NoFap Benefits: Real or Overhyped?
Most of the purported benefits are attributed to a supposed increase in testosterone levels, a concept that fueled the original Reddit discussion back in the day.
One of the forum users shared a small 2003 studyTrusted Source that found that not ejaculating for 7 days raised testosterone levels, leading others to go a week without masturbating.
Those who abstained went on to share other potential benefits of “fapstinence.” This included mental and physical health benefits, as well as spiritual awakenings and epiphanies.
Purported mental benefits
Members of the NoFap community have reported experiencing a number of mental benefits, including:
increased happiness
boosted confidence
increased motivation and willpower
lower levels of stress and anxiety
heightened spirituality
self-acceptance
improved attitude and appreciation toward other sexes
Purported physical benefits
Some potential physical benefits shared by NoFappers are:
higher energy levels
muscle growth
better sleep
improved focus and concentration
better physical performance and stamina
improved or cured erectile dysfunction
improved sperm quality
SUBSCRIBE
SEXUAL HEALTH
Sex Qs
Identity
Pleasure
Birth control
Relationships
NoFap Benefits: Real or Overhyped?
Medically reviewed by Janet Brito, Ph.D., LCSW, CST — Written by Adrienne Santos-Longhurst — Updated on March 25, 2022
What NoFap is
Origin
Controversies
Similar sites
Purported benefits
Research
Semen retention
Risks
Medical attention
Takeaway
Simone Wave/Stocksy
What exactly is NoFap?
NoFap.com is a website and organization that calls itself a “comprehensive community-based porn recovery site.”
The organization challenges users to abstain from pornography, masturbation, or sex altogether in order to “reboot” the brain to heal so-called “porn addiction“ and associated sexual dysfunction. This is supposed to lead to numerous benefits, including improved relationships and fulfillment.
NoFap offers members support in the way of a community forum and reboot challenges and events. Members also get access to videos, blog posts, and podcasts. They also offer apps to help members track their days of abstinence and stay motivated.
Where did NoFap originate?
NoFap started on Reddit in 2011 during an online convo between folks who’d given up masturbation.
The term “NoFap“ (now a trademarked name and business) came from the word “fap,” which is internet lingo for the sound of masturbating. You know — fapfapfapfap.
What started as a casual discussion is now a website and organization that promotes quitting not just masturbation, but also quitting engaging with porn and other sexual behaviors.
The target audience appears to predominantly be straight cisgender men, with smaller pockets of cisgender women and LGBTQIA+ folks.
Proponents say that adopting the NoFap lifestyle offers a range of benefits, from mental clarity to muscle growth. But is there any truth behind these claims?
What about the scandals and litigation surrounding NoFap?
With no hard science to back the supposed benefits of abstaining from masturbation and porn, and not being recognized clinically as addictive, it’s not surprising that NoFap has seen its share of controversy.
Some experts have called the organization out for sex-shaming and the potential harm it can inflict, including attempting to treat an addiction when there is none.
According to a 2019 article from Vice, “sex educators, adult industry groups and therapists told Motherboard that they are scared of legal action from NoFap, and some of them weren’t willing to speak openly about masturbation and the stigma of watching porn.”
Also, though NoFap says it’s not homogenous, anti-pornography, or anti-masturbation, some research into the community internet posts shows that many NoFap practitioners are. Many posts point to a strong far-right, anti-feminist, and misogynistic narrative on many of the NoFap (and similar) community forumsTrusted Source and Twitter.
Are there any sites or organizations similar to NoFap?
Along with several NoFap subreddits focusing on specific audiences, like teens and Christians, there are other similar but lesser-known (Read: less controversial) sites and organizations. The ideology is pretty much the same, in that abstaining from masturbation and porn use can result in various, not-backed-by science benefits.
Some of the popular sites include:
Your Brain on Porn. This website is named after the e-book of the same name, which was written by the founder, Gary Wilson. Currently maintained by a group of men who’ve recovered from internet porn-related problems, the site was created for those looking to understand and reverse compulsive porn use.
