Can “power posing” held for a short time increase T, lower cortisol and improve your confidence in certain situations? Maybe. Will it alter your bodycomp or make you stronger? Unlikely, as short lived transient changes in hormones don’t tend to impact body comp or strength, and I cover that topic in my write-up on OTC “T booster” supplements HERE if interested.
However, your body language and how you carry yourself etc does have feedback to your brain and visa versa and these studies suggest elevated T and reduced cortisol as well as improved performance in those who “Power Posed.” I thought the results were interesting.
The study suggests you don’t have to be as dramatic in your power pose as this guy!
Power Posing: Brief Nonverbal
Displays Affect Neuroendocrine
Levels and Risk Tolerance
Abstract
Humans and other animals express power through open, expansive postures, and they express powerlessness through closed,
contractive postures. But can these postures actually cause power? The results of this study confirmed our prediction that
posing in high-power nonverbal displays (as opposed to low-power nonverbal displays) would cause neuroendocrine and
behavioral changes for both male and female participants: High-power posers experienced elevations in testosterone, decreases in cortisol, and increased feelings of power and tolerance for risk; low-power posers exhibited the opposite pattern.
In short, posing in displays of power caused advantaged and adaptive psychological, physiological, and behavioral changes, and these findings suggest that embodiment extends beyond mere thinking and feeling, to physiology and subsequent behavioral choices.
That a person can, by assuming two simple 1-min poses, embody power and instantly become more powerful has real-world, actionable implications
Full paper and poses used HERE
Study #2:
The Benefit of Power Posing Before a High Stakes Social Evaluation
Full Study HERE
Speaking of Super Man, looking at pictures of pretty girls can temporarily raise T levels in men so maybe some daily power poses will help too? Sorry ladies, I don’t think that effect has been studied in women. However, the sound of exotic cars apparently increases T levels in women 😉
Not Super Man but pretty super…
Will Brink is the owner of the Brinkzone Blog. Will has over 30 years experience as a respected author, columnist and consultant, to the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.
His often ground breaking articles can be found in publications such as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors.
He’s also been published in peer reviewed journals.
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