Highs and lows

TO A male sports fan, the victory or defeat of his favourite team in a match is of'vital' importance- it actu- allyaffects his hormone level. According to a study conducted by the Georgia State University, the testosterone level of a male spectator nosedives if the team he was cheering for fails to grab the tro- phy, and soars if it emerges the winner of the day.

The researchers had focussed on the final soccer match of the 1994 World Cup tournament held in the us, where the Brazilians took on the Italians and routed them. Saliva samples of male fans of the both the camps were collected before the game. It was found later that in the case of the jubilant Brazil fans, the testosterone had zoomed up by 27.6 per cent, while the disheartened Italians showed a 26.7 per cent fall.