Sweat = Sex? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Glory's Sun · 02-18-2009, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Men’s sweat smells different when they are sexually aroused, and women can tell the difference, a new study finds — even though they are not conscious of it.

The sexual activity of animals is affected by odor, but little is known about the phenomenon in humans. Although all three types of sweat glands respond to emotion and sexual arousal, no one has ever convincingly established that body odor plays a significant role in human sexual relations or reproduction.

“In surveys, people say that body odors are important in selecting a mate,” said Denise Chen, the lead author of the study. “But we don’t really know exactly what role body odors play in human sexuality.”

The report, published in the January issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, suggests that women distinguish the odor of sexual sweat from neutral sweat by processing the odors in different parts of the brain.

The researchers had 20 heterosexual male volunteers hold absorbent pads in their armpits while they watched 20 minutes of an erotic film, and then again while they watched a 20-minute film with neutral content. Then they had 19 heterosexual women smell the sexual sweat and neutral sweat pads from the three men who reported the highest level of sexual arousal.

The women also sniffed two additional pads, one moistened with androstadienone, a hormone produced naturally in sweat that some believe is a sex pheromone, and the other a control pad with a slight neutral odor. The pads were presented randomly, and the women were asked to rate the pleasantness and intensity of the odors. While the women sniffed, researchers monitored their brain activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Adam K. Anderson, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Toronto who was not involved in the study, called the methodology impressive.

“What’s being taken as a stimulus is not some chemical created in a lab — it’s real sweat from people who are sexually aroused,” said Dr. Anderson, who does research in human olfaction. “What a scientist would normally do is try to distill the active component of that very complex perfume. They didn’t do that. They compared the complex sweat to the sex pheromone and found that the brain was much more responsive.”

In their verbal responses, all but two subjects denied smelling any sweat, or anything human, and none verbally distinguished the sexual from the neutral sweat. But their brain activity told a different story.

Two regions of the brain, the right orbitofrontal cortex and the right fusiform region, responded significantly more to the sexual sweat of men than to any of the other smells.

Dr. Chen, an assistant professor of psychology at Rice University, said that only one brain area, the hypothalamus, is known to be important in sexual motivation and behavior, and that region did not respond to the odors. But the researchers did find that the brain somehow recognizes social or emotional information contained in sexual sweat, treating it differently from other odors. In this sense, they conclude, humans communicate with smell.

No man should imagine that based on these conclusions he can improve his sex life by refraining from bathing.

“Our findings do not convey the suggestion that human sweat is an aphrodisiac,” Dr. Chen wrote in an e-mail message.

So what does the scent of a man mean to a woman? Dr. Anderson suggested there was no reason to conclude that men now know what women want. “They didn’t find activations of typical reward centers or regions associated with pleasure,” he said. “It’s just as likely that their brains are picking up a man in heat that they are not particularly attracted to.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/17/he...swea.html?_r=1

is this anything new?

Women have always had this unique ability to tell what's going on by different factors.. I've never thought that sweat would have anything to do with it, but apparently it could.

They also mention in the last paragraph that it doesn't necessarily mean pleasure zones were activated, but hey.. attraction is only the first step right?

genuinegirly · 02-18-2009, 07:00 AM

Sounds like a disgusting study to be a participant in as a woman. "Here's a few sweaty cloths. Tell me which one you like best." Ewwwwwwwwwwwww gross.

The right fusiform region helps us to distinguish others' facial expressions. The right orbitofrontal cortex is typically associated with emotional processing and is over-active in cases of depression. It's interesting that they picked up activity from regions of the brain that were otherwise unassociated with sexuality. Our minds are more complex than we expect.

Plan9 · 02-18-2009, 11:31 AM

Yeah, the women I've dated have always liked my sweaty clothing after it dries and residual Crompmones are left behind to sniff.

Some of them slept with my gym shirts when I wasn't available.

