For years, Aiden* didn\u2019t think his naturally skinny figure represented who he was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Athletic but slight, he felt there was a disconnect between how he looked and how he wanted to feel in his body. After turning 30, he decided to do something about it, including eating a protein-heavy diet, prioritizing sleep and working out with a trainer. He made progress, but his gains plateaued.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs I got older, I noticed my testosterone or general energy levels felt lower, and I wanted a boost to help me reach the next level in the gym,\u201d he told The Post.<\/p>\n
His solution? Testosterone injections \u2014 sourced without a prescription.<\/p>\n
Aiden is one of a growing number of men who have turned to injecting TRT to \u201coptimize\u201d their testosterone levels, despite not getting levels checked. Courtesy of Aiden<\/p>\n
While testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can be an important tool for men with clinically diagnosed testosterone deficiency, Aiden never had his levels checked by a doctor. Instead, he believed his T levels had declined based on how he was feeling \u2014 and didn\u2019t want a medical professional to tell him otherwise.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t spoken to a doctor because I didn\u2019t want to be talked out of it, as I had my mind set on it,\u201d he said. \u201cI just researched a lot online.\u201d<\/p>\n
After three hormone cycles over two years, Aiden reports that the injections give him \u201cmore energy, more focus, more motivation, more strength and faster recovery than what I felt at my natural baseline level.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His story isn\u2019t unique: Young men without diagnosed testosterone deficiencies are increasingly taking testosterone to accelerate their gains, a trend known as \u201ctestmaxxing.\u201d<\/p>\n
But while synthetic hormones may seem like a harmless way to supercharge success, the trend poses serious risks and speaks to a growing culture of physical optimization and the pursuit of \u201cmasculinity.\u201d<\/p>\n
What is testmaxxing?<\/p>\n
\u201cTestosterone is the main androgen (the male sex hormone) produced by the testes,\u201d explained Dr. Sam Saling<\/a>, a general practitioner. Both men and women produce it, but in adult men, \u201cit supports libido and erectile function, muscle strength and mass, bone density, sperm production, and red blood cell production.\u201d<\/p>\n Those benefits are what the \u201ctestmaxxing\u201d movement has latched onto: the idea that optimizing testosterone means unlocking greater muscle growth, sex drive, energy and, ultimately, a more \u201cmasculine\u201d physique.<\/p>\n For some, that means lifestyle changes to support testosterone production. For others? That isn\u2019t enough \u2014 and they turn to outside sources of the hormone.<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t spoken to a doctor because I didn\u2019t want to be talked out of it, as I had my mind set on it,\u201d Aiden said. \u201cI just researched a lot online.\u201d Courtesy of Aiden<\/p>\n Accelerating masculinity<\/p>\n For Henry*, a fit professional in his 30s, the tipping point came after seeing his friend\u2019s progress.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI saw a friend\u2019s before and after pics from training \u2014 we use the same PT \u2014 and I was like, \u2018There\u2019s no way naturally you\u2019re getting to that stage,\u2019\u201d he recalled.\u00a0<\/p>\n His friend was injecting synthetic testosterone and recommended Henry try it, too.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve trained for years and yo-yoed a bit, so I\u2019m looking at it as an enhancer, to push stubborn fat and build muscle and tighten up a bit,\u201d Henry said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Henry met a backdoor supplier who hooked him up with a product labeled Pharma Test 250, which lists testosterone enanthate 250 mg\/mL as its active ingredient.<\/p>\n Three months in, \u201cI\u2019m definitely getting stronger,\u201d he said. \u201cWeights at the gym have gone up dramatically, mood is good, no side effects yet.\u201d He plans to keep cycling the injections until he achieves his ideal physique.<\/p>\n While Henry had a regular blood screening before starting injections, it didn\u2019t reveal a testosterone deficiency. Like Aiden, he views the hormones as part of his training regimen \u2014 an accelerator toward his ideal physique.<\/p>\n Testosterone declines gradually with age, but healthy bodies \u201care pretty good at regulating our hormone levels for optimal bodily function\u2026 This is true for testosterone \u2014 so healthy boys and men need not worry about their testosterone levels.\u201d Getty Images<\/p>\n Measuring masculinity<\/p>\n For both men, testmaxxing isn\u2019t just about getting stronger \u2014 it\u2019s about what that idealized body represents.<\/p>\n \u201cI definitely feel more masculine taking it,\u201d Aiden said. \u201cMasculine, to me, is feeling strong, and looking physically fit and more built.\u201d<\/p>\n Growing up skinny and gay, Aiden associated being slight with feeling \u201cmore feminine.\u201d With testosterone injections, he said he\u2019s working toward a physique he associates with greater masculinity.<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, we all wanna be hot, so will do whatever it takes if you don\u2019t have good genes.