By Dr. Kate Placzek, ZRT Laboratory
Testosterone, so meaningful to a man’s behaviour, is the evolutionary force behind everything intrinsically “male”. Historical stereotypes peg testosterone as the macho elixir of legendary magnitude — the “chest-thumping hormone of aggression.” New research, however, is beginning to tease out previously unknown subtleties of testosterone’s effects on behaviour. Testosterone is non-trivial for social functioning — increasing levels enhance generosity [1], cooperation [2] and honesty [3], thereby emphasising that its effects in shaping male psychological make-up are infinitely more complex than previously thought.
New Study: Testosterone and the Preference for Status Goods
A new study published in Nature Communications, resulting from ongoing collaborations between ZRT Laboratory and several academic institutions, explored the effects of testosterone supplementation on young men’s preference for luxury products [4]. Men in the testosterone group had a much stronger preference for goods perceived as having higher status, compared to men who received placebo — suggesting that consumption of status goods may stem from neuroendocrine motives.
The surge in testosterone was established by testing these men’s salivary hormones by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) — the same gold-standard LCMS methodology used in our Comprehensive Male Saliva Hormone Profile (LCMS), which measures testosterone, estradiol, DHEA, cortisol and other key androgens from a simple at-home saliva collection.
The results implicate testosterone’s role in social adaptation, highlighting its role in status-enhancing behaviours. The pursuit of status enhancement appears to be hardwired into male neurophysiology. Human males no longer have a need for indiscriminate aggression — men who are knowledgeable or skilled in a particular area can achieve social dominance without physically conquering their adversaries.
Testosterone, Dopamine and the Reward Pathway
Testosterone Affects Attitudes to Competition
Whether physical or mental, testosterone surges propagate the desire to dominate — its levels spike as an individual embarks upon a task that may significantly affect status.
The motivation to continue after losing a competition seems to be strongly affected by the rise in testosterone — losers with more testosterone are more likely to compete again [5]. Prior to performing a particularly challenging and demanding task, testosterone levels have been shown to rise to the occasion [6].
How Testosterone Amplifies Dopamine Signalling
What is it about testosterone that makes it seem to mimic the feel-good, reward-enhancing actions of the neurotransmitter dopamine? A downstream metabolite of testosterone, referred to as 5α-androstanediol, binds to dopamine receptors in the brain and enhances its actions [7]. Being at the top triggers the feel-good dopamine surge in the brain, which is amplified by this testosterone metabolite. Testosterone is prominently featured within the reward pathways — stimulating dopamine biosynthesis and potentiating its signalling throughout the brain [7, 8]. Not only can circulating testosterone and its more potent metabolite readily cross the blood-brain barrier to access dopaminergic neurons, but local synthesis can raise androgens in specific brain areas as well.
Because testosterone’s behavioural effects are so closely tied to dopamine and other neurotransmitters, assessing both hormones and neurotransmitters together can provide a more complete picture of male neurochemical health. Our Neurotransmitter & Dried Urine Hormone Test measures dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, GABA and other key neurotransmitters alongside urine hormones — with specialist interpretation included.
The Future of Testosterone Research
If testosterone propels men to seek status, research into the theoretical frameworks of neuroeconomics might improve our understanding of gender-specific social behaviours. Future studies should probe deeper into the role of testosterone metabolism in reward-based, status-seeking behaviour. Approaching this challenge will only be feasible using non-invasive body fluids such as saliva or urine, and testing them for hormones like testosterone and its metabolites by state-of-the-art mass spectrometry.
For men wanting the most comprehensive hormonal baseline — including testosterone, its metabolites, estradiol, DHEA and cortisol — our LCMS 9-Hormone Saliva Test Panel for Male provides an expanded picture using the same gold-standard LCMS methodology used in the research described in this article.
Hormone Lab UK is the official UK test provider of ZRT Laboratory.
References
- Eisenegger C, et al. Prejudice and truth about the effect of testosterone on human bargaining behaviour. Nature. 2010;463(7279):356–9.
- van Honk J, et al. New evidence on testosterone and cooperation. Nature. 2012;485(7399):E4–5.
- Wibral M, et al. Testosterone administration reduces lying in men. PLoS One. 2012;7(10):e46774.
- Nave G, et al. Single-dose testosterone administration increases men’s preference for status goods. Nat Commun. 2018;9(1):2433.
- Mehta PH, Josephs RA. Testosterone change after losing predicts the decision to compete again. Horm Behav. 2006;50(5):684–692.
- Brennan PA, et al. Serum testosterone levels in surgeons during major head and neck cancer surgery. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2011;49(3):190–3.
- Tobiansky DJ, et al. Androgen Regulation of the Mesocorticolimbic System and Executive Function. Front Endocrinol. 2018;9:279.
- Purves-Tyson TD, et al. Testosterone induces molecular changes in dopamine signaling pathway molecules in the adolescent male rat nigrostriatal pathway. PLoS One. 2014;9(3):e91151.
Originally by Dr. Kate Placzek, ZRT Laboratory. Reproduced with permission. Last reviewed: May 2026.