Low testosterone · Telehealth for men · Canada & USA
Does NoFap raise testosterone? What the day 7 study really showed
No study that still stands shows that NoFap raises testosterone in a lasting way. The popular claim that testosterone peaks on the seventh day without ejaculating comes from one study of 28 men, published in 2003 and retracted by the journal on December 10, 2021, because it overlapped an earlier paper by the same lead author. Even in that study, levels changed very little on days two to five and did not keep rising after the peak. On the other side, a study of 31,925 US men linked frequent ejaculation, 21 or more times a month, with about a 20 percent lower risk of prostate cancer than 4 to 7 times. If you feel flat, two early-morning testosterone tests tell you more than a streak counter. We help men in Canada and the USA check their levels and build a plan.
Part of our low testosterone and andropause guide for men in Canada and the USA.
NoFap and testosterone at a glance
NoFap means going without masturbation, and often without ejaculating at all, for days or months. One of the most shared reasons for trying it is the idea that it raises testosterone. Here is what the research behind that idea says, and what a much larger study found about ejaculation and the prostate.
| Question | What the research shows | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Does T peak on day 7? | One study of 28 men reported a peak at 145.7 percent of baseline | That paper was retracted in 2021 |
| Why was it retracted? | It significantly overlapped a 2002 paper in Chinese by the lead author | The notice does not question the data, but the paper no longer counts |
| Does a longer streak help? | In that same study, no regular change after the peak | Counting days does not keep raising testosterone |
| Does masturbation lower T? | Levels changed very little on days two to five after ejaculating | No drop was shown, in the one study people quote |
| Ejaculation and the prostate | 31,925 men: 21 or more a month linked with about 20 percent lower risk | A link in an observational study, not proof |
Where the day 7 claim comes from
The number most NoFap posts quote traces back to a single paper: Jiang and colleagues, “A research on the relationship between ejaculation and serum testosterone level in men,” published in the Journal of Zhejiang University Science in 2003. The researchers measured serum testosterone every day in 28 volunteers during two periods of abstinence after ejaculating. They reported that testosterone changed very little from the second to the fifth day, then showed a clear peak on the seventh day, at 145.7 percent of baseline. After that peak, they saw no regular change with longer abstinence. In other words, even the study behind the claim did not find that a longer streak meant more testosterone.
Why the study was retracted
On December 10, 2021, the journal published a retraction note. The Editor-in-Chief retracted the 2003 paper because it significantly overlaps an article published earlier in Chinese by the lead author: “Periodic changes in serum testosterone levels after ejaculation in men,” in Acta Physiologica Sinica in 2002. Two of the four authors agreed to the retraction, and the editor could not reach the other two. The note gives overlap as the only reason and does not say the data were made up. Still, a retracted paper is taken out of the reliable record, so the day 7 peak rests on one small study that the journal itself has withdrawn.
Ejaculation frequency and the prostate
The larger body of evidence on ejaculation points the other way from NoFap. In the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, 31,925 US men reported how often they ejaculated each month at ages 20 to 29 and 40 to 49, and were followed from 1992 to 2010 (Rider and colleagues, European Urology, 2016). Men who reported 21 or more ejaculations a month had about a 20 percent lower risk of prostate cancer than men who reported 4 to 7: a hazard ratio of 0.81 for frequency in their twenties and 0.78 in their forties. The link was driven by lower-risk cancers, and it held when the researchers looked only at men who had PSA screening. This is an observational study, so it shows a link, not proof that ejaculating more prevents prostate cancer. It does mean there is no research reason to see regular ejaculation as harmful to your hormones or your prostate.
Want to know where PSA fits for you? Our labs to ask for guide explains it alongside the hormone tests.
If you want more testosterone, look here instead
Many men try NoFap because they feel tired, flat or low in drive. Those are real symptoms worth checking, and the levers with better evidence are sleep, body fat, alcohol and stress, which we cover with sources in how to raise testosterone naturally and low testosterone and sleep. To know whether your testosterone is actually low, the standard approach is two early-morning total testosterone tests together with your symptoms. See low testosterone symptoms for the full list.
