Love at first sight, romantic passion: we often talk about a mysterious chemistry that draws us to one another. Chemistry, and hormones in particular, play a crucial role in romantic relationships.
So why does passion last 3 years on average? And why do we say that love is blind?
Hormones certainly have an impact on this, as we shall see.
Furthermore, given that hormones are known to be essential for progress in bodybuilding, So, could a romantic relationship be beneficial to muscle development thanks to the cocktail of hormones it provides?
The meeting
«"Love at first sight, the beginning"»
Love at first sight, or how sudden feelings can arise in a single glance. for a complete stranger. It's a true chemical encounter in addition to being a sensory one.
Our bodies release pheromones, volatile substances that act as warning signals to our partner. Expelled from our bodies, for example through the armpits, pheromones enter our partner's nose and reach their brain. If they are receptive to this chemical message, love at first sight occurs.
It is then that the brain is flooded with an explosive cocktail of hormones and neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine, which compels us to focus on the person who sparks our infatuation. The noradrenergic system has heightened our awareness, and we therefore retain all the characteristics of the environment and the details of the encounter. This extreme concentration creates a kind of freeze-frame.
Love at first sight activates approximately 250 substances, including two hormones that complement and contradict each other: serotonin, the hormone responsible for regulating our emotions, and dopamine, the pleasure hormone. This impacts our judgment. The sharp increase in dopamine creates a feeling of well-being and pleasure that we don't want to lose, and leads to a sharp drop in serotonin.
Serotonin is the key to critical thinking. We don't see the flaws of our loved one; we find them perfect. This drop in serotonin, which can last for several days, even months, explains why we say love is blind. Indeed, our brain is unable to perceive the other person's shortcomings. We can thus abandon everything for love, and then three weeks later, once we've sobered up, we can completely change our minds! It's worth noting that phenylethylamine is responsible for the release of dopamine. This neurotransmitter acts as the amphetamine of love, creating an addictive quality and causing withdrawal symptoms when the beloved is absent.
Passion
«"Passion... only for a while."»
For love at first sight to turn into true love, we have a role to play.
Studies show that romantic passion lasts an average of three years, yet couples who stay together and love each other do exist. There's an explanation for this. While there are hormones associated with romantic passion, there are others—those of attachment to a person—that take over.
The initial fervor fades, the passion gradually diminishes. Indeed, after the overproduction of endorphins, the pleasure hormone that makes us "blind," balance is restored. The secretion of these hormones occurs over time, and the receptors become saturated as a result. Dopamine levels then decrease, and serotonin, responsible for regulating our emotions, can once again play its role; this explains why the passion diminishes.
Does this mean that love ends? No. Only the passion, all that energy concentrated on a single person, diminishes and fades. The feeling of love will not disappear, but something more serene, more peaceful, will take its place.
Here again, it's the hormone oxytocin that plays a role in transforming passion into deep love. And for good reason: oxytocin is the bonding hormone. This hormone is released in large quantities during childbirth, for example. It's what creates the bond between mother and baby.
This hormone of attachment, a guarantee of complicity and fulfillment, would therefore be one of the secrets of couples who last.
These hormones certainly have beneficial effects on our bodies, but their release depends on external stimuli. It's important to know this because we need to nurture them in this way. Therefore, to stimulate the production of bonding hormones, we must take care of our relationships.
Thus, couples who do not talk to each other, who do not stimulate each other, cannot stay together for long, whereas couples who are always looking for small opportunities to meet and share moments together maintain their hormonal capital in an important way.
The sexual act
«"Sex hormones"»
Making love with the person you love is a source of pleasure and good for your mood. However, the sexual act has other consequences for our body, including delaying skin aging, and this is just one of its unexpected and beneficial effects.
Indeed, in addition to being equivalent to a brisk walk in terms of intensity, it's an excellent stress reliever. You've noticed that after making love, you feel much more relaxed, but how can we explain this?
When we experience pleasure, we release hormones that repair the damage caused by stress, and at the same time we collapse stress hormones.
In short, cortisol and adrenaline are two hormones we secrete when we are stressed. They accelerate the heart rate and increase blood pressure. In excessive doses, they can be harmful to our bodies. The secret to combating the negative effects of stress is therefore the production of another hormone: oxytocin. Oxytocin, often called the "love hormone," is secreted when we hug someone. It is secreted in even greater quantities during sexual activity, and the higher the oxytocin level in the blood, the lower the cortisol level will be. This is rather good news for bodybuilders, because cortisol is the sworn enemy of muscle anabolism and therefore muscle development, as it destroys muscle tissue through catabolism.
Sexual intercourse is effective against everyday ailments, so no more excuses about headaches. "Cuddling" may even have a pain-relieving effect. In scientific terms, it's called an analgesic. The endorphins released during sexual relations are powerful painkillers that can magically make headaches disappear, for example. Researchers are even currently studying the possibility of giving these natural painkillers, which have the enormous advantage of being free of any side effects. Their effects are noticeable after intense workouts due to the feeling of well-being they provide.
One final surprising effect: sexuality makes us more beautiful. According to a study, regular sexual activity increases the secretion of sex hormones such as testosterone and estrogen in women. These hormones are what give us a healthier complexion. They act on a multitude of targets, particularly in the skin, where they promote cutaneous vascularization and the production of certain fibers, elastin and collagen. Collagen and elastin are two proteins that make skin more supple and youthful. In short, the more "cuddles" we have, the firmer our skin is said to be, and thanks to improved blood circulation, our complexion is more radiant. Similarly, when we think of fibers, we are indeed referring to muscle fibers, the testosterone It is therefore a very important hormone for bodybuilding.
Another advantage is that cuddling also helps maintain DHEA, dehydroepiandrosterone. This famous "youth hormone" preserves the youthfulness of our bodies. DHEA promotes libido and vital energy. These hormones combat asthenia and fatigue, and promote muscle tissue development at the expense of adipose tissue. So here's another ally for muscle growth. However, although DHEA levels decrease with age, regular sexual activity helps maintain this hormone for longer. It's worth noting that this hormone is currently considered a doping agent by the...’World Anti-Doping Agency.
Finally, peptide hormones like oxytocin, which belong to the class of peptides, are distinguished from steroid hormones.
Conclusion
«"A natural performance enhancer"»
It's incredible how we can be influenced by these hormones, which ultimately serve only one purpose in romantic relationships: to ensure our offspring. So, we can be reassured to know that love can last beyond three years, following this pleasant but fleeting passion. However, it's necessary to keep the flame alive and maintain the hormonal stimulation. Finally, now you know the secrets regarding the performance-enhancing power of love and sexuality on bodybuilding abilities, and perhaps you're already benefiting from it. For those of you who are still single, try to remain true to yourselves. No study has been able to prove that bodybuilders possess a particular attraction to the opposite sex, but it's possible that your pheromones and hormones might help you a little in your search for love!
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