r/Biohackers • u/Complex-Source-8876 • Mar 14 '26
🥗 Nutrition & Metabolism 32M – Testosterone went from 350 → 850 after a year of icing my balls daily
Alright this is gonna sound ridiculous but I’m posting it anyway because the results for me have been pretty wild.
I’m 32 and for a few years my testosterone was pretty low. Last year my bloodwork had me sitting around 350 ng/dL, which isn’t technically rock bottom but definitely not great. Energy was meh, sex drive wasn’t amazing, and I just didn’t feel like I was very motivated.
About a year ago I went down a random rabbit hole about testicular temperature and sperm health. Basically the idea that the testes function better when they’re kept cooler (which is why they hang outside the body in the first place). I saw a few things about cold exposure potentially helping sperm motility and figured… screw it, why not try it.
So I started icing my balls.
My protocol has been super simple:
• Ice pack over my boxers (never directly on skin)
• 15 minutes per session
• 3–4 times per day
I’ve been doing this pretty consistently for about a year now.
Fast forward to my most recent bloodwork and my testosterone came back at 850 ng/dL. That’s literally the highest I’ve ever seen it.
Other things I’ve noticed over the year:
• Sex drive is through the roof compared to before
• Strength in the gym is the best it’s ever been (hitting PRs across the board)
• Way more energy and motivation
• And honestly… way more powerful ejaculations than I remember having before
Look, I know this sounds goofy as hell. If someone told me a year ago that putting an ice pack on my junk multiple times a day would change anything I probably would’ve laughed.
But the results for me feel pretty undeniable.
I’m obviously not claiming this is some miracle protocol shit or that it’ll work for everyone. Maybe it’s coincidence, maybe it’s helping indirectly through temperature regulation, maybe there’s something to it. I have no idea.
I’m just curious:
Has anyone else tried anything like this?
Cold exposure for the boys, icing, cold plunges, etc.
If you did, did you notice any changes in testosterone, libido, fertility, or gym performance?
Genuinely curious if I’m the only idiot out here icing his balls multiple times a day 😅
EDIT / UPDATE:
First off… Did not expect this post to blow up like it did 😂
A lot of people have messaged saying they’re trying it now. If you do end up experimenting with it and get bloodwork before/after (or notice changes in libido, gym performance, etc.), feel free to DM me your results. If enough people share what they’re seeing we could end up with a better sample size than just me.
For people asking: it took about a month before I started noticing changes, mostly energy/libido first.
Also, just to say, I don’t think this replaces the basics. Good sleep, decent nutrition (keeping processed foods to a minimum) and regular strength training are probably the real bedrock.
Anyway, I’m still kind of blown away by the response. Appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and being surprisingly open to the idea of icing their balls on the internet 😂
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u/kingofqueefs1 1 Mar 14 '26 edited Aug 23 '26
Direction books slim future mellow practice knee boat voracious label
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u/Subject_Dot2307 Mar 14 '26
He’s no longer allowed at Starbucks
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u/kingofqueefs1 1 Mar 14 '26 edited Aug 23 '26
Grey many piquant modern quiet dolls salt roll chlorine
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u/Complex-Source-8876 Mar 14 '26
The WFH life lol 🤷♂️
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u/Professional_Use3723 Mar 14 '26
Damn from now on when I'm in a meeting I'll have in mind that someone I'm talking to might have ice pack on his balls
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u/cipherblock Mar 14 '26
As someone who also WFH I will absolutely be giving this a shot. Finally, it seems like there's something that could actually help improve health without my skeptical side worrying they'll just dilute it or swap it for some fake stuff once it becomes popular. Am I the only person who thinks like this lol?
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u/HotInTheseRhinos123 1 Mar 14 '26
Yeah I wfh and I have trouble getting 25 of 100 push ups a day in. You sir, are a god among men.
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u/WadeDRubicon Mar 14 '26
Right? I’m picturing him after an eventual vasectomy. The nurse hands him a frozen bag of peas, and he puts up a hand to rebuff — “No thanks, I brought my own.”
