Intense exercise lowers men's libido, study finds

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Advertisement

This was published 7 years ago

Intense exercise lowers men's libido, study finds

By Sarah Berry
Updated

Exercise is meant to make us hot-blooded, but too much of it can sap our sex drive, a new study has found.

Research has tended to focus on how our sex drive benefits from regular exercise. Aside from the confidence-boost exercise gives us (and confidence leads to greater sexual satisfaction), there are the physiological effects.

Too much exercise can leave no energy or desire for sex.

Too much exercise can leave no energy or desire for sex.Credit: iStock

Physical fitness stimulates our good hormones, increases blood flow (increased blood flow to the genitals increases arousal for men and women alike during sex) and mentally gets us in the mood.

One unusual study found that women who worked out on a treadmill for 20 minutes, then watched an erotic film (as you do), reported "a significant increase in physiological sexual arousal with exercise".

Other research has found that men who exercise moderately have better erectile function than those who don't.

But, as the lead researcher, Professor Anthony Hackney of the new study said, there is a "tipping point".

In the study, by researchers from University of North Carolina's Department of Exercise and Sport Science, 1100 physically active men were asked about their training regime, including intensity, duration and frequency and libido as well as their general health.

After controlling for age, it was found that participants with low to mid-range training intensities had greater odds of a "high/normal libido" than those with the highest training intensity. Similarly, those who trained for shorter or mid-range durations reported higher libido than endurance athletes.

"Exposure to higher levels of chronic intense and greater durations of endurance training on a regular basis are significantly associated with ... decreased libido scores in men," the paper's authors concluded.

Advertisement

Professor Frances Quirk, the director of research at Barwon Health, says it is not the first study to show the "negative impact" of endurance exercise and elite sport.

She says there are two reasons for this – the psychological and the physical. It is known that intense exercise can negatively impact testosterone (which affects both sex drive and sperm count), but Quirk adds:

"There's a parallel between immunological function and sexual interest and there is a negative effect – in elite sports and endurance athletes – on immunological function."

Quirk adds that moderate activity provides "a reasonable amount of benefit" but when we start pushing ourselves hard for extended periods of time, we become mentally and physically "spent".

"Sex will be very low on the list," she says.

Interestingly, she explains that this is not necessarily a conscious choice. "Your body is making that choice for you by switching off that drive," she explains. "You are in survival mode really."

While the latest study focused on male interest in sex, Barwon says that sexual dysfunction is "very common" in certain forms of physical activity, like cycling.

"The normal cycling seats put constant pressure on the perineal nerve," Quirk says, explaining that this can lead to "numb balls" and "numbing of genitals" which can affect both function and arousal in male and female cyclists.

"It's not just endurance athletes that suffer sexually," she says.

In terms of how intense exercise (or uncomfortable seats) affect us reproductively is unclear.

Most research has focused on women's fertility, as intense exercise can stop the menstruation process and affect reproductive viability.

"Fertility specialists will often ask a woman about whether and how much she exercises," Professor Hackney told The New York Times. "Based on our data, we think they should also be asking the man."

How much is too much?

"If you have a couple of coffees, you are a bit perky and will get stuff done," Quirk says. "If you have 12 however ...

"It's a moderation issue."

Moderate exercise improves our sexual interest and responsiveness, while extreme exercise dulls it.

Quirk says that the definition of "moderate" will vary from individual to individual and it pays to play around with the amount that leaves us feeling energised versus the amount that leaves us feeling depleted.

Most Viewed in Lifestyle

Loading