Male students, after working up a sweat, may find themselves unknowingly attracting women standing nearby.
A study published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience by researchers from the University of California at Berkeley reported men emit chemical compounds in their sweat that affect the physiology of women.
These compounds, called pheromones, have been researched for years to determine their effects on other humans, specifically members of the opposite sex.
According to the study conducted last year, 48 undergraduate women took 20 sniffs from containers of androstadienone, a main component found in male sweat, auxiliary hair, blood and semen secretions. After testing the levels of cortisol, an adrenal hormone, results showed heightened energy and increased blood pressure that remained at high levels for over an hour, when compared with the sniffing of a controlled odor.
During the test, the female participants had a rise in blood pressure, heart rate and sexual arousal.
John Hogan, chemistry instructor, said researchers realized years ago that animals emitted similar chemical pheromones which affected behavior.
"These compounds aren't actually smelled but picked up by receptor sites in the nose, which emit the chemical to different parts of the brain," Hogan said.
Only heterosexual women take part in the study in order to prevent homosexual women from reacting differently in the experiment.
Camille Jubb, mathematics sophomore, said she usually doesn't find sweaty guys attractive, but after working out, the combination of appearance and the chemical compound might make her feel more aroused.
Kayla Carter, mass communication freshman, said she had never really noticed an direct attraction to sweaty guys, but she felt there was a link between sweat and attraction.
"I guess that it is a combination between the appearance of the guy and the pheromone," Carter said.
Other universities and research labs around the country have been experimenting with these compounds for years in an attempt to specifically isolate the compounds which affect physiological levels.
Michael Dunavant, vocal performance freshman, said he works out all the time and always finds girls attracted to him because of his sweat and body odor.
The University of Utah School of Medicine also released a published article on Androstadienone and its abilities to affect women's emotions by smell.
Study leader Claire Wyart, a postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley, said in an Associated Press brief that this was the first time anyone has demonstrated changes in hormone levels and that more studies will be conducted to determine likely physiological responses.
"Humans are more complex," Wyart said. "You can't expect them to have stereotypical responses like rodents."
The research done in the study will give scientists an improved method for raising levels of cortisol levels in patients. Cortisol in pill form has been known to cause side effects, such as mood swings, ulcers and osteoporosis for many people.
----- Contact Keith Lorio at klorio@lsureveille.com
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