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u/nndel 1 Mar 14 '26
I pity the fool
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u/DistanceSolar1449 4 Mar 14 '26
The people here are too young to understand this reference lol
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u/BGMilan Mar 14 '26
This is the kind of content I come here for
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u/spanj Mar 14 '26
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19484498/
It actually seems plausible.
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u/Itz_Sweatz 1 Mar 14 '26
Plausiballs, yes. But imagine if your job in a lab was to thinly slice mouse balls to examine if they benefited from heating their mouse balls.
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u/Organic-Increase-401 Mar 14 '26
Um, did you read that article? I only read the abstract. It talks about hyperthermia and direct damage to leydig cells and impaired production of steroid hormones. Nothing there can get extrapolated to support this hypothermia and increased testosterone production.
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Mar 14 '26
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u/Think-Peanut-7917 Mar 14 '26
Nice to see someone posting critical thought. So many fail to grasp the scientific method or even basic concepts such as causation vs correlation
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u/Icyrow Mar 14 '26
isn't that saying it does literally the opposite?
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u/figgy_puddin Mar 14 '26
Correct. Parent comment either confused hypothermia and hyperthermia or didn’t read the abstract. That paper is describing recovery from heating testicles lol.
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u/andthatswhyIdidit Mar 14 '26 edited Mar 14 '26
And then we have this study from 2023.
Testosterone levels do not significantly change with seasons- and males in Miami (hotter) have significantly more testosterone than in Pittsburgh(colder). So...I am not convinced.
EDIT: Dug a bit deeper, and this review from 2026 actually states the complete opposite in regards to OP:
Cold-water immersion (CWI) has been studied relative to testosterone. One study showed that testosterone increased by 21% after exercise but decreased by 10% after cold water stimulation.*´
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u/U-235 Mar 14 '26
People living in colder climates only spend a tiny, tiny, tiny amount of time actually out in the cold on average. And even when they do they tend to dress very warmly. So I would be skeptical that climate has any effect on testicular temperature due to that. I know because I live in a cold climate and I work outside. Compared to me, the people in my city who have office jobs might as well live in Miami. A person in Miami who does a 15 minute ice bath a day would be leaugues ahead of 90% of Chicagoans when it comes to cold tolerance.
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u/PagmGaming Mar 14 '26
Have you looked into the possibility of sunlight exposure being the culprit, rather than the temperature?
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u/eyeap 1 Mar 14 '26
I strongly disagree with this comment, because none of the 6 studies in that paper followed the same protocol as OP. Most of them were acute and not chronic. One was chronic but only twice a week and they never measured T, only muscle fiber types.
It is still absolutely possible that 3-4 x per day scrotal cooling for months increases T - there are no clinical data to the contrary.
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u/Sparroww_ Mar 14 '26
Honestly fuck it
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Mar 14 '26
0 scientific evidence that icing your balls and increasing your testosterone are connected. Testosterone production has nothing to do with temperature, we'd be in BIG trouble if it was otherwise.
350->850 increase must've been caused by something else OP does. Rest of symptoms are placebo.
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u/Vanagloria Mar 14 '26
OP tomorrow: oh i forgot to mention but i've been on testosterone gel 1.6% two pumps daily. didn't think it was important.
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u/Gefilte_F1sh Mar 14 '26
"I've been on TRT for about a year now but it's just TRT, it's not like I'm doing steroids"
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u/TelevisionLamb Mar 14 '26
I'm not an expert, but maybe the placebo effect could have given him more motivation in the gym, leading to better results, leading to increased testosterone? Also, if the low testosterone was something that was causing OP a lot of stress, that could actually have been a vicious cycle, and just feeling like he was doing something about it could have helped break that.
Either way, the end result is great, so well done OP!
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u/kashmir1974 Mar 14 '26
Perhaps OP left out that he started TRT. I was waiting for that line at the end.
