Increasing testosterone levels does not increase sex drive (english.elpais.com)

submitted 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) by W4nd3r3r@lemmy.ml to c/science@lemmy.world

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The results of a recent study suggest that, if there is no deficit of the hormone, supplements are unlikely to improve a man’s libido

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[-] Akasazh@feddit.nl 36 points 4 weeks ago

It's self reported. N=41 and even in the self reporting they give that men that were in a relationship had few interactions with people of the opposite sex.

Twenty-seven participants reported being single at the start of the study

Given the rarity of DSI occurrences in partnered men, and the expectation that mate attraction efforts are more important for single men, we tested whether DSI moderated the relationship between testosterone and courtship efforts specifically in single participants.

So only the data of 27 persons were relevant for most of the conclusions of the study.

It was a study of one month:

we collected daily measures of salivary testosterone for one month (31 days), as well as self-reports of sexual desire and other states or events relevant to mating effort on days corresponding to the hormone measures.

It looks like not terribly significant a study. Don't read too much into it.

[-] SineSwiper@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 3 weeks ago

Almost every single study I see has a sample size that is too damn small. It's such a chronic problem.

[-] TheSambassador@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

People see a sample size of 30 and assume it's instantly a bad study. A small sample size can still have considerable power depending on the experimental design and assuming that the sample is actually random across the target population. At the very least, it's information that can be used to guide the experimental design of future studies.

[-] sinceasdf@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

For sure, I think the research is more relevant to other research professionals rather than us plebs on social media though. Posting it here is kinda puts it out of context I think

[-] JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee 9 points 4 weeks ago

Only if they already have enough testosterone, if they don't have enough and increase it to natural levels, it does.

[-] trashgirlfriend@lemmy.world 5 points 4 weeks ago

Also when your testosterone is low and then spikes up for whatever reason, the horniness is actually insane.

Don't ask me how I know.

[-] PolarisFx@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

I have kleinfelter syndrome... When I started TRT and they hadn't dialed in my dosage. Ho-boy is this comment accurate.

Edit: Now that I think back it wasn't the testosterone that sent my libido into overdrive it was the fact that my body was converting the excess testosterone into estrogen. Because when they started me on Tamoxifen it managed to reign my libido in, and when they switched me to Anastrazole it brought my libido down to normal levels. "Normal" being equivalent to that of a teenager, my wife comes to bed only after I've gone to sleep and she erects a pillow wall between us.

[-] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 2 points 4 weeks ago

Yes, that's the subtitle of the article

[-] JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee 1 points 4 weeks ago

Which is a misleading title, clickbait, getting you to click to find out what you already knew.

[-] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 0 points 4 weeks ago

The title of an article isn't meant to 100% precisely list all facts. It's reasonable to assume readers are able to infer "Increasing testosterone levels [beyond normal levels] does not increase sex drive".