Some people say that marriage tanks a man's T levels. Does it really? Here's the science.
Testosterone is your best friend, your ultimate hormonal wingman... until it turns on you and stabs you in the back. See, along with general health, age, and diet, testosterone production is tied to social behavior. And the decisive "social win" is scoring a mate who promises to stick with you forever. We call that marriage.
Yep, testosterone helps you win a wife. High T drives competition and mate-seeking, useful when single. It makes you bold, prepares you for the hunt, and helps you look good.
The problem? Testosterone appears to be "evolutionarily adaptive." The idea is that testosterone stays high to help men build useful and attractive traits. Then, once a man is wifed up, testosterone says, "My job here is done. I'm gonna take a backseat now."
The drop in T has both positive and negative effects. A dip is thought to make a man less likely to stray. He becomes a better caregiver with a softer touch. (Fatherhood was shown to lower T all by itself in multiple studies.)
He’ll also be less aggressive, which reduces marital conflict. On the flip side, less testosterone makes it easier to gain fat, and it’s associated with depression, lower libido, and less drive. Not fun.
But what does science say? Is all that true?
The marriage studies
Bad news. It appears to be true:
- Burnham et al found that married men had 11-31% lower T compared to single men, independent of age.
- Gray et al found that married men consistently had lower T than unmarried men across cultures, suggesting a universal effect.
- Mazur and Michalek found that men who married had drops in T, but men who divorced or became single showed increases in T.
- Gettler et al found that men who became fathers had a 34% drop in T compared to men who remained single/childless. Fathers most involved in childcare had the largest declines.
- Finally, van Anders and Goldey found a correlation with sex. Married men who weren't getting any (or much) had lower T. The good news? Men who have sex with their wives frequently maintain higher testosterone levels.
How low does T drop when you put a ring on it?
Baseline differences are modest but biologically meaningful: married men typically experience a 50-120 ng/dL drop based on studies.
So, a man with an average T level of 600 ng/dL might find himself at 480 ng/dL after walking down the aisle. That still puts him in the medically accepted normal range (above 300), but he may find it more difficult to stay fit. Add a kiddo or two, and he'll see another 240 ng/dL drop.
What can you do about it?
If you believe you can remain a loyal provider and caregiver even with a higher T level (we think you can), then you can do a lot to preserve your single-guy hormone status.
First, don't get fat. That's a surefire way to further tank your T. Second, keep your sex life with your spouse on the frisky and frequent side, if possible.
Finally, if needed, pull out the big guns: take Longjack (Buy at Amazon). This proven testosterone and libido booster easily brings T levels back up to single-guy-on-the-hunt status. Just be sure to use the standardized LJ100 form.
Longjack synthesizes testosterone by blocking its aromatization into estrogen, and stimulates T production in testicle Leydig cells. It even shields your body against chronic stress.
Or, you know, stay single forever and die alone. But that's no fun either.
