Men’s testosterone dips by 1% per year starting as early as age 30, and the symptoms that come with that decline should not be ignored.
Just ask NFL Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, who retired from football at 30 and felt the effects of low testosterone levels years later.
“I started to experience symptoms of low testosterone in my late 30s. Say 38, I started to notice low energy, maybe a little brain fog here and there,” Johnson, aka “Megatron,” told the Post at The Tune Up event in NYC for Hims on October 21.
As he entered his 40s with three kids, the fatigue became undeniable.
“I was starting to spot different times of the day, mainly in the middle of the afternoon or in the evening around dinnertime, when I would just be like, ‘I could literally go to sleep,’” he recalled. “That’s not normal for me. I wasn’t sure if it was because my exercise routine, I wasn’t putting as much work in as I used to back in the day when I played, or just because the stresses of work, kids, family … I don’t know.”
Testosterone deficiency occurs in 10%-40% of adult males, per the Yale School of Medicine. Johnson, who is part of that statistic, started to take action when his energy levels really became an issue.
“I like to know my scoreboard. I like to know where I’m at. I’ve done other tests in the past just to see where my health is at, because I have cancer in my family, just to be proactive,” he explained. “This is just another area to be proactive.”
Johnson ordered the Hims Men’s Core Panel to check his testosterone levels, and he’s eager to get the results back.
The popular telehealth company offers both at-home and in-person screenings that measure total and free testosterone, as well as other metrics like cholesterol and vitamin D. A total of 22 biomarkers are tested for hormone health, heart health (cholesterol panels), blood, nutrients and thyroid.
In just 10 minutes, users perform a short blood collection using a small, single-use Tasso device and mail the sample back using free, expedited shipping. A licensed healthcare provider then reviews the results and provides answers digitally via an app within a week. If a significant hormone deficiency is present, the doctor may prescribe an enclomiphene-based oral medication starting at $99/month for 10 months. No insurance is required.
Johnson was surprised to learn from Peter Stahl, MD, SVP of Men’s Health at Hims, that there might even be a link between mortality and testosterone.
“We don’t know yet whether giving you testosterone makes you live longer, but we do have a lot of data that giving men testosterone makes them feel a lot better physically, sexually and psycho-cognitively,” Dr. Stahl confirmed during a panel discussion at The Tune Up. “People with low T lose lean muscle, they gain weight, their bones get weaker, they lose their sex drive…brain fog, loss of vitality, not feeling as strong as they used to feel.”
If you’re in your 30s and starting to feel more fatigued or out of it than usual, it might be worth tracking your own scoreboard to see what treatment options could be available for you.
This article was written by Carrie Berk, Commerce Reporter for the New York Post. Carrie specializes in New York City-ready fashion finds for every style, age and budget. Combing the internet’s sale sections, brand collaborations, seasonal trends, timeless staples and lookalike styles, she makes recommendations that stand the test of time in your wardrobe – without breaking the bank. Before joining The Post full time in 2026, her work appeared in HuffPost, Women’s Health, Newsweek and more.
