Given testosterone being widely known as the male hormone, it has been often assumed to be the reason behind men taking more risks.

However, there has been a growing body of research that suggests that the correlation between testosterone and risk-taking is not all that strong. If such outcomes are seen more and more widely in scientific research then the position argued—brilliantly—by Cordelia Fine in her book Testosterone Rex, should prevail over the traditional view.

The propensity to take risks might well be cultural rather than biological! It is then a question of how we are brought up, what we see on TV and read in books rather than a hormone.

Recent research led by Oshin Vartanian, a scientist working at Defence Research and Development Canada, suggests that risk-taking, whether with cash or lives, is not correlated with levels of testosterone.

However, this research suggests that higher testosterone levels lead to more sensitivity to negative feedback. Basically the willingness to change a choice after its negative outcome is demonstrated was found to be greater for men with higher testosterone.

It is a nuanced topic, and the implications of these findings are fascinating. Might doubling down on a risky decision even in the face of evidence that the decision was wrong not be the quintessential male trait that countless action films have led us to believe?

Important to add that the correlation of testosterone with muscle mass, strength, and even with better ageing for men exists, which is why we recommend the ageing male symptoms questionnaire for men in their forties.

Testosterone peaks in early adulthood and declines steadily thereafter. Middle aged men having trouble sleeping, experiencing stress and anxiety, and in general experiencing the midlife crisis can do well to examine their testosterone levels.

This is the reason why we formulated Daily Josh, a supplement with strong science behind it. The herbal formulation improves the functioning of the natural mechanism of testosterone creation in the body. You can get it right here, of course.