Numerous studies have documented that music can have a profound impact on male and female testosterone levels.

Many self-improvement gurus have decried the enjoyment of “sad boi” music in men, but they could be onto something on a deeper level.

As music is known to affect mood, there is also an acute hormonal change when test subjects are exposed to certain kinds of sounds.

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Music and Testosterone: The Studies

music and testosterone

One study observed the changes in testosterone and cortisol among both male and female college students when listening to certain sounds and visual stress [R].

They concluded that male testosterone levels dropped, while female testosterone levels rose, with both sexes’ cortisol levels falling when exposed.

The study noted:

“There was a significant difference between the sexes in the way music affected T. Music decreased T in males, whereas it increased T in females. As for C, no sex-related differences were found under any of the conditions studied. C decreased with music and increased under other conditions. THE MAIN FINDINGS: Our data suggests that the effects of music and stress on T differ between males and females.”

Another study found that men with higher testosterone levels, on the whole, were less favorable towards “sophisticated” music including Classical, Jazz, and avant-garde [R].

The researcher noted: “The main finding was a significant negative correlation between testosterone level and a preference for sophisticated music including classical, jazz and avant-garde music in males.”

The researcher hypothesized as to what could be driving the results.

“People with high testosterone level, especially males, are well established as exhibiting high dominance motivation and antisocial or rebellious behaviour, such as rule violation.

“The young generation tended to think that the purpose of listening to classical music is to please authoritative figures, which is in sheer contrast to rebellious attitude,” the researcher continued.

However, it is important to note that the study was conducted in Japan and the results were collected from a small sample of college student.

The researcher added:

“One important limitation of the present study is that we recruited only Japanese university or vocational school students with a relatively homogenous cultural background.

“The influence of testosterone on personality and music preference should be tested and validated under various other cultural and social environments”.

Another publication, when analyzing the same study, concluded that men with higher testosterone preferred more unsophisticated music such as Rock as it was associated with aggression [R].

Male testosterone levels dropped when exposed to “chill-inducing” music and music they didn’t like, according to another study [R].

“The testosterone (T) levels declined in males when they listened to both types of music. In females, the T levels increased in those listening to chill-inducing music but declined when they listened to music they disliked. However, these differences were not significant. The 17-beta estradiol levels increased in males with both types of music, whereas the levels increased with chill-inducing music but declined with disliked music in females,” the study found.

So maybe there’s a reason why metal and hip-hop are blasted in many hardcore gyms.

Homer quote: Noble and manly music invigorates the spirit, strengthens the  wavering...

Testosterone Decline in Other Areas

Yesterday, we found a bizarre study that claimed that there was a correlation between a full moon and falling testosterone levels during the lunar cycle.

We noted:

The recent study conducted by Tunisian and Qatari researchers found that testosterone and melatonin levels in the blood of subjects were lower during a full moon, while cortisol levels were elevated.

The researchers also believe that solar radiation reflected by a full moon can alter brain and hormonal activity in men.

We have written at length about the effects of testosterone on the male body from regulating mental health to a wide range of physical outcomes.

‘Our study confirms for the first time that the lunar cycle affects the hormonal and haematological profile of humans,’ said Ismail Dergaa — the study’s co-author

However, it was suggested that further study was required to determine whether the moon’s gravitational pull could have “tidal” effects on the body, according to the Daily Mail.

This would mean that men’s sleep quality during a full moon would be marginally impaired while their alertness or stress would be elevated.

The findings would also indicate that women weren’t alone in experiencing circalunar rhythms in their bodies.

Older studies also found that supporting a losing sports team could negatively impact your testosterone levels.

The bad news for sports fans comes after it was revealed that Italian soccer fans saw their testosterone levels drop by up 25% after Italy lost the 1994 FIFA World Cup Finals in a penalty shoot out to Brazil [R].

Conversely, if your preferred team wins, your testosterone levels can be elevated by proxy [R].

“We know spectators have a strong affiliation with athletes,” said a PhD candidate researcher, Paul Bernhardt. “For example, they speak about teams in personal terms, like `We won.’ Since the testosterone effect occurred in athletes, we figured it would occur in spectators as well.”

The researcher based his thesis on the aforementioned 1994 FIFA World Cup and a small study conducted on fans of fierce college basketball rivals Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia in 1991.

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