Millions of men embark on ‘No Nut November’ today that will see them abstain from masturbating or having sex for a month

The annual internet challenge for men to forgo any form of sexual release for the entire month of November has begun, but men’s health experts say the benefits are all in your head.

Since its founding in 2011, adherents of the No Nut November movement (a name derived from the distasteful term “busting a nut”) have credited abstinence from ejaculation with improving their mental health and clarity, gastrointestinal problems and a greater self confidence.

No Nut November has appealed to millions of men around the world in the hope that it will improve their sperm count and health, increase testosterone levels and improve their athletic performance.

Reddit forums dedicated to the internet challenge lit up early Wednesday with scores of men describing their struggles from the first of 30 days, and many others giving football locker room-style pep talks urging them to keep going.

The self-discipline it takes to survive 30 days without ejaculating is likely the cause of people’s improved self-confidence – proving to themselves that they can set a goal and achieve it.

But experts told DailyMail.com that if men want to see higher testosterone levels and more sperm, No Nut November is not the way to get there.

No Nut November has attracted millions of men around the world who want to improve their sperm count and health, increase their testosterone levels and perform better athletically. But experts say withholding ejaculation is not the way to go about it

Dr. Fenwa Milhouse, a board-certified urologist with expertise in sexual dysfunction, told DailyMail.com: ‘My first honest impression of No Nut November was that a urologist clearly hadn’t thought of that.

‘As we know it now, there isn’t really any scientific evidence that purposefully withholding ejaculation is helpful, especially during that time.

‘And in fact, there is more evidence for ejaculating and its potential benefits than the anecdotal, which is really all we have, reports of improved well-being.’

Many men embarking on the No Nut November journey aim to increase testosterone, but masturbation or ejaculation has not been shown to have long-term positive or negative effects on T levels.

Dr. Fenwa Milhouse told DailyMail.com that, contrary to what followers of No Nut November believe, there is more evidence showing the benefits of regular ejaculating.

Some studies, including one published in the Archives of sexual behavior reported in 2016 that testosterone levels increased after orgasm.

Men may also claim that they want to try No Nut November to improve the health and volume of their sperm.

While studies have shown that semen volume and sperm count increase after two days of abstinence from any sexual release, when it came to the health of that sperm, abstinence seemed to have a negative effect.

The motility, or ability to move and shape of sperm, which allows them to fertilize an egg to initiate a pregnancy, decreases after two days of abstinence.

After one day of abstinence, an estimated 42 percent of the sperm moved around normally. But on day 10 that percentage dropped to 38 percent, and further to 33 percent on day 14.

Some men may view the challenge as a way to improve their physical prowess, an idea that gained mainstream popularity with world-famous boxer Mike Tyson, who abstained from sex for five years to further his boxing, a move he later called “stupid.” ‘ mentioned.

The idea of ​​retaining sperm to improve performance dates back even further than Mr. Tyson’s trend. In ancient Greece and Rome, sexual activity before an athletic event was often seen as a cause of less than optimal athletic performance.

The most touted benefit among No Nut November participants is improved mental health and self-confidence, which comes with being able to temper overwhelming physical urges.

Dr. Boback Berookhim, a New York-based urologist and specialist in men’s sexual health, told DailyMail.com: ‘From a philosophical point of view, having control over the various bodily urges has benefits in terms of self-discipline, self-control and kindness . of improving one’s overall sense of self over time.

Dr. Boback Berookhim said that while there is no real harm in trying 30 days of ejaculation-free, there are no clinically proven benefits either.

“Does this mean that person should abstain from sexual activity for a month? I’m not convinced, but to each their own. It certainly won’t be harmful.’

While restraint can increase a man’s sense of awareness and mental clarity, there is more evidence to support sexual release.

The feel-good hormone oxytocin rises during sex, which can relieve stress and improve feelings of relaxation, translating into better sleep.

During sex, the brain also releases a rush of dopamine in response to feelings of pleasure. Dopamine is known as the pleasure chemical, but it is also essential for feeling romantic attachment and intimacy. This is why a healthy sex life is crucial for maintaining the romantic bond between partners.

There even is a connection between Ejaculating regularly and preventing prostate cancer, although more clinical research into this link needs to be completed before scientists can determine a possible causal link.

It’s not clear how many followers No Nut November has, but the Reddit page dedicated to it has 145,000 followers.

The page has been active since the early hours of November 1 with campy messages of encouragement for fellow ‘soldiers’ around the world.

Abstaining is uncomfortable, something made very clear by the number of online posts from struggling men with images of crashing cartoon planes and many versions of a popular meme in which a boy tries so hard not to talk that the veins on his skull are visible become.

Withholding sexual release can cause emotional problems and concentration problems.

And at the end of the day, the body can still find a way to expel ejaculate in the form of nocturnal emissions, better known as wet dreams.

Wet dreams are not always the product of sexual arousal. Rather, they are a way for the body to filter out the old sperm to make room for the new.

Dr. Berookhim said, “There are concepts of this everywhere. You have a dry January and there is intermittent fasting. I think people across the board are trying to take control of some of their more physical urges. And I don’t think that in itself is so negative.

‘There is definitely an element that someone who controls their urges will have better self-confidence.

‘But to assume that this will lead to major physiological differences in terms of athletic performance, or in terms of hormonal fraction, is simply out of the question.’