Is Testosterone The “Success Hormone”?

Testosterone – the success hormone?

There is a growing body of evidence to support the theory that low T levels make men less self confident, less likely to take risks – and perhaps less successful at work?

A University of Cambridge study examined the testosterone levels of financial traders, and found a strong link between their testosterone level and how successful they were on a given day.

In the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers measured the traders’ T levels at the start and end of the day, and correlated these with the traders profits during that day. Interestingly, not only did a high morning reading predict a successful day, but at the end of a successful day a trader’s T level was even higher.

The study suggests that T levels dictate success, and success itself pushes up the T level even further! Scientists call this the ‘winner effect’. From the article about this study in Time Magazine:

…two athletes preparing to compete against one another will both experience rising testosterone levels. After the race, though, only those of the eventual winner would continue to climb; the loser’s falls. The winner thus gets a persistent boost in confidence and appetite for risk, which increases the same competitor’s chance of winning again.

The winner effect has a drawback though – research with animals suggests that as T levels keep rising, risk tolerance continues to increase. Eventually the perception of risk becomes completely blurred and stupid risks are taken.

For you average guy with low T (or even low normal), an increase in their T level makes them feel more self confident. That was certainly my experience when I got it under control. Very high T levels, on the other hand, can be just as bad as low T – it’s just a different set of problems.