Reboot Nation. The website says it’s a porn addiction and porn-induced sexual dysfunction recovery website that provides encouragement and education to help people reboot their brains — reboot being rest from artificial sexual stimulation, like pornography. Founder Gabe Deem says he has recovered from porn addiction and a porn-induced sexual dysfunction.
Your Brain Rebalanced. This is a forum with over 22,000 members that centers on self-perceived porn addiction and discussions similar to those on NoFap boards.
#NoNutNovember. This is an online challenge and meme that many associate with NoFap even though it’s a separate thing. It went viral, mostly thanks to NoFap members who shared or participated in the challenge, and the challenge is to not orgasm for the entire month of November.
What are the purported benefits of NoFap?
Most of the purported benefits are attributed to a supposed increase in testosterone levels, a concept that fueled the original Reddit discussion back in the day.
One of the forum users shared a small 2003 studyTrusted Source that found that not ejaculating for 7 days raised testosterone levels, leading others to go a week without masturbating.
Those who abstained went on to share other potential benefits of “fapstinence.” This included mental and physical health benefits, as well as spiritual awakenings and epiphanies.
Purported mental benefits
Members of the NoFap community have reported experiencing a number of mental benefits, including:
increased happiness
boosted confidence
increased motivation and willpower
lower levels of stress and anxiety
heightened spirituality
self-acceptance
improved attitude and appreciation toward other sexes
Purported physical benefits
Some potential physical benefits shared by NoFappers are:
higher energy levels
muscle growth
better sleep
improved focus and concentration
better physical performance and stamina
improved or cured erectile dysfunction
improved sperm quality
Are any of the purported benefits backed by research?
Testosterone does have an effect on:
mood
energy levels
physical performance
muscle growth
But there’s no evidence linking the effect of masturbation on testosterone levels to any of the benefits listed on the NoFap website or the subreddits.
There is, however, a lot of anecdotal evidence within the NoFap community. Many members are happy to share the rewards they’ve reaped from giving up masturbation or porn.
There may be a placebo effect at play, meaning that people join the community expecting a certain outcome and their expectations make the outcome happen. Having the support of others might also play a role.
This isn’t a bad thing, necessarily. Some people may benefit from it and find value in some of the strategies offered on the website.
Research on masturbation
Aside from the old study that helped kick off the original NoFap discussion and another even older and smaller studyTrusted Source that’s often referenced by people in the community, there’s no other research to indicate that abstaining from masturbation will have any significant or lasting increase in testosterone levels.
Also, there is limited research on the benefits of abstaining from ejaculation, and most of the research on semen retention focused on pregnancy. There isn’t any research to back the other claims associated with not masturbating.
Abstaining, however, does appear to improve sperm quality in people assigned male at birth, according to a 2019 studyTrusted Source.
The study showed that abstinence periods of 1 to 4 days improved:
semen volume
sperm concentration
motility
total sperm count
sperm DNA fragmentation
However, the study also found that abstinence periods of 4 days or more appeared to have a detrimental effect on sperm DNA.
Most experts agree that masturbation is a healthy and important part of typical sexual development. Research from 2011Trusted Source shows that masturbation in childhood and adolescence is associated with a healthy self-image and positive sexual experiences later in life.
Some more physical and mental health benefits that have been linked to masturbation include:
improved mood
better sleep
stress and tension relief
relief from menstrual cramps
lower risk of prostate cancer (research is ongoing to explore this connection)
All of that said, for some people, masturbation can be a source of shame or guilt if their culture views the act as taboo or if it goes against their religious, moral, or even political views.
A 2016 studyTrusted Source found that guilt from masturbation was associated with psychological distress, depression, and anxiety, as well as a tendency toward other sexual problems, relationship difficulties, and higher rates of alcohol use.
A 2020 studyTrusted Source involving 1,063 participants recruited from subreddits related to masturbation abstinence examined the motivation to abstain. Researchers found that those who were most motivated to abstain were those who perceived masturbation to have the highest negative impact on their life, had lower trust in science, and had higher conservatism and religiosity.
