Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Hormonal changes in satisfied and dissatisfied shift workers across a shift cycle.

John Axelsson1, Torbjörn Akerstedt, Göran Kecklund

  • 1National Institute for Psychosocial Factors and Health, Stockholm, Sweden. John.Axelsson@ipm.ki.se

Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|July 29, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Shift work dissatisfaction is linked to lower testosterone levels, which correlate with sleep disturbances and increased recovery needs. Morning cortisol also decreases during the shift cycle, suggesting hormonal adjustments in shift workers.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Peripheral Inflammation and Sleep Loss Induce Coordinated Motivational Changes: An Experimental Two-Hit Stress Model.

Journal of sleep research·2026
Same author

Subjective social status and common mental disorders in the Swedish working population: gender and age differences in longitudinal associations.

Scandinavian journal of public health·2026
Same author

Do age and birth cohorts influence trends in the job demand-control model, self-rated health, and perceived stress in Sweden?

Scandinavian journal of public health·2026
Same author

The Potential of Ensemble-Based Automated Sleep Staging on Single-Channel EEG Signal From a Wearable Device.

Journal of sleep research·2026
Same author

Quick Returns: A Quasi-Experimental Field Study on the Effects on Sleep, Fatigue and Cognitive Performance.

Journal of sleep research·2025
Same author

Associations between chronotype and psychiatric symptoms across the adult lifespan.

Translational psychiatry·2025

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Occupational Health
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Shift work is often considered detrimental, yet many workers adapt well.
  • Biological mechanisms behind varying susceptibility to shift work are poorly understood.
  • Individual differences in hormonal responses may play a role in shift work adaptation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare hormonal profiles (testosterone, cortisol, prolactin) between satisfied and dissatisfied male shift workers.
  • To investigate the relationship between hormonal levels and subjective well-being, sleep patterns, and recovery needs.
  • To explore hormonal changes across a rapidly rotating shift cycle.

Main Methods:

  • Forty-two male shift workers on a rapidly rotating schedule were grouped by job satisfaction.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Morning blood samples were collected during the first and last morning shifts.
  • Serum hormone levels (testosterone, cortisol, prolactin) were analyzed.

    • Main Results:

    • Dissatisfied workers exhibited lower morning testosterone levels compared to satisfied workers.
    • Low testosterone was associated with increased sleep need, disturbed sleep/wakefulness, and greater need for recovery.
    • Morning cortisol decreased across the shift cycle; higher morning cortisol correlated with morning chronotype and fewer pre-shift sleep issues.

    Conclusions:

    • Shift work dissatisfaction may be linked to reduced testosterone levels.
    • Lower testosterone appears associated with sleep disturbances and impaired recovery.
    • Hormonal adjustments, including decreased morning cortisol and potentially reduced testosterone, might be involved in shift work maladjustment.