Testosterone. It’s the natural occurring male sex hormone responsible for fueling muscle health, sperm production, hair growth, and, perhaps most importantly, the libido.
Studies have shown that a man’s testosterone levels peak during adolescence and early adulthood, and begin to decline at the rate of about 1 percent a year beginning at the age of 30.
So how can you combat this issue?
Burly Art of Manliness host Brett McKay and his sexy mustache may have the answer.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
“Since ancient times, humans have bathed in cold water for health benefits,” he explains in a new video.
According to McKay, cold showers can help “make your manly mane look shinier and your skin look healthier.”
They can also improve sperm count.
“Cold showers may be good for your little swimmers,” McKay says. “You see, your testes aren’t meant to get too hot. That’s why they hang outside your body. Sperm counts decrease when the temperature of a man’s body increases. ”
Good to know.
But it turns out, that’s not all cold showers are good for. Studies have also shown that they can help boost testosterone.
“Want to put more hair on your chest? A cold shower may help,” McKay says. “Cold water showers increase testosterone production in men. Increased testosterone not only increases a man’s libido … but also increases a man’s overall strength and energy level.”
See the full video below. And excuse us while we go take a cold shower.
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Stache99
Here I thought heat was what caused you to lose weight and was bad for colds.
Jonty Coppersmith
Wearing loose fitting underwear is likely much more effective at increasing sperm count than cold showers. Of course how many gay men are concerned about their sperm county anyway since we’re not usually expecting to procreate.
As far as cold showers increasing testosterone levels, I’m not sure, but I might need a cold shower about now myself but only to cool off after watching Mr. McKay without his shirt.
NoCagada
Rover…go get me one of your blue bags…we got a pile here!
DarkZephyr
I checked the site out. I don’t like what he has to say about homosexuality very much. Its not exactly flat out homophobic but its rather dismissive of our identities as gay men.
“What About Gay Men?
Homosexuality is such a hot topic these days that I can imagine the elephant in the room for many folks is how being gay fit into this rubric of manhood.
Well, the first thing that’s important to realize is that the idea of “being gay” didn’t exist in most cultures until the 20th century. The term “homosexuality” was in fact not coined until 1869, and before that time, the strict dichotomy between “gay” and “straight” did not yet exist. Attraction to, and sexual activity with other men was thought of as something you did, not something you were. It was a behavior, rather than a lifestyle or an identity. (You can read more on this shift and how it affected male friendships here.)
In some cultures, particularly those influenced by the Judeo-Christian religion, homosexual behaviors were condemned. But in many preindustrial, pre-Christian societies, it was considered acceptable for men to dabble in same-sex relationships. This was especially true of warrior societies like ancient Japan and Sparta, as it was thought that a samurai or hoplite who went to war alongside his lover would be a better soldier – apt to be less lonely on the march and to fight more fiercely in battle.
spartan
In these cultures, engaging in homosexual sex did not impugn a man’s claim to manhood, so long as he “retained the active role in the encounter.” Accepting “the passive, or receptive role in the sex act,” was considered effeminate, an abdication of one’s masculinity, because it meant “he surrendered the male prerogative of control or dominance.” As the Roman Plutarch puts it in his Dialogue on Love, “Those who enjoy playing the passive role we treat as the lowest of the low, and we have not the slightest degree of respect or affection for them.”
Even though a man could engage in “transient homosexuality” without it affecting his manly reputation, a proclivity for same-sex relations did not exempt him from the charge to procreate with a woman. He was still expected to fulfill the imperative to strengthen his society by producing children. For example, though Spartan warriors could take a male lover while out on campaign, once they returned home, they were expected to sleep with their wives and fulfill their duty of adding new citizens to the state.”
DarkZephyr
I should mention that the above 5 paragraphs were taken from an article entitled: “The 3 P’s of Manhood: Procreate” You can read the whole thing in context here: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/03/03/the-3-ps-of-manhood-procreate/
Bromancer7
@DarkZephyr: Thing is, you may disagree with him but he’s actually 100% correct, at least from a historical standpoint.
Saint Law
I always thought ‘the Art of Manliness’ was some kind of gay in-joke. But no, it really is as dour, literal-minded and over-compensatory as its title suggests.
blackberry finn
@DarkZephyr: As far as I can see, there’s nothing in the paragraphs you reproduced that would meet the objection of any LGBT scholar. Overall it’s a fair, balanced description of same-sex history.
DarkZephyr
@Bromancer7: So you agree that men can have sex with each other, but we better go out and find a woman to knock up if we want to be real men and God forbid if we actually fall in love with each other?
@blackberry finn: In an article about giving advice on how to be “more manly”. It basically implies that our identities as gay men with romantic as well as physical attractions to other men are made up constructs. I just don’t like it. Its also not very kind to bottoms and it offered absolutely no advice. It just told us that we need to understand that until recently, actual gay men weren’t real.
Ottoman
@DarkZephyr: I agree with your point. The others are right that the paragraphs on gayness are generally just historical observations BUT there is no follow up to explain how being gay fits into the context of procreation now that we know better and its 2014. All we are left with is the idea that being gay is a hobby and men still need to have babies. In fact, it implies that the old way, of gay sex acts being something people dabble in on the side is the right and natural order of things. This was definitely written by someone who doesn’t know better and calls into question all of their alleged knowledge.
onthemark
In other news, the high school football coach tells you not to beat off before a game, lol.
redcarpet30
@DarkZephyr: Oh god this guy sounds like a total nut job.
jwtraveler
Cute guy, interesting video. I HATE cold showers. I’m a total wuss when it comes to cold water.