When a woman is in a bad mood, the joke is often made: “She’s definitely on her period.” As a woman, hormonal fluctuations and the associated health effects are occasionally an issue due to menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. What is less known, however, is that men in long-term relationships reduce the male sex hormone testosterone – so does a man become more sluggish and unmasculine in a relationship?
Researchers Daniel Farrelly, Rebecca Owens and Mark A. Wetherell addressed this question. They examined the hormone levels of 75 men aged 18 to 39 years living in northern England. During the study, the researchers used testosterone levels in the blood and salivary testosterone samples to examine the men’s sex hormone levels and compared them with their relationship status.
The research found a connection between testosterone levels and the length of the relationship. To put it simply: the more willing a man is to mate, the higher the testosterone level. The lowest values were recorded by men who were both in a long-term relationship and were already fathers. The evolutionary explanation: Testosterone plays an important role in men as they look for opportunities to mate with women. So when a man is no longer looking because he is in a long-term relationship, the sex hormone in the blood drops.
In addition to reproductive function, testosterone is also responsible for sexual functions, muscle growth, bone density and the regulation of fat metabolism. The study results not only indicate the willingness to look for a partner, but visual and behavioral changes can also be observed due to the decrease in testosterone.
Single men who were actively looking for a partner had one of the highest hormone levels. In addition, men who have been in a relationship for less than a year – they were still on the hunt recently and their hormonal balance has not yet fully adapted to the new monogamous situation. Since the colloquial “hunting behavior” and higher testosterone levels work hand in hand, this also means that men in polyamorous relationships also had increased levels compared to those in monogamous relationships.
An interesting study result is that even the constant desire for extramarital passion can raise hormone levels. In the study results, the researchers also pointed out that the age of those examined had no connection with falling testosterone levels. A previous study by researchers Anders and Watson was able to show that physical closeness, which one usually experiences more often in a relationship than when single, has no influence on the sex hormone.
The researchers also gave room for a theory in their analysis: Men with higher baseline testosterone levels are probably more likely to stay on the hunt and end relationships more quickly.
Evolutionary conclusion: If a man has to compete with other men for a suitable woman, as in the animal world, the testosterone level does not decrease.
Quelle: Studie “The Effects of Being in a “New Relationship” on Levels of Testosterone in Men”, Gesundheit.gv
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