UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND, SUNDERLAND, UK. A recent study shows that the color red, when it comes to sports, plays a very important role in the level of performance of the athletes who wear it. If you would notice, a lot of athletes would choose to wear red instead of blue when they compete. Results of the study suggest that the color red plays a very important part in an athlete’s testosterone level.

The study involved two groups of males. One team wore red uniforms while the other team wore blue. The results showed that the males who wore red were more aggressive and more competitive as compared to the athletes who chose to wear blue. It shows that there is something special about the color red when it comes to competitions such as sports which cause the person wearing red to become more competitive.

In another test, 73 men were asked to choose either a red or a blue symbol to represent each one of them on a leaderboard as they perform a competitive task against one another. The researchers too saliva samples of each participant at the beginning of the study before they were given the instructions about the task. At the end of the task, they researchers took saliva samples from each of the participants once again. The data from the saliva samples showed that the men who chose red had higher baseline testosterone levels as compared to the men who chose blue.

Psychological scientist Daniel Farrelly of the University of Sunderland and his team of researchers also believe that the link may explain why many sports personalities such as Tiger Woods choose to wear a red shirt during the last day of a major competition. Of course, let’s not forget the Chicago Bulls basketball team who is famous for numerous wins wearing those red basketball uniforms in almost every game. Although it may not directly affect the performance of the players, the color red may unconsciously signal something about their competitive nature.