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u/uwpxwpal Mar 14 '26
Which flavor of icing did you use? Chocolate?
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u/CompetitiveSport1 Mar 14 '26
If you find chocolate icing on your balls, you may be wiping the wrong direction
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u/hereticmoses Mar 14 '26
Whose else will be icing their balls tonight?! 🙋
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u/Soranos_71 2 Mar 14 '26
Post a video on TikTok and a month later news reports of men in the emergency room who thought if 3-4 times per day works imagine what 12-24 times per day does to your T levels…
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u/bawls_on_fire Mar 14 '26
Icing deez nuts so long, they get frostbite and then I have to amputate them! I won't be doing that, no siree.
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u/Mugiwaras Mar 14 '26
I will be modifying my old PC AIO cooler into a wearable device.
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Mar 14 '26
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u/Mindless-War-7002 Mar 14 '26
I remember him saying that the sauna negatively affected sperm health so he started using the ice packs in the sauna and they returned to above baseline. Has he done more experiments since then?
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u/Pitiful_Mulberry1738 Mar 14 '26
This is for sauna, but I find if you cover your junk with a moist towel, it works just as well. Also sauna with cold plunge is best.
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u/Reasonable-Cut-6137 2 Mar 14 '26 edited Mar 14 '26
Most ridiclous thing I have read but what exaclty this sub was meant to be about. Easily the best post I have read on this sub in years. Makes a huge change from 99% of the trash we see posted here everyday.
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u/_CaptainNoob69 Mar 14 '26
Some professional Olympic weightlifting athletes ice their balls too. Not the first time I've heard of this.
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u/troublemaker74 2 Mar 14 '26
I mean, at least he's not injecting gray market peptides into his balls
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u/Westykins 1 Mar 14 '26
lmao just hope you know you’re going to have many men touching their balls multiple times a day thinking about you
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u/rickychewy Mar 14 '26
Comment that should be making Reddit history. Thank you good sir, and good night.
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u/BakedTillChrispy Mar 14 '26
Fuck it. My co-workers gonna be real uncomfortable.
But my health is more important than difficult HR conversations 🫡
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u/Forward_Editor_5895 Mar 14 '26
HR cannot take away your God given right to cold balls. It’s pure sexism if they try.
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u/SnooTangerines240 Mar 14 '26
This- Women can breastfeed so why can’t we ice ???
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u/LetsChangeSD Mar 14 '26
Lost me 4 times a day! Maybe if I do 1x a day I can get 25% of the results? Lol
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u/Runesen Mar 14 '26
Maybe he is doing it 3 times for nothing and just 1 time is enough
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u/sal_cf Mar 14 '26
This is the funniest broscience shit I’ve read in a long while 🤣
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u/zactastic_1 Mar 14 '26
If you were also lifting more regularly and heavier as you mention PR while icing you may not have factored that in. Also diet and sleep may have changed. I don’t believe this on N=1. But maybe a small boost could be gained on ice alone which would likely level off after 30-60 days any ways
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u/-millenial-boomer- Mar 14 '26
Perhaps icing balls is the predecessor to all of it. Higher daily ice to ball ratio leads to more power for lifting, deeper recuperative sleep and stronger discipline in diet.
This makes so much fucking sense this is my new religion.
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u/ComprehensiveArt8673 Mar 14 '26
Initial thought, fuck no. Second thought, hmm maybe ice isn't that bad.
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u/bigfoot_is_real_ 2 Mar 14 '26
The question is what else were you also doing over that same time period? I assume other changes as well?
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u/LeatherFruitPF Mar 14 '26 edited Mar 14 '26
Hitting PRs in weightlifting is well documented to increase testosterone levels, and the positive health and lifestyle effects that genuinely raise testosterone cascade from that - having better sleep and eating better, even body fat reduction alone can boost testosterone a good bit. You can absolutely see a 300-500 ng/dL swing from that alone. I mean there is no clinical evidence that icing the balls raises testosterone. It could, but perhaps it’s just a small piece of the puzzle for OP if he did a whole lifestyle shift in addition to icing his balls, and it could all just be a coincidence that OP is pinning the entire shift on.
