Research identifies the Adrenosexual, a new breed of man

It’s official, Metrosexual man is out and Adrenosexual man is in, according to new research commissioned by the UK ’s leading action adventure group, Spice.

Defined by their healthy relationship with fear and love of action outside the gym, the Adrenosexual is the new adrenaline urban warrior who gets his kicks speed karting, releases his tension by tightrope walking and works out his worries with wing walking.

Spice commissioned a survey of over 1,000 members of public from across the UK , which examined respondents’ behaviour, beliefs and attitudes and placed them within an ‘Adrenosexual spectrum’.

Devised by leading reconnection psychologist Tom Fortes Mayer for Spice, the survey sought to identify individuals’ relationships with fear and adrenaline activities and how this equates to success and fulfillment in their lives.

The survey revealed that the primping and preening of the nineties Metrosexual man is a bygone era as ‘real men’ return to the fore. Over half of men surveyed (57%) are shunning the self-obsession of their Metrosexual predecessors and instead focussing on using adrenaline activities for fitness, fun and fulfillment.   A further 41% of UK men fell into 'wannabe Adrenosexual’ category.

Surprisingly the survey also revealed that the term 'adrenaline junkie’ is not confined to the young – almost half of those achieving the Ultimate Adrenosexual status (44%) are aged between 35 – 44, with a further 22% of Ultimate Adrenosexuals aged between 45 – 54.

Regionally, the survey dispels the ‘Southern softie’ myth, with two thirds (66%) of Southerners identifying themselves as Adrenosexuals, compared to (59%) in the North.

Obsessed with the human condition and how the majority of us are disconnected from our ability to enjoy life to the full, Tom Fortes Mayer is the happiness expert, social commentator, and psychologist who identified the emergence of the Adrenosexual, “The increased demand for lifestyle sports and growing interest in personal empowerment clearly indicate that the UK is becoming more switched on to the pleasures and benefits of adrenaline activities.  Millions of people now use adrenaline activities to reconnect with nature and experience the thrill and freedom of a healthy relationship with fear.”

Dave Smith (an Adrenosexual himself!) Is Managing Director of action adventure group Spice, “At Spice we welcome men and women who have a love of life and want to live their dream.  Adrenaline activities provide the perfect way to grow personal confidence for success in all areas of life.”

The growth in adrenaline activities in the UK is without doubt.  Research from Sport England’s – ‘Lifestyle Sports and National Sport Policy: An Agenda for Research’ (April 2005) found that:

* By 2003 almost 1 in 7 adults (13.4%) had taken part in an adventure activity and the proportion of those doing at least one regularly doubled between 2001 and 2003 to 5%.

  * 12 % of adults want to try lifestyle or ‘extreme’ sports – equivalent to around 5.8 million people.

Similarly, the Extreme Media Group has found that:

* Extreme sports are the fastest growing, with more than 140 million participants worldwide

 * The number of people taking part in extreme sports is growing by 30% each year

 * Such is the growing interest that Extreme Sports Channel is broadcast 24/7 to 50+ countries and in 8 languages worldwide

Notes

About the survey

The survey comprised a respondent universe of 1,045.

An online survey, it was promoted throughout the UK and provides data broken down by the following demographics: Age, gender, county of residence, any previous adrenaline activity, current membership status of Spice.

Eight questions were posed relating to people’s relationship with fear and opportunity in their social, professional and personal lives.

Classifications relating to behaviour, beliefs, and attitudes were developed within an Adrenosexual spectrum, which was identified by a healthy relationship with fear, adrenaline activities and success and fulfillment in life.

Fortes Mayer defined four categories within the Adrenosexual spectrum.  The lower the score, the less likely an individual is to undertake adrenaline activities, have a healthy relationship with fear or feel fulfilled in their professional, social or personal life.

Those scoring 75% and above, were in the top quartile of the spectrum and considered an Adrenosexual, with a 100% score demonstrating that they were an Ultimate Adrenosexual.

To find out if you’re an Adrenosexual, visit

www.spicesurvey.com.

(24/5/05)