Forget T-maxxing – the manosphere’s obsession with testosterone is just fear-maxxing

‘Low testosterone is being blamed in the rightwing manosphere for a crisis of masculinity,’ writes Donna Lu. ‘But the fixation on T-maxxing ignores hard evidence.’ Composite: The Guardian/Getty Images

Are you tired? Feeling flat and irritable? Finding it difficult to concentrate? Maybe you’re experiencing the seemingly ubiquitous symptoms of modern life. Or, if you’re a man, you may have been told by countless uncredentialed online influencers that you’re probably suffering from “low T”.

For decades, testosterone has been marketed to men as a means to maximise virility. But in recent years, social media has fuelled the “T-maxxing” trend, in which men are encouraged to maximise their testosterone levels through either natural or artificial means.