A 2013 study said that being a lumberjack has long been considered among the “manliest” of professions, but now there may be scientific proof to back it up.⁠ Researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara, have discovered that chopping wood significantly increases testosterone levels, even more so than competitive activities.⁠ ⁠ Scientists have known for a while that competitive exercise, such as sports, tends to increase the amount of testosterone the body releases. The study, published in Evolution & Human Behavior, sought to determine how non-competitive exercise compares. To do so, researchers tested the testosterone levels of the indigenous Tsimane people in central Bolivia before and after they cut down trees. Their results showed a 46.8 percent increase in testosterone levels following the wood cutting, a full 17 percent higher than the testosterone bump caused by playing soccer.⁠ ⁠ The paper’s lead author, Ben Trumble, explained why testosterone is created during ...