World's King · 02-18-2009, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crompsin

Some of them slept with my gym shirts when I wasn't available.

Does that mean your gym shirts are better in bed?

ngdawg · 02-18-2009, 12:14 PM

Funny this should come up.
About two weeks ago I commented to a friend "You're horny, aren't ya?" I could tell by his scent.

Plan9 · 02-18-2009, 12:21 PM

WK: Yeah, they were just what the girls wanted: something cold, lifeless, and not desiring of physical intimacy.

(drum crash)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ngdawg

About two weeks ago I commented to a friend "You're horny, aren't ya?" I could tell by his scent.

And how close were you?

...

I figure we destroy most of this "sweat = sex" stuff with our OCD hygiene habits, Old Spice, Speed Stick, Cool Water, booze, Marlboros, and the infamous Axe (I hear MSD and Filtherton both use Axe products religiously).

...

I have noticed that my partners have a distinct smell. Somehow sweaty armpits produce something comforting. Probably familiarity, but maybe a little brain chemistry.

ngdawg · 02-18-2009, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crompsin

And how close were you?

Close enough to know he was and "close" enough to notice.

MSD · 02-18-2009, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crompsin

(I hear MSD and Filtherton both use Axe products religiously)

lol

eribrav · 02-18-2009, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by genuinegirly

Sounds like a disgusting study to be a participant in as a woman. "Here's a few sweaty cloths. Tell me which one you like best." Ewwwwwwwwwwwww gross.

.

Interesting.
I actually (before seeing your comment) had gone back to re-read to see if the women in the study were told what exactly they would be sniffing.
I don't see it mentioned so my guess is that they were simply told it was different "scents" and they probably were not aware of the source......

Grasshopper Green · 02-18-2009, 05:49 PM

I've never noticed my husband's body scent change but he gets "sex breath", as I call it.

SabrinaFair · 02-18-2009, 06:15 PM

Hmmm. I've never noticed this. Will sniff and report back. ;-)

Shaindra · 03-08-2009, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crompsin

Yeah, the women I've dated have always liked my sweaty clothing after it dries and residual Crompmones are left behind to sniff.

Some of them slept with my gym shirts when I wasn't available.

That's me. I love the male aroma and frequently steal clothing from a man I'm digging on.

*inhales deeply*

02-18-2009, 07:00 AM	#2 (permalink)
genuinegirly Eat your vegetables Super Moderator Location: Arabidopsis-ville	Sounds like a disgusting study to be a participant in as a woman. "Here's a few sweaty cloths. Tell me which one you like best." Ewwwwwwwwwwwww gross. The right fusiform region helps us to distinguish others' facial expressions. The right orbitofrontal cortex is typically associated with emotional processing and is over-active in cases of depression. It's interesting that they picked up activity from regions of the brain that were otherwise unassociated with sexuality. Our minds are more complex than we expect. __________________ "Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq "violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy Last edited by genuinegirly; 02-18-2009 at 07:07 AM..

02-18-2009, 11:31 AM	#3 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	Yeah, the women I've dated have always liked my sweaty clothing after it dries and residual Crompmones are left behind to sniff. Some of them slept with my gym shirts when I wasn't available. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

02-18-2009, 12:14 PM	#5 (permalink)
ngdawg peekaboo Location: on the back, bitch	Funny this should come up. About two weeks ago I commented to a friend "You're horny, aren't ya?" I could tell by his scent. __________________ Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.

02-18-2009, 05:49 PM	#10 (permalink)
Grasshopper Green ...is a comical chap Location: Where morons reign supreme	I've never noticed my husband's body scent change but he gets "sex breath", as I call it. __________________ "They say that patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings; steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot and they make you king" Formerly Medusa

02-18-2009, 06:15 PM	#11 (permalink)
SabrinaFair Junkie Location: Louisville, KY	Hmmm. I've never noticed this. Will sniff and report back. ;-) __________________ "With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy." -Desiderata