The Interplay Between Music and Testosterone

Have you ever wondered whether there might be a secret relationship between music and testosterone? Here are a few thoughts based on Mr. Hajime Fukui's findings from a study conducted at the Nara University of Education. The experiment engaged 70 students, 35 males and 35 females, aged between 19 and 25. Scientists have come to a startling discovery, which you need to know.

Namely, significant sex differences emerge in the impact of music on the endocrine system. The evidence provided is irrefutable! In all genres, from Gregorian to pop music from the top of the charts lists, there is a notable reduction in testosterone levels in men and, conversely, an increase in testosterone levels in women!

Consider this! Following a thirty-minute interval of listening to their favorite music, male participants suffered a reduction of over 50% in their testosterone levels. Their female counterparts had an approximate 50% augmentation in their testosterone levels. Gregorian music has the most negligible impact on the endocrine system in both men and women.

Interestingly, silence caused no reduction in testosterone production in men, but it has decreased the production of testosterone in women, even though slightly.

The interplay of testosterone with behavior is bidirectional (testosterone influences behavior, and behavior alters testosterone levels likewise). In the following week, I'll share another profound study linking music and low testosterone to anxiety and impaired mental acuity.

To summarize, here's an intriguing conclusion on the side effects of elevated testosterone in women, taken from The Social Structure and Testosterone by Theodore D. Kemper, New Brunswick, N.J., Rutgers University Press, 1990.

"Men with lower testosterone levels had low libido, whereas women with higher testosterone levels had higher libidinal capacity, yet they had lower rates of intercourse. Therefore, decreased testosterone levels in males would avoid confrontation, and increased testosterone levels in females would suppress sexual behavior."