title: Trained and untrained males show reliable salivary testosterone responses to a physical stimulus, but not a psychological stimulus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The testosterone (T) responses to a physical stimulus are thought to be more stable and reproducible compared to a psychological stimulus.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study compared the salivary T (Sal-T) responses to both stimuli in four groups of men: professional rugby players (n = 17), recreational rugby players (n = 10), a mixed athlete group (n = 14) and untrained controls (n = 12).
  
  
  METHODS
  Each group completed three treatments: (1) watching a video with aggressive rugby footage, (2) performing a short bout of sprint exercise and (3) a control session. Saliva samples were taken before and 15 min after each treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sprint exercise changes in Sal-T levels were similar in the elite rugby (17.1 ± 11.1%), recreational rugby (11.9 ± 15.9%), mixed athlete (27.6 ± 32.0%) and control groups (25.3 ± 23.6%). In response to the video, Sal-T increased in the elite rugby (6.9 ± 6.4%) and untrained groups (11.9 ± 13.5%), but decreased in the recreational rugby players (-7.5 ± 11.0%). The individual Sal-T responses to the sprints were also correlated (r = 0.69 to 0.82) with other treatment responses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sprint exercise had a more consistent effect on Sal-T than a video with aggressive content and thus, could provide a reliable stimulus for increasing T availability in men with different training backgrounds. Individual Sal-T reactivity also appears to be somewhat stable across different treatments. These data provide further understanding around the induction, moderation and interpretation of T physiology.
authors.affiliation: Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery, Imperial College South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK, bcrewthe@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Crewther
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Kilduff
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Cook
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes / Q000523:psychology; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005538:Football; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone