can our actions (and thoughts, philosophy) in our daily lives affect testosterone levels? if we consciously decide to take more risks even though we feel afraid, will testosterone increase? or vice-versa - if we decide to play it safe in life, will testosterone drop? both scenarios assume you're staying healthy: getting enough sleep and exercise, have a balanced diet, don't stress out much.

i'm debating the plausibility of the "winner-effect": winners of a competition get a testosterone boost and losers experience a drop. if this phenomenon is based in fact, i wonder if the losers of the competition still yield more testosterone than those who avoided participating in the competition in the first place.

i always thought testosterone is determined strictly by genetics and healthiness (unless taken exogenously).