Infertility, erectile dysfunction, and hair loss affect a significant proportion of men. 38% have experienced a loss of desire or erectile difficulties over the past year, one in two men is affected by androgenetic alopecia by the age of 50, and male fertility is the sole cause in 20% of cases and a contributing factor in a further 30–40%.

 

Long studied separately, these issues have one thing in common that research is increasingly exploring: the microbiome. Fertility, sexual function, urinary comfort, as well as metabolism, cardiovascular health, and recovery: clinical trials on probiotics are opening up a new area for product formulation, one that current offerings have yet to fully explore.

 

Men’s health and probiotics are now an emerging scientific field taking shape, with the testobolome – a still-emerging concept – offering a promising illustration.

 

 

A strong opportunity is emerging for supplement brands seeking differentiation.

 

The Men’s Health Market

 

A Growing Market Focused on a Few Established Ingredients

 

The global market for men’s health supplements is expected to reach €79 billion in 2026, up from €66 billion in 2024 (+19%). Yet products remain concentrated around a small number of ingredients targeting hormonal health and vitality: zinc, vitamin D3, and adaptogens. Probiotics still play only a marginal role in this market.

Energy, Stress, Metabolism: Expectations Are Broadening

 

Men no longer define their health solely in terms of sports performance or hormones. General well-being, energy, stress management, and metabolism are increasingly diverse and interconnected priorities, reflecting a more holistic approach that established ingredients only partially address.

A Gap Between Perceived Need and Purchasing Behaviour

 

Yet these expectations do not always translate into purchases. For stress, 20% of men in a US panel said they needed support, but only 11% bought a product to address it. By comparison, the gap for immunity is just 1 percentage point. The difference lies less in the products available than in how the benefits are perceived: immune support is a long-established, clearly understood promise, whereas stress relief is still a benefit that consumers do not readily associate with dietary supplements.

 

Two factors weigh most heavily in purchasing decisions: price (54%) and the presence of familiar ingredients (39%). Probiotics, already familiar to the general public, meet the second criterion – an advantage when it comes to overcoming barriers to purchase for emerging benefits.

 

Certain ingredient combinations stand out as particularly promising for turning this need into a purchase – an area Exden explores with brands looking for a differentiated formula.

What About France?

 

The French market exceeded €3 billion for the first time in 2025, and 61% of French people take dietary supplements at least occasionally. However, the proportion of men among consumers has remained around 41–44% for several years: this is still an audience to win over, with an offering better aligned with its evolving expectations.

 

Two Microbiomes at the Heart of Men’s Health

 

Two microbiomes are involved: the genital microbiome, which remains underexplored, and the gut microbiome, whose influence extends far beyond digestion.

 

The Male Genital Microbiome

 

A Distinct Flora in Each Niche

 

The male genital tract contains several niches with distinct microbial compositions:

 

• Genital skin: similar to the surrounding skin.

 

• Urethra: a low-biomass microbial community, long considered almost sterile, which sequencing is only now beginning to characterise.

 

• Semen: increasingly well characterised in healthy men, in whom lactic acid bacteria are frequently found.

 

Dysbiosis: Causes and Consequences

 

Several factors can disrupt the balance of this microbiome: sexually transmitted infections, antibiotic treatment, exposure to urinary pathogens, and sexual activity itself.

 

When dysbiosis occurs, documented consequences fall into three categories: more urogenital infections, increased local inflammation, and a possible impact on semen quality.

 

The Gut Microbiome

 

The gut hosts around 38 trillion microorganisms. It contributes to digestion, immune regulation, and the production of metabolites that circulate throughout the body.

 

Its composition is shaped by diet, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and sex: certain gut bacteria metabolise circulating sex hormones. The testobolome concept emerges from this area of research.

 

Planning a probiotic-based men’s health formula? Our R&D experts can support you from the development stage. Let’s talk: contact@exden.fr

 

The Testobolome: A New and Emerging Concept

 

The testobolome was first formalised in a scientific review published in 2026. By analogy with the estrobolome, already documented in relation to oestrogens, it refers to the group of gut bacteria capable of metabolising testosterone. These bacteria can transform the hormone, sometimes even reactivating it after it has been eliminated by the body.

 

Animal studies show that the gut microbiome can influence circulating testosterone levels – a signal that, in humans, remains more theoretical than established at this stage. This is a research avenue worth following, and it already reinforces the importance of the microbiome in men’s health.

 

Turning science into a stable, effective formula: this is precisely what Exden has been doing for nearly 20 years. Discover our expertise.

Applications Specific to Men

 

These applications have one thing in common: all are influenced, to varying degrees, by androgens. Fertility, sexual desire, and muscle mass depend on testosterone. Hair loss and prostate enlargement depend on its active derivative, dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

 

This is where the testobolome becomes particularly interesting: if the gut microbiome contributes to androgen metabolism, it could influence all these areas.

 

Fertility and Semen Quality

 

In France and elsewhere, infertility affects 15–25% of couples trying to conceive. Male fertility is the sole cause in 20% of cases or a contributing factor in 30–40% of cases.

 

A systematic review of four randomised trials involving 147 men with unexplained infertility reports improved sperm motility across all trials using probiotics. Several studies also note improvements in sperm concentration, ejaculate volume, and sperm DNA fragmentation.

 

 

Sexual Function

 

In France, 38% of men have experienced reduced sexual desire or erectile difficulties in the past 12 months. (Kano Care, 2026)

 

Proposed mechanisms include the gut–brain axis, which modulates stress and mood, and a reduction in low-grade inflammation – the latter being the best-documented pathway in men.

 

A randomised trial involving 240 men taking antidepressants reported significant improvements in sexual desire, erectile function, and sexual satisfaction when a probiotic was added to treatment. This is an encouraging result in a population particularly affected by the issue: antidepressants are a common cause of sexual dysfunction.