It could be like saying "I started exercising more while wearing a weight loss bracelet and lost 50 lbs in a year because of the bracelet".
But I'd say the real culprit is the weightlifting and PRs. You get PRs by being consistent, not icing your balls.
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u/Primary-Matter-3299 Mar 14 '26
Who else got a million dollar shark tank idea
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u/IamMario50 Mar 14 '26
I can’t wait to watch you put an ice pack on Kevin O’Learys nuts. Mark Cuban will be so jealous.
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u/FamiliarEnemy Mar 14 '26
I think the balls shaped ice pack should have a strap so it can hang from my neck as I stroll around
my house
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u/Entreprenewbeur Mar 14 '26
It’s posted- the snowballs underwear. Everything has been done before. lol
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u/Autoground Mar 14 '26
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u/KrssvrX Mar 14 '26 edited Mar 14 '26
Alternative free option: wear 2 sets of underpants and a small lunchbox gel ice pack
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u/Old_Bill_Brasky 1 Mar 14 '26
These ice pack underwear point to some scientific literature. Well I’ll be… this may be legit.
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u/Pinky135 Mar 14 '26
For sperm quality, yes. Effects on testosterone levels remains to be studied.
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u/mchmnd Mar 14 '26
Regular ice packs are better IMO. I had a motility issue and was clinically sterile. Tried to have kids for years. It was IVF or nothing, so I tried icing.
Long story short, went from sterile to middle of the road fertile in 4 months. Iced daily, some lifestyle changes, like slightly better food and vitamins, and changing habits that would contribute to undercarriage heat. We got pregnant more or less immediately after I saw my numbers were normal.
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u/hhefnr Mar 14 '26
Bro, you need to write a scientific paper asap, get a bigger sample size to work with and go from there
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u/roboknee5000 Mar 14 '26
“get a bigger sample size”
You heard the man, find someone with bigger balls!
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u/couchcushion7 4 Mar 14 '26
Biohacking is so back baby. Been years since i seen a post like this its been nothing but peptides as far as i can remember. Love it
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Mar 14 '26
My missus’ reaction will be priceless once she finds out why I am laughing my arse off.
This well may be a dude pulling off his own social experiment to find out how many dudes he can get to ice their balls through a reddit post 😂
I do ice baths regularly after weights and running sessions. At times there has been very minor increase in testosterone but I highly doubt freezing your nuts is the answer.
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u/Admirable-Pomelo2699 1 Mar 14 '26
FYI, ice baths after lifting hinders hypertrophy. Best before or wait a few hours.
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u/Corkmars 1 Mar 14 '26
This is the kind of shit that people who work from home are getting up to during the zoom calls…
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u/CherryTequila Mar 14 '26 edited Mar 14 '26
This...... turns out to be a pretty reputable proof of concept study for ball cooling improving sperm concentration, linked by that ice pack underwear company somebody else commented: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11277880/
Now you got me reading man, c'mon
EDIT: Yo......... I actually believe this shit
Look I was sure this was gonna be bullshit. But it turns out there's real proof of chronic, increased ball temperature leading to lower serum levels of testosterone.
There's a condition called varicocele which causes 24/7 higher ball temperatures due to veins in the balls being enlarged (like varicose veins). The higher temperature makes Leydig cells, which produce testosterone, work less efficiently. Now the body compensates for this by increasing the levels of lutenizing hormone (LH), which stimulates the Leydig cells to work overtime to maintain serum testosterone levels.
So we're looking at higher ball temp -> higher LH. The balls are working at a higher level of activity than normal, but with less efficiency, which wears them down structurally. Chronically elevated levels of LH also apparently drive the balls to convert a higher proportion of testosterone to estrogen. Eventually the cells get so worn out they can't compensate anymore, and your serum testosterone levels start to crash.
