Attention Guys: Work out hard, but don't take your shower. :-)
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For women, nothing's like the smell of men's sweat
By Will Dunham
Wed Feb 7, 5:36 PM ET
For women, apparently there's nothing like the smell of a man's sweat.
Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley said women who sniffed a chemical found in male sweat experienced elevated levels of an important hormone, along with higher sexual arousal, faster heart rate and other effects.
They said the study, published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience, represents the first direct evidence that people secrete a scent that influences the hormones of the opposite sex.
The study focused on androstadienone, considered a male chemical signal. Previous research had established that a whiff of it affected women's mood, sexual and physiological arousal and brain activation. Its impact on hormones was less clear.
A derivative of testosterone, it is found in male sweat as well as in saliva and semen. It smells somewhat musky.
"It really tells us that a lot of things can be triggered by smelling sweat," Claire Wyart, who led the study, said in an interview on Wednesday.
The researchers measured levels of the hormone cortisol in the saliva of 48 female undergraduates at Berkeley, average age of about 21, after the women took 20 sniffs from a jar of androstadienone. Cortisol is secreted by the body to help maintain proper arousal and sense of well-being, respond to stress and other functions.
Cortisol levels in the women who smelled androstadienone shot up within roughly 15 minutes and stayed elevated for up to an hour. Consistent with previous research, the women also reported improved mood, higher sexual arousal, and had increased blood pressure, heart rate and breathing.
YEAST
For comparison's sake, women also smelled baking yeast, which did not trigger the same effects.
This was the first time that smelling a specific chemical secreted by people was shown to affect hormonal levels, the researchers said. The women had no skin contact with androstadienone.
The researchers used only heterosexual women in the study out of concern that homosexual women may respond differently to this male chemical.
Wyart said while this marked the first time a specific component of male sweat was demonstrated to influence women's hormones, other components of sweat may do similar things.
The study did not determine whether the increase in cortisol levels triggered mood or arousal changes or whether those changes themselves caused the cortisol elevation.
The researchers also said their findings suggest a better way to stimulate cortisol levels in patients who need it, such as those with Addison's disease. Instead of giving cortisol in pill form, which has side effects such as peptic ulcers, osteoporosis, weight gain and mood disorders, smelling a chemical like androstadienone could be used to affect cortisol levels, they suggested.
- posted on 02/09/2007
The researchers used only heterosexual women in the study out of concern that homosexual women may respond differently to this male chemical.
What a pity they did not test homosexual women. It could be a great opportunity to study the physiological basis of heterosexualty.
I am pretty sure the same trick works for the opposite sex. Porn industry in Japan used it many years ago. This may be the first scientific evidence, but people have been aware of it for long. - posted on 02/09/2007
guanzhong wrote:
The researchers used only heterosexual women in the study out of concern that homosexual women may respond differently to this male chemical.What a pity they did not test homosexual women. It could be a great opportunity to study the physiological basis of heterosexualty.
Good observation. :-)
I am pretty sure the same trick works for the opposite sex. Porn industry in Japan used it many years ago. This may be the first scientific evidence, but people have been aware of it for long.
Same trick for the opposite sex? What do you mean? If you are talking about perfume, then that'd make sense. :-)
So, while women like to invest on perfume, men can make a good use of their sweat without investing a dime. :-):-)
- Re: For women, nothing's like the smell of men's sweatposted on 02/09/2007
Same trick for the opposite sex? What do you mean? If you are talking about perfume, then that'd make sense. :-)
如果闻到林妹妹(或者咖啡馆 PLMM) 的香汗,你没有某种反映吗?:-)
perfume may also work, but in a different way. The smell of a specific brand may have the association of a particular woman in your life... - Re: For women, nothing's like the smell of men's sweatposted on 02/10/2007
You are essentially saying one guy's dirt is another gal's gold.
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