Tweet
Not exactly fitness related, and not real indepth, but I thought it an interestng read because of the accepted belief that Alcohol causes drops in test.
********************************************
When we enjoy too much booze, we may get a testosterone surge in our brains that could help explain the stupid, drunken behavior of some men and women, reports Reuters of new research from the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.
Scientists figured out that alcohol gave a quick jolt to testosterone levels in the brains and blood of some male rats, and the findings could explain the behavioral change that occurs in some humans when they drink. "Marked increases in brain testosterone might be relevant to aggressive behavior in some individuals," Dr. Robert H. Purdy, the senior author of the new report, told Reuters. "You need to keep in mind the word 'some,' however." It's important to note that alcohol affects people differently. Reuters reports that alcohol's effects on testosterone have long been of interest to scientists, in part because of the higher rate of alcoholism among men. In addition, the associations between alcohol and violence, and between drinking and male sexual dysfunction, suggest that testosterone effects are at work.
This study is noteworthy because previous research has shown that alcohol has been tied to dips in circulating testosterone. And while that may be true for many, it's apparently not true for all. When alcohol creates a testosterone surge, it could lead to aggression or an increased libido. Which leaves us with this question: How can alcohol both lower and raise testosterone levels? That is now being studied by Purdy's research team. The study was published in the January issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
********************************************
When we enjoy too much booze, we may get a testosterone surge in our brains that could help explain the stupid, drunken behavior of some men and women, reports Reuters of new research from the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.
Scientists figured out that alcohol gave a quick jolt to testosterone levels in the brains and blood of some male rats, and the findings could explain the behavioral change that occurs in some humans when they drink. "Marked increases in brain testosterone might be relevant to aggressive behavior in some individuals," Dr. Robert H. Purdy, the senior author of the new report, told Reuters. "You need to keep in mind the word 'some,' however." It's important to note that alcohol affects people differently. Reuters reports that alcohol's effects on testosterone have long been of interest to scientists, in part because of the higher rate of alcoholism among men. In addition, the associations between alcohol and violence, and between drinking and male sexual dysfunction, suggest that testosterone effects are at work.
This study is noteworthy because previous research has shown that alcohol has been tied to dips in circulating testosterone. And while that may be true for many, it's apparently not true for all. When alcohol creates a testosterone surge, it could lead to aggression or an increased libido. Which leaves us with this question: How can alcohol both lower and raise testosterone levels? That is now being studied by Purdy's research team. The study was published in the January issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.