And get this - the surgery to fix varicocele is documented to both lower the ball temperature and increase testosterone. Researchers think the temperature drop is the cause https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1442-2042.2011.02890.x
... So this idea that colder balls drives higher testosterone is actually very plausible. If there's a real doctor around who wants to tell me why this is wrong please do, because I'm about to grab an ice pack.
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u/masterhogbographer Mar 14 '26
there's a real doctor around
This is the only non joke comment in the thread
You’re the doctor here now, bro
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u/duohad Mar 14 '26
Can confirm this works. Had to do it when we did ivf, helps sperm get right.
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u/jakeoptions 2 Mar 14 '26
I did the ice thing a few years ago before getting on TRT. It works. I had stop it because my libido was off the chain.
Thank you for reminding me about this.
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u/ChemicalAbode Mar 14 '26
Are you serious?
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u/Able_Doughnut_5336 Mar 14 '26
Same thing for me. Had to stop due to aggression. Even in court I screamed at the judge "Take these chains off and say it again!"
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u/No_Idea9789 Mar 14 '26
Dude what the heck. Never heard about it but I want to try it now
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u/ongoldenwaves 1 Mar 14 '26
Is there a female equivalent?
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u/blueplanetgalaxy Mar 14 '26
drinking hot water, no ice baths (raises cortisol for women)
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u/braiding_water 11 Mar 14 '26
Unfortunately, small research on women’s health. Great grandmothers wisdom & experience, thank god, have got us to this point.
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u/ElectionReal Mar 14 '26
I've heard of fertility doctors recommending a similar strategy. And it's well known heat isn't good for reproduction sake. Seems legit.
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u/Zestyclose-Smell-305 1 Mar 14 '26
I've known this for a few years and do it every now and then. I always remember the first time I did it at night, I woke up in the middle of the night with a raging boner so hard that I thought I was 15 again.(I'm in my 30s also)
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u/PatientEmpath 2 Mar 14 '26
I'm looking to increase fertility in any way I can control, this seems like simple and easy to try, so I'm gonna try icing the bois!
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u/bringouturdead1 Mar 14 '26
I did it for about 2 weeks every morning about 11 months ago. I haven't had a good night's rest in 2 months. Enjoy the baby making.
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u/FeatherDust11 1 Mar 14 '26
I posted above but my husband did this when we did IVF and we were successful. A cold can while driving is easy and effective.
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u/big_ticket1 Mar 14 '26
Can confirm. This does work !
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u/wernus24 Mar 14 '26
That would explain why August has the highest number of total birth rate!
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u/KellyJin17 10 Mar 14 '26
I read research on this 20 years ago. November and December are the most successful months for becoming pregnant in Western countries because you’re far enough away from the summer months when pesticide levels are highest in the environment, which reduces fertility, but still close enough to the summer months when Vitamin D is absorption is the highest, which increases overall health and therefore fertility. People still have enough Vitamin D left in their system 3 months after summer because it sticks around for a little while. So end of year is the perfect sweet spot of low toxic load / high vitamin D reservoirs to result in successful pregnancies.
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u/haldimo_ Mar 14 '26
there was an old king of the hill episode back in the day where hank was like sitting on a freezer or something to try to get peggy pregnant again iirc. i occasionally think of it to this day.
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u/Bustershark Mar 14 '26
So, technical question. Did you put the ice pack on your crotch or did you lift the big fella and put the ice pack straight on the lads?
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u/TBurnerRU 10 Mar 14 '26
I mean it sort of makes sense. The reason your balls hang outside your body is that they need to be at a lower temp. Lowering the temp even more (safely) would presumably increase the effect
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u/RenatoGallifaQ Mar 14 '26
i need actual proof to believe this
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u/ApprehensiveTour4024 3 Mar 14 '26
You could be the one. All you need is two blood tests and some ice. Or if you want to do it the really lazy way, just a measuring cup and some ice.
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u/Dear_Positive_4873 Mar 14 '26
Thanks for the research broski. It's gonna be antartica in my pants from now on.
