Does vaping lower testosterone?

The state of the research

Vaping has only been widespread since around 2010, so long-term human studies on hormonal effects are still being done. What we have so far is a combination of animal studies on e-cigarette aerosol, longer-running studies on nicotine itself, and smaller human studies that are starting to confirm what the animal research suggested.

A 2025 study found that heating tobacco products were associated with decreases in androgen hormones in rats. Animal studies on chronic vape exposure have shown testosterone reductions of around 23% after 12 weeks. Small-scale human studies have indicated modest reductions in free testosterone in vapers compared to non-users.

The total testosterone confusion: some studies show smokers have higher total testosterone than non-smokers, but this is misleading. Nicotine raises a protein called SHBG that binds testosterone and makes it inactive. Total looks higher, usable testosterone is often lower.

How nicotine affects testosterone

What low testosterone actually looks like

Low testosterone (hypogonadism) is the medical term for testosterone below normal range. In adult men this is usually under 300 ng/dL. Symptoms can include:

• Low libido or reduced sex drive, often the first symptom people notice.
• Erectile difficulties that are persistent or unusual for you.
• Chronic fatigue and low energy that does not improve with rest.
• Loss of muscle mass and strength, particularly if you train and have noticed gains stalling.
• Increased body fat, particularly around the abdomen.
• Mood changes, irritability, low mood or symptoms of depression.
• Brain fog or difficulty concentrating that is persistent.
• Reduced bone density in long-standing cases.

These symptoms have many possible causes. If you have several of them, it is worth seeing your GP and asking for a blood test rather than assuming vaping is to blame.

Vaping vs smoking for testosterone

Interestingly, the picture is less clearly in vaping's favour here than for other health markers. Both raise SHBG. Both reduce free testosterone. Some studies on smokers actually show higher total testosterone, which can mask the underlying problem.

The honest summary: for testosterone specifically, vaping does not appear to be a meaningful improvement over smoking. Nicotine is the main driver, and vaping delivers nicotine just as effectively as cigarettes.

What you can do

If you are worried about testosterone and you vape, a few steps make a real difference.

1. Get a proper blood test

   Ask your GP to check total testosterone, free testosterone and SHBG. NHS guidance is to test in the morning when levels are highest. A single test is not enough; usually two tests on different days are needed for diagnosis.

2. Reduce your nicotine strength

   Lower nicotine means less SHBG elevation and less impact on hormone production. Going from 20mg salts to 10mg or 6mg freebase is a meaningful change.

3. Stop nicotine for 3 months and retest

   The gold-standard test. If symptoms and blood test markers improve after a few months without nicotine, the link is confirmed for you. If they do not, vaping was not the main driver.

4. Address other lifestyle factors

   Sleep, weight, stress, alcohol intake and exercise all affect testosterone more than most people realise. Poor sleep alone can drop testosterone by 10 to 15%.

5. Strength train

   Resistance training boosts testosterone naturally. Particularly effective with compound movements like squats, deadlifts and bench press.

6. Check vitamin D and zinc

   Both are involved in testosterone production. Deficiency in either can cause low testosterone. Cheap blood tests, easy to correct with supplements if needed.

The bottom line