Trumble, Benjamin C., Pontzer, Herman, Stieglitz, JonathanORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5985-9643, Cummings, Daniel, Wood, Brian, Emery Thompson, Melissa, Raichlen, David A., Beheim, Bret A., Yetish, Gandhi, Kaplan, HillardORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7398-7358 and Gurven, Michael (2023) Energetic costs of testosterone in two subsistence populations. American Journal of Human Biology, Vol. 35 (N° 11).

Abstract

Testosterone plays a role in mediating energetic trade-offs between growth, maintenance, and reproduction. Investments in a high testosterone phenotype trade-off against other functions, particularly survival-enhancing immune function and cellular repair; thus only individuals in good condition can maintain both a high testosterone phenotype and somatic maintenance. While these effects are observed in experimental manipulations, they are difficult to demonstrate in free-living animals, particularly in humans. We hypothesize that individuals with higher testosterone will have higher energetic expenditures than those with lower testosterone.