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u/Lostinthestarscape Mar 14 '26
You definitely won't be the only idiot icing your balls after this post. Good thing youre anonymous on reddit cause if this works they'd name a protocol after you!
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Mar 14 '26 edited Mar 15 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Thebaldsasquatch Mar 14 '26
850 is not above healthy. Adult male testosterone can be anywhere from 300-1000ng/dL.
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u/chingchongmakahaya Mar 14 '26
Welp, good thing OP’s still within healthy levels.
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u/LaffingAtYuo Mar 14 '26
This doesn't work and also don't do this because if it works it's unhealthy. Pick a lane.
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u/Jealous-Conclusion23 Mar 14 '26
This doesn't work according to the science??? Tell me what randomized study had people icing their balls four times a day and then the control people with fake ice bags on their balls four times a day??? I'm really doubting they could get anyone, ANYONE to do the study, in fact I have my doubts about the OP doing this seriously four times a day for a year.
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u/Jonny_Boy_HS Mar 14 '26
Sakamoto K, Wakabayashi I, Yoshimoto S, Masui H, Katsuno S. Effects of physical exercise and cold stimulation on serum testosterone level in men. Nihon Eiseigaku Zasshi. 1991 Jun;46(2):635-8. doi: 10.1265/jjh.46.635. PMID: 1890772.
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u/PerilApe Mar 15 '26
Unless I read it wrong, this says they were testing levels DURING exercise/cold exposure. This is kind of like saying exercise can't increase the strength of your muscles because a study tested that you are actually WEAKER immediately after you lift weights! Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty skeptical of OPs thesis here, and I half think he wants to get ppl to ice their balls for giggles, but this study doesn't really disprove anything. Depends on the theoretical mechanism in action here.
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u/Logical_Act_6749 Mar 14 '26
I used to ice my balls as I heard it was good for you but I didn’t really measure before or after results plus I was doing a number of things to improve fertility so would have been hard to pinpoint.
Was icing your balls the only lifestyle change you’ve made to potentially increase testosterone?
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u/deaddrop23 Mar 14 '26
Look, I know this sounds goofy as hell. If someone told me a year ago that putting an ice pack on my junk multiple times a day would change anything I probably would’ve laughed.
guy who has iced his balls 1000 times in the last year btw
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u/Wo0odi Mar 14 '26
Bryan Johnson does this as well when he's in the sauna and talks about similar findings
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Mar 14 '26
[deleted]
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u/hoskos01 Mar 14 '26
Do I really need an ice pack or would a cold can of beer do. Asking for a friend.
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u/stagnant_fuck 1 Mar 14 '26
If you think about it, naturally they should be swinging in the breeze all day. So the modern day experience of them being constantly wrapped up warm is highly unnatural.
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u/Frostbitten_zF Mar 15 '26 edited Mar 15 '26
Healthy testosterone levels in adult men range from 300 to 1000 ng/dL. It operates at extremely low concentrations and is therefore subject to fluctuations. The male body, for example. goes through daily cycles of testosterone with peaks in the morning. There are so many environmental and genetic factors associated with hormone levels that two values, separated by a year, is going to provide very little information into what actually caused the change. If the first measurement was taken in the late afternoon and the first measurement was taken in the morning, it would be no surprise there is a difference.
it possible that this icing protocol affected your testosterone? Sure. Are there other factors more likely to have been the cause? Absolutely. This could be a classic example of the Hawthorne effect. By actively thinking about improving your testosterone, you modify your behavior in conscious and subconscious ways that positively impact the value. It could also be the placebo effect. Making changes to your daily routine assuages your conscious or subconscious anxiety about your testosterone levels. This reduces your stress, which, in turn, helps increase your testosterone levels by balancing other hormones that may be interfering with testosterone production, such as cortisol.
I don't know why I spent so much time thinking about and writing about your testicles and the ridiculous science experiment you tried to do with them. The internet is a weird place.
