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A few weeks ago, my brother competed in his first ever powerlifting meet.
You can watch some of his lifting highlights here:
The event was an amazing experience.
While I am not necessarily a powerlifter, the energy at that event motivated me to want to compete in it at least once.
And it makes sense if you understand the connection between competition, testosterone, and motivation for men.
In this post we are going to explore the acute effects of testosterone production and competition. While these effects are acute spikes, surrounding yourself in a competitive environments is very healthy for testosterone production.
Without further ado, let's dive in!
As we mentioned in a previous post, healthy competition can actually improve testosterone levels. From a psychological perspective, competition is in our nature as men.
If you have a little sibling or son/daughter, you know how good it feels to go all out and completely dunk on the little guy or gal... or to beat them at Mario Kart.
No mercy.
Jokes aside, let's get into some of the studies done on competition and testosterone levels.
Our sex hormones are tied to our social behavior. This is very important to understand, as we adapt to changes in our environment (neuroplasticity).
We can explore this further in various ways by looking at Game Theory.
In a systematic review done on Combat Sport competitors, it was found that testosterone levels were elevated prior to the event. The kicker of this review was that these increases in testosterone prior to competition were only found in men. There was no response with women.
From this study we can gather that there is a difference between men and women with testosterone production.
There have been a plethora of studies done on humans and animals alike that measure competition and testosterone levels. In fact, the acute increases in testosterone also increase the motivation to compete as well.
Competition not only applies to sports.
When it comes to social status between the sexes, men will encounter a boost in testosterone when they believe they're a winner.
According to one study, it was found that men only have to believe they've bested another man in a competition to attract a woman to get a testosterone boost.
And with that boost, men will feel confident enough to approach other women.
Game Theory, baby.
Believe it or not, we can take this further with clothing and social status. When people purchase apparel from high-end companies like Burberry, it is also a status signal to other men and women alike. This means that apparel can even be used to attract others to you, making you feel like a winner.
Once you see this, you can't unsee it.
To summarize, here are a few things to consider with competition and testosterone levels:
Lastly, remember that competition is everywhere, even if you don't see it.
Go out there and be a winner.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email us at support@reforgedperformance.com or contact us via Instagram. I feel that there is a lot to cover with this that goes beyond testosterone production, so if you want me to cover more of this, I will!
Until next time, Reforged Warrior.
Exercise can feel like a chore, and even if you know it’s good for your health, the motivation to get moving sometimes just isn’t there.
But it doesn’t have to be a burden - by making exercise meaningful to you, it can become something fun and rewarding!
Here are five ways to make exercise more meaningful!
Men, I know what it is like to be overweight and depressed.
Not having the energy to do anything but relax and sleep.
While relaxation and sleep are incredibly important, they can make us feel like we are not making progress in our lives.
And when depression hits, it’s very difficult to push through with exercise and weight loss.
But did you know that even though it takes time and some effort, you don’t need to get obsessively crazy over it?
In fact, with just a few small adjustments, you can lose weight, fight back against depression, and take your life back.
If you're serious about shedding pounds and pushing away those depression demons, here are five tips that can help get you started.
A few weeks ago, my buddy Grant and I talked about nutrition.
We talked about how he's lost over 120 pounds so far with the weight loss progress he's been making.
This is all because he has been making healthier decisions over time.
One of the newest challenges he's facing right now is he's got a new job. He's working 10 to 12 hour days with physical demanding labor.
And what's been happening for him is that he's been super exhausted, he's not motivated to meal prep, he's having trouble trying to sit down and cook foods doesn't have the energy doesn't have the time.
So what I propose is five tips that you can use to live a more on the go fast food healthy eating lifestyle.