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Salivary testosterone and cortisol response in acute stress modulated by seven sessions of mindfulness meditation in young males.

Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
January 1, 2024
Yaxin Fan et al. (6 authors)
Randomized Controlled TrialJournal ArticleHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to examine the effects of short-term mindfulness meditation (IBMT) on cortisol and testosterone levels in response to acute stress, compared to relaxation training (RT).

Results Summary

Both groups showed increased cortisol and testosterone after acute stress, but testosterone rise was not linked to cortisol rise. Additional mindfulness practice post-stress led to higher testosterone in the IBMT group and higher cortisol in the RT group, suggesting mindfulness modulates stress hormone responses.

Population

Not specified (implied healthy adults, given the stress intervention).

Effective Dosage

Seven 20-minute sessions.

Duration

Short-term (seven sessions).

Interactions

None mentioned.

Extracted Claims (7)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
acute psychosocial stress
increase
Salivary cortisol concentrations
-
-
increase
#1
acute psychosocial stress
increase
testosterone concentrations
-
-
increase
#2
Body-mind interventions such as meditation and Tai Chi
decrease
cortisol levels
-
-
reduced
#3
Body-mind interventions such as meditation and Tai Chi
no change
testosterone concentration after stress
-
-
mixed results
#4
Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT)
increase
testosterone concentrations
IBMT group
-
produced higher
#5
relaxation training (RT)
increase
cortisol concentration
RT group
-
increased
#6
Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT)
neutral
dual-hormone profile of testosterone and cortisol in response to acute stress
-
-
modulates
#7
Abstract

Stress is an established risk factor for negative health outcomes. Salivary cortisol and testosterone concentrations increase in response to acute psychosocial stress. It's crucial to reduce stress for health and well-being through evidence-based interventions. Body-mind interventions such as meditation and Tai Chi have shown reduced cortisol levels but mixed results in testosterone concentration after stress. To address this research gap, we conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial to examine the modulating effects of a short-term (seven 20-minute sessions) mindfulness meditation on testosterone and cortisol in response to acute stress. Using one form of mindfulness meditation - Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT) and an active control-relaxation training (RT), we assessed salivary cortisol and testosterone concentrations at three stages of stress intervention - rest, stress, and an additional 20-min IBMT or RT practice. We found increased cortisol and testosterone concentrations after acute stress in both groups, but testosterone rise was not associated with cortisol rise. Moreover, an additional practice immediately after stress produced higher testosterone concentrations in the IBMT group than the RT group, whereas cortisol concentration increased in the RT group than in the IBMT group at the same time point. These findings indicate that brief mindfulness intervention modulates a dual-hormone profile of testosterone and cortisol in response to acute stress presumably via the co-regulation of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamus-pituitary-testicular axes.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
MaleHumansMeditationHydrocortisoneTestosteroneMindfulnessStress, Psychological
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy75/10
Quality85/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations8
Citations/Year8.0
Relative Citation Ratio4.13
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score3.08
Normalized Score0.67
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Salivary testosterone and cortisol response in acute stress ... | Panacea Index