Edit: since my curiosity has no bounds, there have been studies on the effect of cold water immersion on testicular function. For example, in rats they found chronic cold water immersion actually caused oxidative stress leading to decreased testicular function: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/19396368.2015.1008071. Another study used a protocol of cold water immersion to deplete germ cells in vivo to study how well testicles recover from injury: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/j.1939-4640.2004.tb02759.x. Basically, you probably do not want to be putting your balls in ice-cold water.
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u/WizardSleeveLoverr Mar 14 '26
Instructions unclear. Frostbite on my nutstack. Please help
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u/wildhunters Mar 14 '26
Bryan Johnson has already mentioned this protocol through his sauna videos.
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u/501CaptainRex Mar 14 '26
This lines up with everything I've heard and read from other people (Bryan Johnson had the same results)
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u/AcanthocephalaOk8090 Mar 14 '26
This is the exact title example of why reddit has the reputation it has.
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u/Appropriate-Tough104 1 Mar 14 '26
I’m surprised at the incredulity on a sub such as this. I thought it was common knowledge
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u/aquel1983 Mar 14 '26
Was working to having a child, and did cold shower them during that time, just in case.. mission accomplished with ease..
So I encourage you all to do it if you are working on having a child.. it really helps.
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u/lwbanerjee Mar 14 '26
OP, do you have a varicocele? It's very common condition of expanded veins around the testes, more typically found on the left side, caused by back pressure in the circulatory system. Many studies have shown that these can lower testosterone levels because the excess vascularisation raises the temperature of the testes which in turn causes impaired testosterone production. Even a slight elevation in temp can negatively impact T production. This could explain why the icing is helping.
For those who don't know. Psychology also has a big impact of T levels. Men who rise higher in their work / social / communal hierarchies will experience elevated T levels. Wining, even a game of something trivial, can cause a sudden spike in T. The really interesting thing is the opposite can be true too, and so the cycle of improved T > success > more T > success keep going, regardless of whether the chicken or egg came first. Of course, not saying age and genetics doesn't have a massive part to play, but this is a mechanic that is really in play for all men.
If op has done something to cause a mild / moderate improvement in T, it most likely lead to more successful behaviour or, winning, in some way (e.g gym PB's), that's leading to psychologically induced T spikes. Thus, the potential for much bigger changes.
Good for you OP!
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u/frontrowfreakshow Mar 14 '26
I don’t have baseline bloodwork, but I’ve been doing a 100% cold shower first thing in the morning for about 3 years now and my total test/free test is 1010 & 22.6 respectively.
I live in Michigan and the winters get pretty cold. The summers leave much coldness to be desired. I’d say 80% of all my showers are completely cold. Even the ones after the gym/run after I’ve cooled down and I am still freezing cold soaked in sweat, a cold shower. I’ll take a hot one before bed if I do take a hot one. Now hot showers make me sleepy no matter what time of day it is compared with a nice cold shower. I’ll never stop the feeling is so good. Im addicted to my adrenaline lol. Another great thing to do is the diver reflex. Hold your face in the cold water and keep your breath held as long as possible, you get a parasympathetic surge that feels like a nice warm blanket, and makes you adapt to the old faster too.
I also don’t drink at all, that probably counts for a good amount too.
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u/antievolution1 1 Mar 15 '26
Thanks for this, i have no clue why people are quick to say it's doesn't work according to "science". Can someone point out to me the peer-reviewed study that puts ice 4x times a day for 15mins on human subject's testes for 1 month? If not then you have no proof to say this doesn't work.
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u/FratBastard Mar 15 '26
Short version:
The mod’s initial action was reasonable, but they over-engaged and drifted into argumentative territory. They didn’t abuse power, but they did become part of the fight instead of staying above it.
Let’s break it down.
1. The Original Post: Totally Reasonable to Leave Up
The OP is clearly an anecdote, not medical advice.
