Salivary Testosterone Measurements among Women: Relative Magnitude of Circadian and Menstrual Cycles

Dabbs, James M.; Rue, Denise de La

doi:10.1159/000181899

Cited by 80 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…As a function of those missing time of day data, the degrees of freedom are slightly reduced for the reported correlations. This result stands in contrast to within-subjects designs in humans that have consistently shown that testosterone is subject to diurnal decline across the entire day (Brambilla et al, 2009; Brown et al, 2008; Dabbs & de La Rue, 1991; Dabbs, 1990b; Riad-Fahmy et al, 1982), which is consistent across many mammalian species. Due to our between-subjects design, it is likely that the large between-subjects variability of testosterone levels (Stanton, 2011) overshadowed the detection of diurnal decline.…”

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 80%

“…Like many mammals, humans’ endogenous testosterone concentrations systematically vary over temporal scales ranging from days (Dabbs & de La Rue, 1991; Dabbs, 1990b), to months (Dabbs & de La Rue, 1991), to the lifespan (Dabbs, 1990a). While testosterone variation at short time scales (e.g., diurnal variation) is relatively well understood, the nature of long-time-scale variation (seasons and years) is much less well documented, particularly with regard to women.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seasonal variation of salivary testosterone in men, normally cycling women, and women using hormonal contraceptives

Stanton

Mullette-Gillman

Huettel

2011

Physiology & Behavior

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Humans’ endogenous testosterone concentrations vary over a number of temporal scales, with little known about variation longer than monthly cycles. Past studies of seasonal or circannual variation have principally used male participants and have produced inconsistent results. Thus, little is known about how testosterone concentrations fluctuate throughout the year, whether such variation differs between men and women, and whether there are influences of hormonal contraceptive use. The present study collected saliva samples from a large sample (N=718) of men and women, each collected at one time point within a relatively uniform distribution over a full calendar year. Both men and normally-cycling women displayed seasonal variation in salivary testosterone concentrations, such that testosterone concentrations are maximal in the fall and minimal in the summer. Notably, normally-cycling women had testosterone concentrations that were over 100% greater at their maximum in fall compared to their minimum in summer. Women using hormonal contraceptives not only had consistently lower endogenous testosterone concentrations, but also showed a flatter seasonal testosterone profile. The implications for studies of psychology and human behavioral endocrinology are discussed.

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Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal variation of salivary testosterone in men, normally cycling women, and women using hormonal contraceptives

Stanton

Mullette-Gillman

Huettel

2011

Physiology & Behavior

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“…Phase of the menstrual cycle was excluded from the analysis, since the number of participants in each category was insufficient for testing (number of winners per phase of the menstrual cycle: follicular = 2, ovulation = 1, luteal = 2; number of losers per phase of the menstrual cycle: follicular = 1, ovulation = 2, luteal = 4). Furthermore, previous research has failed to find an effect of menstrual cycle over the patterns of variation in T and C (e.g., Dabbs and de La Rue, 1991; Liening et al, 2010). …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Threat perception and familiarity moderate the androgen response to competition in women

et al. 2013

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Social interactions elicit androgen responses whose function has been posited to be the adjustment of androgen-dependent behaviors to social context. The activation of this androgen response is known to be mediated and moderated by psychological factors. In this study we tested the hypothesis that the testosterone (T) changes after a competition are not simply related to its outcome, but rather to the way the subject evaluates the event. In particular we tested two evaluative dimensions of a social interaction: familiarity with the opponent and the subjective evaluation of the outcome as threat or challenge. Challenge/threat occurs in goal relevant situations and represent different motivational states arising from the individuals’ subjective evaluation of the interplay between the task demands and coping resources possessed. For challenge the coping resources exceed the task demands, while threat represents a state where coping resources are insufficient to meet the task demands. In this experiment women competed in pairs, against a same sex opponent using the number tracking test as a competitive task. Losers appraised the competition outcome as more threatening than winners, and displayed higher post-competition T levels than winners. No differences were found either for cortisol (C) or for dehydroepiandrosterone. Threat, familiarity with the opponent and T response were associated only in the loser condition. Moderation analysis suggests that for the women that lost the competition the effect of threat on T is moderated by familiarity with the opponent.

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“…Secondly, in both sexes, testosterone follows a diurnal rhythm with peak concentrations in the morning followed by progressive decline over the course of the day, rising again at night during sleep (Dabbs, 1990a). In women, there is evidence that testosterone concentrations also vary as a function of the menstrual cycle, with peak testosterone concentrations in the periovulatory window, and lower values in the early follicular and late luteal phases (Dabbs and La Rue, 1991). On a somewhat longer time-scale, testosterone concentrations exhibit circannual variation and peak in the fall (Dabbs, 1990b; Stanton et al, 2011; van Anders et al, 2006).…”

Section: Dynamics Of Testosterone Secretionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testosterone and sport: Current perspectives

Wood

Stanton

2012

Hormones and Behavior

155

121

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Testosterone and other anabolic-androgenic steroids enhance athletic performance in men and women. As a result, exogenous androgen is banned from most competitive sports. However, due to variability in endogenous secretion, and similarities with exogenous testosterone, it has been challenging to establish allowable limits for testosterone in competition. Endogenous androgen production is dynamically regulated by both exercise and winning in competition. Furthermore, testosterone may promote athletic performance, not only through its long-term anabolic actions, but also through rapid effects on behavior. In women, excess production of endogenous testosterone due to inborn disorders of sexual development (DSD) may convey a competitive advantage. For many years, female competitors have been subject to tests of sexual genotype and phenotype known as gender verification. Although gender verification has not identified any normal man competing as a woman, this process has identified women athletes with DSD. As understanding of DSD has expanded in recent years, women with DSD are increasingly able to continue athletic competition.

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Salivary Testosterone Measurements among Women: Relative Magnitude of Circadian and Menstrual Cycles

Cited by 80 publications

References 6 publications

Seasonal variation of salivary testosterone in men, normally cycling women, and women using hormonal contraceptives

Seasonal variation of salivary testosterone in men, normally cycling women, and women using hormonal contraceptives

Threat perception and familiarity moderate the androgen response to competition in women

Testosterone and sport: Current perspectives

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