\u201d<\/p>\n Henry<\/p>\n \u201cI more wanted to do it for myself, because I thought it would help me reach my goals quicker,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n 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 \u201calpha\u201d masculinity, and that the body can and should be continually optimized to achieve that ideal. That physical pursuit is part of a burgeoning \u201clooksmaxxing<\/a>\u201d culture, where men seek to optimize their appearance to look \u201cmore masculine.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe Rogan is one prominent voice in that conversation and has long been open about his TRT use. In a 2018 clip from \u201cThe Joe Rogan Experience,\u201d he dismissed the stigma around not producing enough testosterone naturally, saying that ultimately \u201call that matters is that you have it in your system.\u201d<\/p>\n Google Trends data show US search interest in \u201ctestosterone\u201d was 30% higher over the past 12 months than the year prior. Courtesy of Aiden<\/p>\n Not every man injecting testosterone belongs to the manosphere. But for fitness-focused men, these spaces can expose them to more polarizing ideas about masculinity \u2014 and how to achieve it.<\/p>\n A 2024 study from Dublin City University\u2019s Anti-Bullying Centre found male-identified accounts were being served \u201cmasculinist\u201d and extremist content within 23 minutes of scrolling.\u00a0<\/p>\n For men already interested in testmaxxing, that algorithmic ecosystem can expose them to controversial ideas about masculinity that are increasingly difficult to escape online.<\/p>\n Do you actually need more testosterone?<\/p>\n Google Trends data show US search interest in \u201ctestosterone\u201d was 30% higher over the past 12 months than the year prior \u2014 a trend Dr. Joseph P. Alukal, a professor of urology and director of Men\u2019s Health at Columbia University, is seeing play out in real time.<\/p>\n \u201cTons of people are coming in and asking about this to a greater degree this year than ever before, and then last year more than any year previous,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n But does testosterone actually need to be \u201cmaxxed\u201d in the first place?<\/p>\n Testosterone declines<\/a> gradually with age, but Associate Professor Dr. Tim Moss<\/a> said healthy bodies \u201care pretty good at regulating our hormone levels for optimal bodily function\u2026 This is true for testosterone \u2014 so healthy boys and men need not worry about their testosterone levels.\u201d<\/p>\n For men whose testosterone levels are within the normal range and who don\u2019t have symptoms of androgen deficiency, testosterone injections are not likely to be the answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI definitely feel more masculine taking it,\u201d Aiden said. \u201cMasculine, to me, is feeling strong, and looking physically fit and more built.\u201d Courtesy of Aiden<\/p>\n The price of optemizaiton<\/p>\n Henry and Aiden are aware of the risks of taking testosterone without a prescription, but choose to proceed without medical advice.<\/p>\n \u201cI think [seeing a doctor] comes with a layer of judgment, despite probably being safer,\u201d Henry said. \u201cUltimately, we all wanna be hot, so will do whatever it takes if you don\u2019t have good genes.\u201d<\/p>\n When he started injecting, Aiden wasn\u2019t concerned about potential long-term risks, reasoning he could be putting worse things into his body. So far, he reports one side effect: shoulder acne, which went away after switching cleansers.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I was to experience bad side effects, I would definitely stop,\u201d he said. Though he takes his own blood pressure at home, he admits to not getting \u201cproper blood work\u201d in the past.<\/p>\n Doctors urge young men to reconsider.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf [a man\u2019s] levels are normal, I would say that\u2019s not somebody who should be taking testosterone or testosterone boosters because he incurs real risks like health risks that are serious,\u201d said Dr. Alukal.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf you take testosterone, you turn off testosterone production by your body,\u201d Dr. Moss added. \u201cYou also turn off sperm production.\u201d<\/p>\n Testosterone and sperm production can take months or even years to return to normal after stopping, he went on, noting that \u201cwithdrawal symptoms can make [coming off testosterone] difficult.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Synthetic testosterone can cause polycythemia, which increases the risk of blood clots and stroke, and doctors flag mood disorders, irritability, tendon rupture, liver disease, heart attacks and even death.<\/p>\n An absence of morning erections or a complete change in or absence of libido is worth investigating, noted Dr. Alukal. But genuine men\u2019s health concerns are being conflated online with anxiety about a hormone that predominantly takes care of itself.<\/p>\n Masculinity no matter the cost<\/p>\n When pushed about his reason to inject despite the health risks, Henry\u2019s explanation is blunt: \u201cbody dysmorphia.\u201d<\/p>\n That may be the painful truth underpinning testmaxxing: For some men, hormones are a landing place for the belief that their bodies, even healthy ones, are not enough.<\/p>\n There is always a higher tier of optimization: more muscle, less fat, better energy, higher testosterone.<\/p>\n For Aiden, testosterone is a vehicle to achieve the physique \u2014 and masculinity \u2014 he always wanted. But when the goalposts are always moving, and masculinity is just another hormone cycle away, when is enough ever enough?<\/p>\n *Source names have been changed for anonymity<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t