Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, said
women who sniffed a chemical found in male sweat experienced
elevated levels of an important hormone, along with higher sexual
arousal, faster heart rate and other effects.
In a study of 48 female Berkeley undergraduates, researchers
tested the women’s hormonal response to androstadienone, a male
chemical signal found in male sweat, saliva and semen.
To gauge this response, researchers measured levels of the
hormone cortisol in the women’s saliva after they took 20 sniffs
from a jar of androstadienone, which smells somewhat musky.
The cortisol levels of those who inhaled the androstadienone
shot up within 15 minutes and stayed up for up to an hour. The
women also reported improved mood, higher sexual arousal, and had
increased blood pressure, heart rate and breathing.
