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Sports players who wear red are more likely to be winners, a new study suggests.
Men who choose to wear red when competing in sports have higher levels of testosterone than those who choose to wear blue, the study suggests.
Scientists at the University of Sunderland believe that the higher testosterone levels make them more likely to win because it causes them to be more dominant and aggressive.
Dr Daniel Farrelly said: ‘The research shows that there is something special about the colour red in competition, and that it is associated with our underlying biological systems.’
The researchers believe that the link may explain why many sports stars wear red clothing – Tiger Woods, for example, famously chooses to wear a red shirt on the last day of major competitions.
The findings could also partly explain why Manchester United, Ferrari’s Formula 1 team, the British Lions, and the Spanish football team, have enjoyed such overwhelming success.
It may also suggest that it was not just a coincidence that Cardiff City was promoted to the Premier League this season, having controversially changed its strip from blue to red, or that Bobby Moore’s England stars lifted the World Cup in 1966 while playing in red instead of their usual white.
Choosing to wear red ‘may, unconsciously, signal something about their competitive nature, and it may well be something that affects how their opponents respond,’ Dr Farrelly said.
The researchers recruited 73 men to participate in the study.
The men were told that they would be performing a competitive task and that the results would be placed on a leader board.