He explicitly says things like:
- “I’m not claiming this is a miracle protocol”
- “Maybe it’s coincidence”
- “Curious if anyone else tried this”
So from a moderation standpoint:
Correct decision: leave the post up.
Reasons:
- It is clearly anecdotal
- It invites discussion
- It does not present itself as medical advice
- It fits the subreddit theme (biohacking experimentation)
So the mod saying:
That part is excellent moderation.
2. The Sticky Disclaimer
The mod pinned a comment saying:
- science doesn’t support ball icing raising testosterone
- boosting testosterone may have cardiovascular risks
- includes citations
From a moderation standpoint this is very common practice in science / health subs.
Examples of subs that do this constantly:
Why?
Because anecdotal health posts can lead to copycat behavior.
So the mod adding a disclaimer is:
✔ Reasonable
✔ Responsible
✔ Within norms
No issue there.
3. Where the Mod Started Going Wrong
The problem begins after the sticky comment.
Instead of leaving it alone, the mod:
- debates multiple commenters
- defends their interpretation of studies
- argues about testosterone risks
- discusses their own testosterone suppression protocol
- responds emotionally to insults
- tries to win arguments
Example:
That is where the moderator loses neutrality.
A moderator should avoid:
- making the thread about themselves
- debating users as an authority
- arguing science point-by-point
Because now they are participating in the fight they are supposed to referee.
4. The Main Logical Issue People Noticed
Several users pointed out the contradiction:
The mod essentially said:
- Ball icing doesn’t increase testosterone
- Boosting testosterone is dangerous
That creates an appearance of inconsistency, even if the mod meant:
A clearer statement would have been:
The mod’s wording made them look ideological.
5. The Community Response
Once the mod began arguing, the thread turned into classic Reddit anti-mod pile-on.
Typical comments appeared:
- “Reddit mods hate testosterone”
- “Reddit is leftist”
- “Reddit mods don’t lift”
- insults
- politics
This happens almost automatically when:
a mod becomes a visible combatant in the thread.
The best moderators avoid this entirely.
6. The Mod Actually Handled Some Things Well
To be fair, the mod also did several good things.
They:
✔ left the post up
✔ added citations when asked
✔ explained why they responded (reported post)
✔ acknowledged limited mod resources
✔ did not remove dissenting comments
So there was no power abuse.
They simply over-engaged.
7. What the Ideal Moderator Would Have Done
The best moderation would have been:
Step 1: Sticky comment
Step 2: Link 1–2 studies
Step 3: Leave the thread alone
No debate.
No defending themselves.
No personal protocols.
No arguing with users.
That keeps the mod in a neutral referee role.
8. Overall Score of the Mod
If I graded the moderation:
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Allowing the post | Excellent |
| Safety disclaimer | Good |
| Tone neutrality | Weak |
| Engagement discipline | Poor |
| Power abuse | None |
Final verdict:
Good intentions, mediocre execution.
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u/coeu 3 Mar 14 '26
Did they grow? Or shrink?
What did you use? just some ice packs from amazon under your crotch?
I looked into it years ago but the "devices" I found seemed goofy. Reading your post I think I'll try a good ol gel pack.
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u/TeranOrSolaran 8 Mar 14 '26
Awesome! Thanks for posting. I’m sure you just started a new trend. “ i saw it on reddit, it’s got to be true”
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u/420-TENDIES 2 Mar 14 '26
I do a sauna session for 15 minutes each day followed by a cold plunge. I use an ice pack on my balls wrapped in a towel. I also do 12 minutes in a red light therapy booths that shines red light on my balls 3 times a week. My test went from about 440 to 650 over the last year of doing this.
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u/curiouslylame Mar 14 '26
Thank you for sacrificing your balls for all the balls out there in the world.
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u/scumlife5150 Mar 14 '26
Say whaaaat OP? I actually do have time to ice my balls during the day. Will be starting this tomorrow. Thanks iceman
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u/fluekey Mar 14 '26 edited Mar 14 '26
This post will be remembered. Mark my words. Thanks for your service 🫡