No place like home: Testosterone responses to victory depend on game location

Abstract

Several studies have demonstrated that a variety of factors influence testosterone responses to competitive interactions. This study examined the extent to which game location would influence testosterone responses to human competition. Male amateur ice hockey players (n = 10) provided saliva samples before and after competing against the same opponent on two separate occasions (one game at home and one game away). Although both games resulted in similar victories, the home victory was associated with a significantly larger rise in testosterone concentrations relative to the away victory. The factors responsible for the different testosterone responses are not known, however, it is possible that a rise in status in front of the home crowd is more rewarding to athletes, and thus, a more potent stimulus for the endocrine system. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.