Porn Boosts Performance? This Testosterone Trick Shocked Researchers

By: Marc Lobliner

What if I told you that watching a short, 4-minute video could significantly boost your testosterone and immediately improve your lifting performance? Sounds like bro-science, right? Well, a study published in Hormones and Behavior proves it's real—and the results are wild.

Researchers Christian J. Cook and Blair T. Crewther tested 12 elite male rugby players by showing them short video clips before having them perform a 3-rep max (3RM) squat. The video categories included:

• Erotic (pornographic scenes)

• Aggressive (sports fights, intense physical confrontations)

• Training/motivational (inspirational gym scenes)

• Humorous (comedy skits)

• Sad (emotionally depressing movie scenes)

• Neutral (non-emotive, boring clips)

After each video, they measured salivary testosterone and cortisol levels and then had the athletes attempt a 3RM squat.

🧪 The Science

Saliva samples were taken before and 15 minutes after each video session. Here's what happened:

• Testosterone levels increased significantly after watching the erotic, humorous, aggressive, and training videos.

• Testosterone levels decreased significantly after watching the sad video.

• Cortisol levels rose primarily after watching the aggressive video, indicating elevated stress or arousal.

Most impressively, the athletes lifted significantly more weight—on average a 2% improvement in 3RM squat—after watching the erotic, aggressive, and training videos.

Even crazier, the study found a strong correlation (r = 0.85) between the increase in testosterone and squat performance. That’s not just strong—it’s nearly predictive.

🔬 Supporting Evidence from Other Studies

This isn’t a one-off. Research has consistently shown that testosterone is more than just a sex hormone—it’s an acute performance enhancer:

• Carney et al. (2010) showed that assuming dominant body postures increased testosterone levels and risk tolerance (Psychological Science).

• Mehta & Josephs (2006) found that testosterone spikes predict better performance in competitive tasks (Hormones and Behavior).

• Hellhammer et al. (1985) previously demonstrated that erotic films rapidly raise testosterone, while stress-inducing ones decrease it (Psychoneuroendocrinology).

• Salvador et al. (2003) found that athletes with elevated testosterone prior to competition were more likely to win.

🎯 What It Means for You

The takeaway is simple: your acute hormonescan drastically affect your performance.

Watching porn, intense sports clips, or motivational gym scenes before training —instantly.

Meanwhile, watching sad or neutral content? It can tank your hormones and flatten your performance.

💡 Real-World Application

Here’s what I recommend:

• Watch a motivational gym video, a fight scene, or even a brief erotic clip before intense training.

• Time your video about 10–15 minutes before your lift, when testosterone spikes are most active.

• Use emotionally charged content to elevate testosterone and mental focus.

• Avoid sad, emotionally flat, or boring content before workouts.

• Pair this with your favorite pre-workout supplement like MTS Nutrition Ruckus for added effect.

• Track your lifts and mood—see what kind of video content drives your best performances.

This isn’t just motivational fluff—it’s measurable, hormone-backed science.—it’s measurable, hormone-backed science.

Sometimes, the strongest pre-workout isn’t in a scoop. It’s on your screen. Choose your pre-lift content wisely, and let your testosterone do the talking.

📚 Study Reference

Cook, C. J., & Crewther, B. T. (2012). Changes in salivary testosterone concentrations and subsequent voluntary squat performance following the presentation of short video clips. Hormones and Behavior, 61(1), 17–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.09.006

Supporting Studies

• Carney, D. R., Cuddy, A. J. C., & Yap, A. J. (2010). Power posing: Brief nonverbal displays affect neuroendocrine levels and risk tolerance. Psychological Science, 21(10), 1363–1368.

• Mehta, P. H., & Josephs, R. A. (2006). Testosterone and dominance in men. Hormones and Behavior, 50(1), 86–92.

• Hellhammer, D. H., Hubert, W., & Schürmeyer, T. H. (1985). Changes in saliva testosterone after psychological stimulation in men. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 10(1), 77–81.

• Salvador, A., Suay, F., Martínez-Sanchis, S., Simón, V. M., & Brain, P. F. (2003). Correlating testosterone and fighting in judo competitions. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 28(3), 364–375.