Dry January: A Masculinity Boost You Should Try
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Try adding Dry January to your list of New Year’s challenges and resolutions. In addition to Veganuary and signing up for a gym, forgoing alcohol is an important step toward achieving Ultimate Masculinity. Dry January is a great way to kickstart a new habit. Avoiding alcohol can boost masculinity by preventing negative effects, such as reduced testosterone, weight gain, feminization, and sexual impotence.
Historically, alcohol consumption has a convoluted relationship with masculinity. While drinking alcohol is often seen as a stereotypically masculine behavior, it can actually undermine key masculine attributes. In fact, some researchers propose a vicious cycle: “Men who drink addictively have the most fragile masculine identities.”[1]
Paradoxically, while attempting to reinforce their masculine image, the heaviest drinkers may be doing the most damage to their masculinity. “When alcohol is consumed in excess, particularly chronically, it negatively affects testosterone production in men.”[2] In other words, the more heavy or habitual the drinking, the less testosterone produced.
Interestingly, some studies show that acute alcohol intake can cause a temporary boost in testosterone. However, this comes with a concomitant boost in estrogen, as the liver prioritizes metabolizing alcohol over these hormones.[3] Moreover, alcohol consumption reduces androstenedione, a precursor to testosterone, and increases aromatase, the enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen. [4][5]
The consensus is clear: even if light alcohol intake temporarily boosts testosterone, chronic use reduces the body’s ability to produce testosterone and skews the hormonal balance toward estrogen dominance.
Alcohol also contributes to weight gain, which further impacts masculinity. Many people focus on avoiding beer or dark liquors to reduce carb calorie intake, but the real issue lies in alcohol itself. Each gram of carbohydrates contributes four calories, but each gram of alcohol is seven calories! A standard drink has almost 100 calories from the alcohol alone and most people don’t stop at just one drink, nor do they factor in their alcohol to their diet plans. A few drinks can easily contribute many extra calories, which often turn into body fat.
Excess body fat not only obscures muscle definition but also contains additional aromatase, exacerbating the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. By reducing body fat, you can improve testosterone levels and enhance your masculine physique.
Alcohol is also known to have feminizing effects on men.[6] Some of these effects can be attributed to reduced testosterone and increased body fat, but beer may have an additional estrogenic effect due to its hops content. Hops contain phytoestrogens, which are estrogen-like compounds. Unlike the phytoestrogens in soy, which can have protective effects, those in hops may contribute to conditions like gynecomastia (man-boobs).[6][7]
Finally, one of the most immediate effects of alcohol is erectile dysfunction. Acute overconsumption can cause the infamous “whisky dick,” while chronic use can lead to long-term issues with achieving erections. Although moderate alcohol use has been associated with a reduced risk of erectile dysfunction in some studies, much of this is tied to psychological factors. Adherents of Ultimate Masculinity strive to overcome psychological barriers without relying on toxins. Moreover, chronic alcohol use clearly harms erectile function, while abstaining improves it.[8][9]
While alcohol can be fun and temporarily boost confidence by lowering inhibitions, its long-term effects are detrimental to the expression of masculinity. This January, challenge yourself to abstain and experience the positive impact on your own Ultimate Masculinity![1] Lemle, R., & Mishkind, M. E. (1989). Alcohol and masculinity. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 6(4), 213–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/0740-5472(89)90045-7
[2] Smith, S. J., Lopresti, A. L., & Fairchild, T. J. (2023). The effects of alcohol on testosterone synthesis in men: a review. Expert review of endocrinology & metabolism, 18(2), 155–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/17446651.2023.2184797
[3] Ardu Recovery Center. (n.d.). Alcohol’s effects on testosterone. Retrieved January 8, 2025, from https://www.ardurecoverycenter.com/alcohol-effects-on-testosterone/
[4] Sarkola, T., & Eriksson, C. J. (2003). Testosterone increases in men after a low dose of alcohol. Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 27(4), 682–685. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ALC.0000060526.43976.68
[5] Wombwell, S. (2024, November 12). Alcohol and men’s health: The impact on hormones and more. Male Excel. Retrieved January 8, 2025, from https://maleexcel.com/blog/health/alcohol-and-mens-health-the-impact-on-hormones-and-more/
[6] Greger, M. (2019, June 4). Beer and phytoestrogens. NutritionFacts.org. Retrieved January 8, 2025, from https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/beer-phytoestrogens/
[7] Greger, M. (2016, July 29). What are the effects of the hops phytoestrogen in beer? [Video]. NutritionFacts.org. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/what-are-the-effects-of-the-hops-phytoestrogen-in-beer/
[8] Karunakaran, A., & Michael, J. P. (2022). The Impact of Abstinence From Alcohol on Erectile Dysfunction: A Prospective Follow up in Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder. The journal of sexual medicine, 19(4), 581–589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2022.01.517
[9] Emanuele, N., & Emanuele, M. A. (1997). The endocrine system: alcohol alters critical hormonal balance. Alcohol health and research world, 21(1), 53–64.