10% up to two hours after immersion [11]. On the other hand, regular cold exposure over many weeks and months resulted in an increased baseline testosterone level of 6-15% [12].

Supplements and “natural testosterone boosters”

Firstly, testosterone therapy can only be accessed in Australia via a doctor’s prescription legally, and any other option poses serious health risks. In terms of magical pills to boost your natural testosterone levels, you won’t find them. Generally, these supplements focus on dealing with deficiencies, such as Vitamin D and zinc. Since deficiencies can reduce testosterone, targeting them can be an effective way of increasing your testosterone levels.

Is T-maxxing safe?

T-maxxing’s safety largely depends on how you go about it. Focusing on natural options, such as getting more exercise and managing stress, is a well-known way to restore your body’s natural order.

However, this is no more than following what a doctor will generally tell you to do to live a healthy lifestyle. Where things can become problematic is when you start looking for artificial or extreme ways to boost your testosterone, especially if you’re going beyond normal levels. Potential risks include:

• Developing body image anxiety
• Increasing mental health issues if you’re not getting the results you want
• Using unregulated and illegal supplements

Harm reduction - Evidence-based ways to support healthy testosterone levels

You can build healthy testosterone levels through living a healthy lifestyle. The science is clear about the lifestyle changes that boost testosterone without risking your health. Here are the best ways to support healthy testosterone levels and boost your power and performance.

Sleep

Testosterone is mainly produced during your deep sleep cycles. A study found that restricting sleep to just five hours a night for one week can decrease testosterone levels by 10-15% [13]. Getting a healthy amount of sleep, of roughly seven to nine hours, can optimise your testosterone production.

Strength and resistance training

Regular physical activity is always good for the body, even if it’s just helping you to lose weight. In particular, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and weightlifting can increase your testosterone levels. Research also shows that as little as twice a week can produce significant results [14].

Nutrition and body composition

Good nutrition and meeting all of your body’s macro- and micronutrient needs go hand in hand with working out and sleeping well. Not only because many nutrients, like Vitamin D, directly impact testosterone, but also because trimming your waistline matters.

Research has shown numerous times that obese men have naturally lower testosterone levels than those of a healthy weight [15].

Managing stress

Stress is damaging to physical, mental, and emotional health. We all go through tough times, but when stress gets chronic, your cortisol levels rise, and cortisol suppresses testosterone production. It does this by increasing fat deposits, thereby increasing the conversion of testosterone into estrogen (the female sex hormone) [16].

Activities that can help to reduce stress include:

• Regular exercise
• Mindfulness training
• Yoga
• Therapy
• Meditation

When to speak to a doctor about low testosterone

Testosterone naturally decreases throughout your life, but if you’re experiencing persistent or extreme changes impacting your daily life, it might be time to talk. Issues like erectile dysfunction, a drop in sex drive, or ongoing fatigue can all be the result of testosterone-related issues.

But the only way to find out for sure is by speaking to an Australia-registered clinician. Speak to your GP, and they’ll be able to test your testosterone levels with a blood test and explore treatments like therapy, Pilot’s ED treatment, and other clinician-led programs to help get you back on track. 

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