Sports Fans and Cortisol

Did you know that watching a big game can trigger the adrenal glands to release two hormones, especially in the bodies of young male fans? Studies at the university of Valencia in Spain showed that testosterone and cortisol increased in the bodies of fans watching a big game. Fifty Spanish soccer fans were examined using 5-milliliter saliva samples. Researchers found no sex differences in testosterone levels of the fans examined; the amount of cortisol was generally much higher in the males than in the females, however. The levels of cortisol (typically released during stress) were higher in younger males than in senior males. Overall, watching the match appeared to be more stressful for males than for females.