Changes in salivary testosterone concentrations following video clips

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The below may be of interest:

Changes in salivary testosterone concentrations and subsequent voluntary squat

performance following the presentation of short video clips

Source: Hormones and Behavior, Available online 1 October 2011

Christian J. Cook, Blair T. Crewther

Previous studies have shown that visual images can produce rapid changes in

testosterone concentrations. We explored the acute effects of video clips on

salivary testosterone and cortisol concentrations and subsequent voluntary squat

performance in highly trained male athletes (n = 12).

Saliva samples were collected on 6 occasions immediately before and 15 minutes

after watching a brief video clip (approximately 4 minutes in duration) on a

computer screen. The watching of a sad, erotic, aggressive, training

motivational, humorous or a neutral control clip was randomised. Subjects then

performed a squat workout aimed at producing a 3 repetition maximum (3RM) lift.

Significant (P < 0.001) relative (%) increases in testosterone concentrations

were noted with watching the erotic, humorous, aggressive and training videos

(versus control and sad), with testosterone decreasing significantly (versus

control) after the sad clip.

The aggressive video also produced an elevated cortisol response (% change) and

more so than the control and humorous videos (P < 0.001). A significant (P <

0.003) improvement in 3RM performance was noted after the erotic, aggressive and

training clips (versus control). A strong within-individual correlation (mean r

= 0.85) was also noted between the relative changes in testosterone and the 3RM

squats across all video sessions (P < 0.001).

In conclusion, different video clips were associated with different changes in

salivary free hormone concentrations and the relative changes in testosterone

closely mapped 3RM squat performance in a group of highly trained males.

Thus, speculatively, using short video presentations in the pre-workout

environment offers an opportunity for understanding the outcomes of hormonal

change, athlete behaviour and subsequent voluntary performance.

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Carruthers

Wakefield, UK