(Small Testicles and Low Testosterone, written By David Jaynes)
They say “it’s not the size of the wand, but the magic
that’s in it.”
Within normal ranges for penis size, that’s the truth, but what about the other parts of your junk?
Does the size of your family jewels matter? If so, how?
Women don’t report being more or less aroused by huge balls, or bothered by small balls unless they have some kind of testicle fetish.
So you don’t need to worry about anything in that department.
But what about your ability to get it up? Your libido? Your ability to climax and the health of your sperm?
Turns out testicle size is linked directly to that stuff, in a spiraling feedback loop that can lead to real trouble.
In 1987, the Journal of Urology published a study of 305 men that looked for a relationship between the size of a man’s balls and the function.
They found a direct correlation. That means men with larger testicles had better testicular function, and men with smaller testicles had worse (source).
But it’s not that simple.
The correlation wasn’t just about size of the testicles in the subjects. Large men have proportionally larger balls, and small men have proportionally smaller. Just like they have larger hands, feet, and wrists.
That size differential wasn’t what was measured in the study.
Instead they looked at larger or smaller testicles among men of similar sizes. And that’s when things got interesting.
But before I can tell you that story, I have to tell you this one.
Testosterone is produced by the Leydig cells in the scrotum. It’s responsible (among other things) for testicle and penis size.
And larger testicles produce more testosterone.
In a healthy ballsack, it goes a little something like this:
Step One: Healthy testicles of normal size work with the Leydig cells to produce a healthy amount of testosterone
Step Two: One of the (many) impacts of that testosterone production is to keep the testicles healthy, and of normal size
Step Three: The testicles, continuing to be healthy and of normal size, continue to produce an appropriate amount of testosterone.
So now you understand how healthy testosterone leads to normal, healthy testicle size. Now lets get into the conclusions arrived at in the study mentioned above.
Now here’s what happens if you don’t produce enough testosterone:
Step One: Healthy testicles of normal size work with Leydig cells, but (for any number of reasons) fail to produce a healthy amount of testosterone
Step Two: The Leydig cells go into hibernation from lack of testosterone. The patient suffers from male hypogonadism, meaning his testicles grow smaller and function less. This is in direct response to the lower testosterone levels in the body.
Step Three: The testicles shrink and become less healthy, producing even less testosterone.
Step Four: With even less testosterone in the body, the testicles become even smaller and produce even less testosterone.
Step Five: Repeat from step two in an ever-worsening spiral.
Small testicles and low testosterone go hand in hand. In some ways it’s like one of that routine in Catch-22:
“How do I get out of this army?”
“You file for reasons of insanity.”
“Okay. Can I file for insanity?”
“Asking to file for insanity is proof that you’re sane.
“Back to the war for you.”
Just like that, you need healthy testicles to produce testosterone. And you need testosterone to maintain healthy testicles.
The Worse News
This wouldn’t be the worst situation in the world if it weren’t for all the other factors testosterone impacts for male health. If you get caught in this downward testosterone spiral, you can bet on any number of the following things to be in your future.
•Decrease in body hair (including accelerated baldness)
•Less muscle mass and bone strength
•Erectile dysfunction
•Infertility
•Man boobs (gynecomastia)
•Fatigue
•Mood swings
•Difficulty concentrating
•Lowered libido
Some men with advanced cases of hypogonadism even experience hot flashes, like women in menopause.
Depression and anxiety are also correlated with hypogonadism, but most studies suggest they’re linked to the symptoms instead of the small testicles and low testosterone.
Do I have your attention yet?
The Trap of Testosterone Therapy
If you go to a doctor, he will almost certainly recommend testosterone therapy. That makes sense on the surface. Not enough testosterone? Inject or ingest testosterone. But this is a trap.
Healthy testicles of normal size work with Leydig cells, but (for any number of reasons) fail to produce a healthy amount of testosterone.
This causes the Leydig cells go into hibernation from lack of testosterone. The patient suffers from male hypogonadism, meaning his testicles grow smaller and function less.
A varicocele can also cause these problems.
If you take testosterone therapy treatments, it floods your body with testosterone. Your body responds to the massive influx of testosterone by producing even less testosterone.
Final Outcome: you have to continue taking testosterone therapy to make up for the further reduced testosterone production.
If you thought the original situation was a vicious cycle, this one is even worse. For men suffering from small testicles and low testosterone, the solution isn’t massive influxes of testosterone from outside the body.
It’s to gradually, naturally increase your own testosterone production.
Small Testicles and Low Testosterone – Conclusion:
Let’s look at that step-by-step one more time, only with a natural approach to fixing the problem.
Instead of flooding your body with periodic doses of testosterone (which further reduces your natural production of the hormone), try activities that stimulate natural testosterone production.
We’ve talked about this before on the blog, but some examples you can try are lifting heavy weights, spending more times in the sun, and cycling strategically chosen supplements.
You should develop smart drinking habits to avoid the testicular atrophy brought on by excess booze consumption.
The increased natural testosterone wakes up your hibernating Leydig cells. Your testicles begin to grow toward normal size. A positive spiral results, improving your testicular and sexual health.
For some men, this process only needs to happen once to “kickstart” their system back into healthy testosterone production.
For others, these steps will be a permanent part of their lives. Either way, it’s a better plan than taking drugs that trap you in a cycle of dependency.