How Odin Health Labs helps
Odin Health Labs is an andropause and low-T telehealth service for men in Canada and the USA. On a free call we go through your symptoms, sleep, weight, stress, training and any labs you already have. We help you plan the right tests, read the results with you in plain language, and build a written plan with check-ins, so you can see what actually changes your energy and drive. Our health coaching keeps the plan going, functional health looks at the whole picture, and our supplement plans start from your lab results.
From a hunch to real numbers
Here is how we work with you, start to finish.
- Step 1
Talk it through
On a free call we go through your energy, drive, sleep and what you have tried so far.
- Step 2
Get a baseline
Two early-morning testosterone tests and the other labs that fit your picture.
- Step 3
Work the levers
Sleep, weight, alcohol, stress and training, with coaching to keep it going.
- Step 4
Recheck and decide
Repeat labs show what moved, and we map out your next steps together.
Sources (checked October 21, 2026)
- Jiang M, Xin J, Zou Q, Shen JW. A research on the relationship between ejaculation and serum testosterone level in men. J Zhejiang Univ Sci 2003;4(2):236–240 (retracted). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12659241
- Retraction Note to: A research on the relationship between ejaculation and serum testosterone level in men. J Zhejiang Univ Sci A, published December 10, 2021. doi.org/10.1631/jzus.2003.r236
- Rider JR, Wilson KM, Sinnott JA, et al. Ejaculation Frequency and Risk of Prostate Cancer: Updated Results with an Additional Decade of Follow-up. Eur Urol 2016;70(6):974–982. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5040619
Frequently asked questions
Does NoFap raise testosterone?
Not in any lasting way that research has shown. The popular claim that testosterone peaks after seven days without ejaculating comes from one study of 28 men, published in 2003 and retracted by the journal on December 10, 2021. Even in that study, levels did not keep rising: after the peak on the seventh day, the authors saw no regular change with longer abstinence.
Does masturbation lower testosterone?
The study most often quoted on this does not show a drop. In the 2003 study of 28 men, testosterone changed very little from the second to the fifth day after ejaculating, then peaked on the seventh day. That study has since been retracted, so it should not be used as proof either way. If you are worried about low testosterone, two early-morning blood tests tell you far more than counting days.
Does testosterone really peak on day 7 without ejaculating?
That is what one 2003 study reported: in 28 volunteers, serum testosterone reached 145.7 percent of baseline on the seventh day of abstinence. The journal retracted the paper on December 10, 2021 because it significantly overlapped an earlier Chinese-language paper by the same lead author. The result has not become a reason to plan your sex life around a calendar.
Was the day 7 testosterone study fake?
The retraction notice does not say that. It gives one reason: the 2003 English paper significantly overlapped a 2002 paper published in Chinese by the lead author. Two of the four authors agreed to the retraction, and the editor could not reach the other two. The notice does not question the data, but a retracted paper is no longer part of the reliable record.
Is ejaculating often linked to lower prostate cancer risk?
In one large study, yes. Among 31,925 US men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, followed from 1992 to 2010, men who reported 21 or more ejaculations a month had about a 20 percent lower risk of prostate cancer than men who reported 4 to 7 (hazard ratio 0.81 for frequency at ages 20 to 29, and 0.78 at ages 40 to 49). The link was driven by lower-risk cancers. The study is observational, so it shows a link, not proof that ejaculating more prevents cancer.
How does Odin Health Labs work with my doctor?
Odin Health Labs is an andropause and low testosterone telehealth service for men in Canada and the USA. We work alongside your own doctor: we go through your symptoms, sleep, weight, stress, medications and any lab results with you, help you decide which tests to ask your doctor for (such as two early-morning total testosterone tests, and PSA when it fits your age and history), and build your plan. We can share your plan and results with your doctor if you choose. See our low testosterone overview and our Privacy Policy.
Want to know your real testosterone level?
A free call is the first step: we go through your symptoms, sleep, habits and any labs, then set up a plan with check-ins.