The Smell of Sweat

Filed in archive Mind Games on February 11, 2007

I was raised on a farm, and I can remember my dad coming in from the field, his clothes soaked with sweat. My husband was a laborer, and he used to come home, perspiration dripping off him. Now who'd want to get close to someone like that. Whew! The stench.

Well, maybe the smell of sweat isn't so bad after all. A recent article from Reuters tells us that the aroma of male sweat gets those old hormones pumping:

Researchers at the University of California at 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.

They said the study, published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience, represents the first direct evidence that people secrete a scent that influences the hormones of the opposite sex.

How is this health related? The article explains:

The researchers also said their findings suggest a better way to stimulate cortisol levels in patients who need it, such as those with Addison's disease. Instead of giving cortisol in pill form, which has side effects such as peptic ulcers, osteoporosis, weight gain and mood disorders, smelling a chemical like androstadienone could be used to affect cortisol levels, they suggested.

I had intended to blog this news item when I first saw it, but it slipped my mind. My thanks to Women's Health Magazine for reminding me.

So, how about it, ladies? How do you respond to your significant other's sweat? Arousing or repulsing?