Intense exercise can affect men’s libido
DEAR DOCTOR: A new study said that working out too much could ruin your sex life. I like to be in shape — but not at that high a price.
DEAR READER: Exercise is unequivocally good for men’s libido. Compared with sedentary individuals, men who exercise regularly have higher testosterone levels, greater libido and greater fertility.
But extreme exercise is not without risks. Hormones are complex, and although the body is adept at regulating them through feedback mechanisms — a finely tuned system known as the hormonal axis — that feedback can be disrupted. The question is: What degree of exercise leads to this disruption, and does the disruption lead to decreased libido?
The study you mentioned, published earlier this year in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, attempted to answer this question — at least among men. Male subjects filled out online surveys about their level of exercise and their level of libido. Data were gathered from participants who were healthy, free of hormonal disorders, not taking prescription medications, older than 18 and involved in sporting activities. The researchers’ primary focus was those men involved in organizations associated with endurance running, biking or triathlons.
This study did show that males who exercised at a high intensity for many years had a lower libido than those with a more moderate track record. But keep two things in mind. One, the low-libido group consisted of only 60 people, so the power of the data is not strong. Two, 22.2 percent of men in the normal-to-high libido group exercised more than 10 hours a week; 65 percent in the low-libido group exercised that much. Unless you exercise more than 10 hours per week, every week, I wouldn’t be concerned.