Peer reviewed literature on testosterone appears to have inconsistent conclusions, however, the well designed studies all agree that abstinence raises T.
Some studies say that masturbation raises T, and some that abstinence does so. But the well-designed studies all conclude that abstinence raises the baseline amount of T in your body. Well designed studies measure blood T levels for at least ten days after a masturbation event. One frequently cited study only compared T levels a few hours before and after the masturbation event, which lead its authors into an incorrect conclusion.
It is true that there is a brief spike in T during and after sexual activity that lasts a few hours at most, before returning to a baseline level, b. But 5 days after an ejaculation event, blood T levels begin rising, and flatline at about 1.5b on about the 7th day after masturbation (presumably, after any orgasm). They stay at this highly elevated level until you orgasm again.
Long story short: protracted abstinence dramatically raises your T level.
And the best part is, you don't have to take anyone's word for it. Just try it for yourself and you won't doubt it anymore. The effects of that extra testosterone are powerful. I assure you that you won't be able to mistake the difference. The strength, motivation, clarity, and drive that you feel after protracted abstinence has been noted by men throughout the ages, and all across the globe. To give an extreme example, the Spartiate warrior caste lived in barracks their entire lives, and only had carnal knowledge of their wives when they were able to sneak out (at the risk of formal censure). The warriors of the Maori, the indigenous inhabitants of New Zealand, widely famed for their ferocity in battle, engaged in rigorous, extended periods of sexual abstinence in preparation for war.
Sources
Endocrine response to masturbation-induced orgasm in healthy men following a 3-week sexual abstinence.
This current study examined the effect of a 3-week period of sexual abstinence on the neuroendocrine response to masturbation-induced orgasm. Hormonal and cardiovascular parameters were examined in ten healthy adult men during sexual arousal and masturbation-induced orgasm. Blood was drawn continuously and cardiovascular parameters were constantly monitored. This procedure was conducted for each participant twice, both before and after a 3-week period of sexual abstinence. Plasma was subsequently analysed for concentrations of adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol, prolactin, luteinizing hormone and testosterone concentrations. Orgasm increased blood pressure, heart rate, plasma catecholamines and prolactin. These effects were observed both before and after sexual abstinence. In contrast, although plasma testosterone was unaltered by orgasm, higher testosterone concentrations were observed following the period of abstinence. These data demonstrate that acute abstinence does not change the neuroendocrine response to orgasm but does produce elevated levels of testosterone in males.
Orgasmic frequency and plasma testosterone levels in normal human males.
Twenty males participated in a 2-month study examining the relationship between 8 a.m. plasma testosterone levels and orgasmic frequency. Within subjects, higher levels of testosterone are associated with periods of sexual activity. Over subjects, however, the direction of the relationship is reversed. Mean testosterone levels were higher for sexually less active individuals.
A research on the relationship between ejaculation and serum testosterone level in men.
The authors found that the fluctuations of testosterone levels from the 2nd to 5th day of abstinence were minimal. On the 7th day of abstinence, however, a clear peak of serum testosterone appeared, reaching 145.7% of the baseline (P<0.01). No regular fluctuation was observed following continuous abstinence after the peak. Ejaculation is the precondition and beginning of the special periodic serum testosterone level variations, which would not occur without ejaculation. The results showed that ejaculation-caused variations were characterized by a peak on the 7th day of abstinence; and that the effective time of anejaculation, is 7 days minimum. These data are the first to document the phenomenon of the periodic change in serum testosterone level; the correlation between ejaculation and periodic change in the serum testosterone level, and the pattern and characteristics of the periodic change.
