Men's health
What really drives men's energy, heart and sexual health
The factors that matter most, what the evidence says about each, and the checks worth doing at every age.
§ 01Levers
Six things that matter most
- Protect testosterone naturally
- Sleep enough: one week of 5-hour nights lowered testosterone by 10–15%.[8] Lose excess fat, since weight loss raises testosterone in men with obesity.[9] Limit alcohol. Most "testosterone booster" supplements have no evidence behind them.[10]
- Stamina and sexual health
- Erections depend on healthy blood flow. Regular aerobic exercise improves erectile function,[11] and erectile problems are linked to higher heart disease risk.[12] Treat them as a reason to check your heart, not just to buy a pill.
- Build and keep muscle
- Train each muscle group at least twice a week,[13] and get 1.2–1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight.[14] Muscle helps control blood sugar and keeps you strong and independent as you age.
- Watch your waist, not just the scale
- Keep your waist under 90 cm if you have South or East Asian ancestry, or under 94 cm otherwise.[15] Fat stored around the belly says more about heart and diabetes risk than your weight alone.
- Stress and mood
- Physical activity clearly improves symptoms of depression and anxiety.[16] If low mood lasts more than two weeks, talk to a doctor. It's as treatable as any physical condition.
- Screenings that matter
- Blood pressure, blood sugar and a cardiovascular risk check at the right ages, plus a prostate (PSA) discussion from 50. See the table below.
§ 02Screenings
Checks worth doing, by age
| Check | At 30 | At 40 | At 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood pressure[1] | At least every 3 years, and yearly once you turn 40. | Every year. | Every year. |
| Blood sugar (HbA1c or fasting glucose)[2] | From age 35. Start earlier if your BMI is 23 or above and you have another risk factor, such as a parent or sibling with diabetes, high blood pressure or PCOS. | Every 3 years, or more often if a result is borderline. | Every 3 years, or more often if a result is borderline. |
| Cardiovascular risk check[3] | — | Cholesterol (lipid profile) together with your other risk factors, to estimate your 10-year risk. | Cholesterol (lipid profile) together with your other risk factors, to estimate your 10-year risk. |
| Prostate (PSA)[4] | — | — | Discuss PSA testing with your doctor from 50, or from 45 if a close relative had prostate cancer. It should be your choice, made after hearing the pros and cons. |
| Bowel (colorectal) cancer screening[5] | — | — | From 50 to 74, through your local screening programme. |
§ 03Red flags
Signs worth a doctor's visit
- Chest pain or pressure, or breathlessness when you exert yourself
- Get urgent help. Call your local emergency number (112, 911 or 999). Don't push through it.
- A lump, swelling or change in a testicle
- See a doctor promptly. Testicular cancer is most common between 15 and 45, and it's highly treatable when found early.
- Persistent erectile difficulty
- Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.[12]
- Low energy, low sex drive and loss of muscle
- Low testosterone is only diagnosed with two separate early-morning blood tests plus matching symptoms.[17]
- Changes in urination, or blood in your urine
- See a doctor. Blood in the urine always needs checking.
Never take testosterone or unregulated "boosters" on your own. Testosterone therapy is only for men with confirmed low testosterone, and it needs medical monitoring.[17]
§ 04Premium
Your personalized plan
References
- 1.2024 ESC Guidelines for the management of elevated blood pressure and hypertension. European Heart Journal, 2024.doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehae178
- 2.Diagnosis and classification of diabetes: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2025. Diabetes Care (American Diabetes Association), 2025.doi:10.2337/dc25-S002
- 3.2021 ESC Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice. European Heart Journal, 2021.doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehab484
- 4.EAU–EANM–ESTRO–ESUR–ISUP–SIOG Guidelines on Prostate Cancer. European Association of Urology, 2024.
- 5.Council Recommendation on strengthening prevention through early detection: a new EU approach on cancer screening. Council of the European Union, 2022.
- 6.WHO guideline for screening and treatment of cervical pre-cancer lesions for cervical cancer prevention, 2nd ed.. World Health Organization, 2021.
- 7.WHO position paper on mammography screening. World Health Organization, 2014.
- 8.Effect of 1 week of sleep restriction on testosterone levels in young healthy men. JAMA, 2011.doi:10.1001/jama.2011.710
- 9.Body weight loss reverts obesity-associated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Endocrinology, 2013.doi:10.1530/EJE-12-0955
- 10.'Testosterone boosting' supplements composition and claims are not supported by the academic literature. World Journal of Men's Health, 2020.doi:10.5534/wjmh.190043
- 11.Physical activity to improve erectile function: a systematic review of intervention studies. Sexual Medicine, 2018.doi:10.1016/j.esxm.2018.02.001
- 12.Erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease: systematic review and meta-analysis. European Urology, 2014.doi:10.1016/j.eururo.2013.08.023
- 13.Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 2016.doi:10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8
- 14.Protein supplementation and resistance-training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018.doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
- 15.The IDF consensus worldwide definition of the metabolic syndrome (ethnic-specific waist values). International Diabetes Federation, 2006.
- 16.Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2023.doi:10.1136/bjsports-2022-106195
- 17.Testosterone therapy in men with hypogonadism: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2018.doi:10.1210/jc.2018-00229
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