title: The effect of competition on salivary testosterone in elite female athletes.
abstract: The association between androgens and competition in women has been understudied compared with men. The current study examined the link between testosterone (T) and competition in elite female athletes, using a sample of female wrestlers that included athletes competing at both the national and international level. In a repeated-measures design, saliva samples were collected before and after wrestling bouts, with comparable samples of wins and losses, and subsequently analyzed for T. Study results showed a 22% increase in circulating bioavailable T from pre- to postbout, F(1, 12) = 9.71, P = .009. There was no significant difference in T between win or loss outcomes. These findings-showing a link between individual head-to-head competition and T in women-demonstrate that women's androgenic responses to environmental contexts are dynamic and may be an important factor to address in research on competitive performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Lisa Dawn
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Sari M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: van Anders
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Neil V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Watson
mesh_terms: D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000032:analysis*; D014952:Wrestling / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone