Research Finds Wood Chopping Raises Testosterone As Much As Sports
Google 'testosterone boosters' and you'll be flooded with an array of different pills, potions and dubious recommendations. There's one testosterone booster we didn't expect to hit our feeds however: chopping wood. Some research has recently gained popularity — over 10 years after its publish date — causing a stir on social media.
The research compared the effects that tasks like wood chopping and sports have on our testosterone levels. And it looks like we should be opting for felling our own trees instead of picking up some kindling from the petrol station.
The Study
The study published in Evolution and Human Behaviour investigated how tasks like chopping wood affects testosterone levels in men. It examined whether testosterone increases during tasks like tree felling and how these changes might enhance performance and compare to sports like football.
The Methods
The participants included 63 men aged 16-80. After excluding 12 participants because they were chewing coca leaves, the final sample size was 51.
Participants engaged in one hour sessions of wood chopping.
Saliva samples were collected before and after the activity to measure testosterone levels. A separate group of participants provided resting saliva samples for comparison.
Results were compared to testosterone changes observed during a competitive football game involving 82 men.
The Results
Testosterone levels increased significantly (48.6 per cent) after one hour of chopping wood, surpassing the 30.1 per cent increase seen in participants during football matches. These changes in testosterone were not influenced by age, illness, or pain.
The study concludes that testosterone levels quickly rise during physically demanding tasks like wood chopping, helping men work harder and be more productive. This challenges the idea that testosterone is mainly linked to competition between men, highlighting its role in everyday activities that require similar strength and effort to wood chopping. It also found that older men are just as capable as younger men of experiencing these increases in testosterone during these types of physical tasks.
As a strong disclaimer, we're not suggesting anyone start wielding an axe and running down to their local park. You'll be pleased to know that strength training and HIIT increase testosterone levels, so it's still best to hit the gym.
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