Some Recent Research I Found on Dominance

[musclegod]

Here is some recent research on testosterone and dominance that I ran into on a website called The Adonis Build:

Dominant males typically have a higher testosterone level than
submissive males, and in fact the presence of a dominant male may
actually suppress the testosterone levels of a submissive male.

In men high levels of testosterone seem to encourage behavior
intended to dominate and enhance status over others. Sometimes this
dominant behavior can be of an aggressive nature, but more often it
is expressed non-aggressively." (Hmmm, really?)

Dominant behavior can take on many forms, such as anti-social
behavior like rebellion against authority, and law breaking, the
proverbial 'bad boy' syndrome that young impressionable girls are
so frequently attracted to.

The lone wolf and the guy who marches to the beat of his own
drummer are also ways of expressing dominant behavior. The basic
concept is that you nobody tells you what to do.

(Makes sense)

The act of competing for dominant status affects testosterone
levels in two ways.

First testosterone rises in the face of a challenge, almost as if
your body is getting ready to do battle and an extra shot of
testosterone is fuel for the fight.

Second, after the competition testosterone rises in winners and
declines in losers.

(This also accounts for "sports bar" fights and trash talking as
the "competition" raises the test levels of each team's fans... it
also accounts for "bandwagon fans" as these people only pull for
"winners"... because the "winning" gives a hormone boost)

In other words winning is important to maintain your testosterone
levels at a dominant status. This is a key factor that you can
start incorporating into your life on a daily basis.

(Treat your workouts like a competition, it doesn't matter if you
are competing with someone else or with the weights and the workout
itself.

As long as there is a definable goal and you can create a
competition out of each workout you can get an enhanced testosterone
boosting effect beyond the normal testosterone boosting effects
that your workout already does.)

Three phases of testosterone and competition:

Pre-Competition

This period is typically categorized as the 24 hours preceding the
competition. During this period there is a rise in testosterone.
The increase in testosterone may increase psychomotor function and
coordination, increase mental activity and make you more willing to
take risks and "go for it".

This rise in testosterone only happens when the competition is a
legitimate challenge and isn't something that is a for sure win or
a for sure loss.

Competition

Testosterone levels rise during the competition as well. It's
good to compete in something on a regular basis to give your
testosterone levels a boost.

(Pick up a competitive sport or engage and encourage competitions
at work... any wonder why the typical image of the high priced
lawyer is the testosterone fueled egomaniac...)

Post- Competition

Testosterone levels are increased during competition and stay
increased longer in winners compared to losers. Losing may increase
other stress hormones like cortisol that in turn can cause a
decrease in testosterone.

In other words winning and testosterone is a positive feedback
loop, whereas losing and testosterone is a negative feedback loop.

The Testosterone and Training Link

Heavy resistance training can increase testosterone production. So
if you regularly hit the gym and actually do some real lifting you
are definitely getting the testosterone boosting advantages of this
kind of workout.

This boost in testosterone may be one of the biggest contributing
factors to the muscle mass and strength gain you get from working
out.

Putting it all together

Competition and Workout ==> Increases testosterone ==> Increases
muscle mass and moves you towards optimum Adonis Index ==>
Increases your attractiveness to women ==> Increases jealousy and
adoration of other males ==> Increases social dominance ==> Increases
testosterone ==> Increases success from competition...

... and so goes the loop.

Also, studies are showing that socially dominant males with higher
testosterone levels may actually cause a suppression and lowering
of testosterone levels in less socially dominant males...

(You may have felt this in the past when a more powerful man than
you walks in the room)

Basically you have a choice, you can be dominant of submissive.

So, you can do many things to boost your testosterone levels on a
daily basis like working out with weights and engaging in
competitions.

You can actually kill two birds with one stone here by making your
weight workout a competition itself.

This becomes a positive feedback loop and builds your social
status, builds your body, attracts women, draws adoration and
attention from other males, and constantly increases your testosterone
levels and reinforces your social dominance.





Fuck, no wonder why I crave dominance!!! It makes me stronger and it feels awesome!!!

[Aleutrius]

Very interesting...and it makes a lot of sense, as well.

[Slevin]

I wouldn't really call that research so much as a lot of opinion :P

[DragonKnight]

I'm inclined to agree with Slevin. Without credible sources, it seems more conjecture than anything.

[anpuZA]

Mmm... I tend to react very submissively to (physically) dominant males. So in many ways it does seem to indicate some kind of psychological mechanism that actually controls (or might control) the release of hormones. What is funny (for me), is that I
quite thoroughly enjoy it. ^^

But that doesn't mean I'm not capable of fighting, I just abhor physical violence, yet with my mouth I can easily dish out some nice K.O.'s if I have to. And I have seen the effect it has on more physically based males, where no direct confrontation resulted but a lot of fist to wall action.

(And for some reason that turns me on even more.)

[gogr2]

Interesting... I guess that means next time we hang out Musclegod, I am going to have to lift heavy to counteract a drop in my testosterone...