Too tired for love? It turns out that how hard you go in the gym may have very little to do with your libido after all…
Worried your Valentine’s Day gym session will impact your performance later on? Or maybe you swear by a solid weights session to help get you in the mood?
It turns out that the science linking exercise and sex drive is shaky, with no hard and fast rules for men or women.
With a whole host of chemicals, bodily processes, and lifestyle factors to take into account, it unfortunately isn’t as simple as “run 5k, have great sex.”
Sometimes something as simple as a good nap might be the best thing to help get you in the mood.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Does testosterone play a role?
In men, testosterone is crucial for building muscle, with studies proving that increasing testosterone levels in the body can help build leaner body mass and help fight age-related muscle deterioration. However, around 40% of men over 45 suffer from low levels of testosterone, which can lead to decreased libido.
However, it isn’t as simple as more testosterone equals higher sex drive. It should be recognised that low sexual desire is often associated with several other determinants, including relational and intrapsychic ones, which are at least as important as testosterone deficiency.
Does exercise have a direct impact on sex drive?
As to whether exercise directly impacts sex drive, the jury is out. “There is conflicting research around exercise, hormones and sex drive for both men and women,” Tracey Sainsbury, fertility expert at Femme Health explains. “Some studies suggest that moderate-intensity exercise may boost testosterone levels, potentially improving sex drive.
But it also might have the opposite effect as some studies have found that
exposure to higher levels of chronic intense and greater durations of endurance training on a regular basis are significantly associated with a decreased libido scores in men.
Is it different for women?
Oestrogen and progesterone are the main sex hormones in women. Testosterone is also present in females and together the sex hormones play a huge role in mood, including sex drive.
Regarding exercise, there is conflicting evidence of the effect on oestrogen, but there have been some studies that showed exercise increased circulating oestrogen in postmenopausal women, and that a 12-week weight training programme also showed positive results. However, there are other conflicting studies, so more research is required before strongly promoting exercise as medicine in this population.
| How else might exercise impact our sex drive? As we’ve seen, evidence that exercise can boost sex hormones in men and women is up for debate. But there are other ways that exercise can increase sex drive. Several studies correlate body image with sexual well-being: Woertman & van den Brink, 2012 found that positive body image is associated with greater sexual satisfaction in women; McNulty, Wenner and Fisher, 2016 found that poor body image leads to a decreased desire to engage in sexual activity; and, in a study of over 350 undergraduate students, La Rocque & Cioe, 2011 also found a significant relationship between negative body image and sexual avoidance. The reverse seems to be true too. correlational research has shown that women who engage in frequent exercise have lower levels of body dissatisfaction than those who exercise less often. Therefore, exercise is likely to increase body confidence in some women, and this could impact sexual desire, possibly for some men as well. What other lifestyle factors play a role? Getting in the mood depends on a whole host of factors, not just whether you’ve hit the treadmill today. Stress is a key inhibitor, according to Dr Emily Nagoski author Come As You Are. This is one area where exercise can help. “Physical activity is the single most efficient strategy for completing the stress response cycle and recalibrating your central nervous system into a calm state. Sleep also plays a role, with chronic sleep deprivation linked with lower sex drive in men and women, as well as erectile dysfunction – yet another reason to prioritise recovery post-workout. Ultimately, while exercise can help us feel better about ourselves, and calmer, the link between exercise and chemical drivers of arousal is harder to prove. When it comes to getting more nookie, open, and ongoing communication with your partner as the best course of action. I thought I’d change the subject matter up a little this week to coincide with Valentine’s Day 💘💝💋 As always, if I can be of any help, please feel free to get in touch. Have a truly awesome day everyone. Until next time, Vanessa x |
