Young men inject themselves with testosterone to be more “masculine”

For years, Aiden* didn’t think his naturally skinny figure represented who he was.

Athletic but slight, he felt there was a disconnect between how he looked and how he wanted to feel in his body. After he turned 30, he decided to do something about it, including eating a high-protein diet, prioritizing sleep, and working out with a trainer. He has made progress, but his gains have stagnated.

“As I got older, I noticed my testosterone levels or general energy levels were dropping, and I wanted a boost to help me reach the next level in the gym,” he told the Post.

His solution? Testosterone injections – obtained without a prescription.

Although testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can be an important tool for men with clinically diagnosed testosterone deficiency, Aiden has never had his levels checked by a doctor. Instead, he thought his T levels had gone down based on how he felt — and didn’t want a medical professional to tell him otherwise.

“I didn’t talk to a doctor because I didn’t want to be talked out of it because I was thinking about it,” he said. “I just did a lot of research online.”

After three hormonal cycles over two years, Aiden reports that the injections gave him “more energy, more focus, more motivation, more strength and faster recovery than I felt at my natural baseline.”

His story is not unique: Young men without diagnosed testosterone deficiency are taking more and more testosterone to accelerate their gains, a trend known as “testmaxxing.”

But while synthetic hormones may seem like a harmless way to boost success, this trend poses serious risks and speaks to a growing culture of physical enhancement and the quest for “masculinity.”

What is testmaxxing?

“Testosterone is the main androgen (male sex hormone) produced by the testicles,” explains GP Dr Sam Saling. Both men and women produce it, but in adult men, “it supports libido and erectile function, muscle strength and mass, bone density, sperm production, and red blood cell production.”

These benefits are what the “testmaxxing” movement has latched onto: the idea that optimizing testosterone means unlocking greater muscle growth, greater libido, energy and, ultimately, a more “masculine” physique.

For some, this means lifestyle changes to support testosterone production. For the others? That’s not enough – and they turn to outside sources of the hormone.

Accelerate masculinity

For Henry*, a professional in his thirties in great shape, the tipping point came after seeing his friend’s progress.

“I saw a friend’s before and after workout photos – we use the same PT – and I was like, ‘There’s No it’s quite natural that you get to this point,” he recalls.

His friend was injecting synthetic testosterone and recommended Henry try it too.

“I’ve been training for years and yo-yoing a little bit, so I look at it as a stimulant, to push out stubborn fat, build muscle and tighten it up a little bit,” Henry said.

Henry encountered a backdoor supplier who offered him a product labeled Pharma Test 250, which lists testosterone enanthate 250 mg/mL as the active ingredient.

Three months later, “I’m definitely getting stronger,” he said. “Weights in the gym have increased significantly, mood is good, no side effects yet.” He plans to continue giving injections until he achieves his ideal physique.

Although Henry had regular blood tests before starting the injections, they did not reveal any testosterone deficiency. Like Aiden, he views hormones as part of his training regimen – an accelerator toward his ideal physique.

Measuring masculinity

For both men, testmaxxing isn’t just about getting stronger, it’s also about what that idealized body represents.

“I definitely feel more masculine taking it,” Aiden said. “To me, masculine is feeling strong, looking physically fit and more built.”

Growing up skinny and gay, Aiden associated being slight with feeling “more feminine.” With testosterone injections, he said he was working toward a physique he associates with greater masculinity.

“I kind of wanted to do it for myself, because I thought it would help me achieve my goals faster,” he says.

Neither Aiden nor Henry considers his decision to inject testosterone to have been influenced by the manosphere. But male-dominated online spaces are rife with the idea that muscularity, confidence, and sexual performance are markers of “alpha” masculinity, and that the body can and should be continually optimized to achieve this ideal. This physical pursuit is part of a burgeoning culture of “lookmaxxing,” where men seek to optimize their appearance to appear “more masculine.”

Joe Rogan is an important voice in this conversation and has long spoken openly about his use of TRT. In a 2018 clip from “The Joe Rogan Experience,” he rejected the stigma of not producing enough testosterone naturally, saying that ultimately “all that matters is that you have it in your system.”

Not all men who inject testosterone belong to the manosphere. But for fitness-conscious men, these spaces can expose them to more polarizing ideas about masculinity — and how to achieve it.

A 2024 study by Dublin City University’s Anti-Bullying Center found that male-identified accounts received “masculine” and extremist content within 23 minutes of scrolling.

For men already interested in testmaxxing, this algorithmic ecosystem may expose them to controversial ideas about masculinity that are increasingly difficult to escape online.

Do you really need more testosterone?

Google Trends data shows that U.S. search interest in “testosterone” was 30% higher in the past 12 months than the year before — a trend that Dr. Joseph P. Alukal, professor of urology and chair of the department of men’s health at Columbia University, is observing in real time.

“Tons of people are coming to us asking about it this year, more than ever before, and last year more than any year before,” he said.

But do we really need to “maximize” testosterone in the first place?

Testosterone gradually declines with age, but Associate Professor Dr Tim Moss said healthy bodies “are quite good at regulating our hormone levels for optimal bodily function… This is true for testosterone – so healthy boys and men don’t need to worry about their testosterone levels.”

For men whose testosterone levels are within the normal range and who do not have symptoms of androgen deficiency, testosterone injections are unlikely to be the solution.

The price of optimization

Henry and Aiden are aware of the risks of taking testosterone without a prescription, but choose to proceed without medical advice.

“I think (seeing a doctor) comes with a layer of judgment, even though it’s probably safer,” Henry said. “At the end of the day, we all want to be sexy, so we’ll do whatever it takes if you don’t have good genes.”

When he first started injecting, Aiden wasn’t worried about the potential long-term risks, thinking he might introduce worse things into his body. So far, he reports one side effect: acne on his shoulder, which cleared up after changing my cleanser.

“If I were to experience serious side effects, I would definitely stop,” he said. Although he takes his own blood pressure at home, he admits to not having done “proper blood tests” in the past.

Doctors are urging young men to reconsider their decision.

“If (a man’s) levels are normal, I would say he’s not someone who should be taking testosterone or testosterone boosters because he’s running real risks, including serious health risks,” Dr. Alukal said.

“If you take testosterone, you turn off your body’s production of testosterone,” Dr. Moss added. “You also turn off sperm production.”

Testosterone and sperm production can take months or even years to return to normal after stopping, he continued, noting that “withdrawal symptoms can make (stopping testosterone) difficult.”

Synthetic testosterone can cause polycythemia, which increases the risk of blood clots and stroke, and doctors report mood disorders, irritability, tendon rupture, liver disease, heart attacks and even death.

A lack of morning erections or a complete change or absence of libido East it’s worth studying, Dr. Alukal noted. But men’s real health concerns are confused in line with anxiety over a hormone that takes care of itself.

Masculinity at all costs

When asked why he injects despite the health risks, Henry’s explanation is straightforward: “body dysmorphia.”

Perhaps this is the painful truth behind testmaxxing: for some men, hormones are a landing point for believing that their body, even if healthy, is not enough.

There…