Men's Health

Are you a risk-taker?

Turns out, some guys really aren’t born to be bad. According to a new study in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, risk-takers are more likely to have a particular gene related to dopamine—the brain chemical connected with reward-seeking tendencies—than those who play it safe.

After analysing almost 500 skiers and snowboarders, the researchers found that people with this particular marker – the totally extreme -521 C/T variant in the DRD4 gene – were more likely to agree with thrill-seeking statements like “I like to go down runs I’ve never been down before” than those without the gene.

So you don't like leaping out of a plane with a flimsy 'chute to break your fall. So what? The problem is that thrill-seekers get a similar rush of dopamine from bungee-jumping as they get from accomplishing other things they've never tried before, like asking for a raise or talking to that cute girl at a party.

The good news: researchers say that while the connection is there, it’s really more of an association than anything else. But just in case you need a little push in life, here are a few instances where every guy should test the waters outside his comfort zone.

Jan 25, 2013