 

Prostate and Urinary Comfort

 

More than one man in two develops benign prostatic hyperplasia after the age of 50, often without symptoms. Urinary problems affect at least a quarter of men over 60.

 

Increased intestinal permeability may allow more pro-inflammatory molecules to pass through to the prostate, contributing to its enlargement.

 

Evidence for probiotics in this area is still largely lacking. Initial findings concern a narrower population: patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis, treated with probiotics alongside antibiotics. Patients reported improvements in symptoms and quality of life.

Hair Loss

 

Androgenetic alopecia affects half of all men by the age of 50.

 

A clinical trial shows that 16 weeks of probiotic supplementation significantly reduces the number of hairs in the shedding (telogen) phase.

 

Certain strains may limit bacteria that consume biotin, a nutrient associated with hair growth. This remains an early-stage research area.

 

Beyond Men’s Health: A More Holistic Approach

 

The potential of probiotics for men is not limited to genital and hormonal health; it extends to broader health concerns that are receiving increasing attention.

 

By strengthening the intestinal barrier, certain strains limit the passage of bacterial fragments into the bloodstream. These fragments can trigger low-grade inflammation, which is implicated in metabolic and cardiovascular risk.

Metabolic Balance

 

In France, diabetes affects more men than women: 55% versus 45% of diagnosed cases. A meta-analysis involving nearly 1,200 patients (men and women) with metabolic syndrome reports improvements in weight, waist circumference, and lipid profile. Fasting blood glucose also improves, although to a more modest extent.

 

Another clinical trial conducted exclusively in men reports a significant reduction in triglycerides after 12 weeks of probiotic supplementation.

Cardiovascular Health

 

In France, cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death among men, just behind cancer. LDL (low-density lipoprotein), the cholesterol measure most closely associated with cardiovascular risk, may be partly regulated by the gut microbiome.

 

A meta-analysis of 11 randomised trials reports a significant reduction in LDL with probiotics. Another meta-analysis, covering 20 trials, also shows a reduction in CRP (C-reactive protein), a blood marker of inflammation associated with cardiovascular risk.

Recovery and Sports Performance

 

56% of fitness and exercise enthusiasts have purchased a dietary supplement or sports nutrition product in the past year, well beyond elite athletes alone. Testosterone plays a direct role in maintaining muscle mass.

 

Clinical evidence also shows that probiotics can influence recovery and performance.

 

According to a meta-analysis, several probiotic strains are associated with better post-exercise recovery and reduced muscle soreness in athletes. A second meta-analysis shows improvements in aerobic capacity and recovery after exercise.

Men’s Health and Probiotics: How Should You Position Your Product Range?

 

Four decisions shape a project, and each influences the others:

 

• Scope: a specific application (fertility, urinary comfort, etc.) or a holistic approach to men’s health. This choice guides strain selection and dosage.

 

• Consumer profile: athletes, men over 50, couples trying to conceive, and so on. Each requires a different promise and level of evidence.

 

• Dosage form: capsules, sticks, powders, or liquids—each format suits a different profile or consumption habit. Discover our powders and liquids.

 

• Ingredient combinations: not all combinations are equally suitable. An ingredient must be compatible with the probiotic strain without compromising its viability or stability. These ingredients also play a role in substantiating claims.

 

Exden supports your entire project through full-service and private-label solutions, from formulation to manufacturing. Discover our services.

Men’s Health and Probiotics FAQ: Your Questions, Answered by Science

Can probiotics affect testosterone levels?

Animal studies suggest that they may, through the testobolome: the bacteria capable of metabolising testosterone. In humans, this link has yet to be demonstrated.

How do you choose the right strain for a men’s health formula?

Effects are strictly strain-specific. A result obtained with one strain cannot be assumed to apply to another, even a closely related one. Selection should be based on clinical data for that exact strain, the intended application, the dose studied, and its stability in the chosen dosage form.

How long should supplementation last before an effect can be observed?

It depends on the strain, dosage, and target application. Initial effects may appear within a few days, or supplementation may need to continue for several weeks.

Probiotics or postbiotics for a men’s health formula?

Probiotics currently have the strongest clinical evidence for the applications discussed in this article. Postbiotics offer greater stability, but the clinical evidence for their use in this area is still at an early stage.

Do probiotics only act on symptoms, or can they also affect underlying mechanisms?

Many trials already measure biological markers – inflammation, lipid profile, blood glucose, and semen quality – in addition to symptoms.

 

 

Men’s Health and Probiotics: An Opportunity to Explore Methodically

 

Men now expect dietary supplements to offer more than support for vitality or hormonal health.

 

Fertility, sexual function, hair loss, metabolism, and recovery: microbiome research is opening up possibilities in each of these areas.

 

The level of evidence varies by application (more advanced for metabolism and lipids, still preliminary for the prostate or hair), while the testobolome remains a research avenue that needs further investigation.

 

For brands, this variation in evidence makes it important to target an application supported by research and select a well-documented strain at the studied dose.

Developing a Probiotic-Based Men’s Health Formula?

 

Are you a dietary supplement brand looking to enter the men’s health market with a scientifically differentiated formulation?

 

Exden works with you to develop a probiotic formula that incorporates the latest advances in microbiome and men’s health research:

• Selection of strains suited to your application and target audience from a library of more than 250 documented strains.

 

• Tailor-made formulation with synergistic combinations of men’s health ingredients.

 

• Certified French manufacturing (ISO 22000) in a facility dedicated exclusively to biotics.

 

• Maximised viability and stability with Probiopack®.

 

Let’s discuss your project: contact@exden.fr

 

 

Enora Lehuédé, Marketing Project Manager