Flog yourself in the gym, f lop in the bedroom
IT IS often assumed that heightened fitness levels equate to better endurance in the bedroom, but men who are regulars in the gym are in fact likely to have worse sex.
According to researchers, men who strenuously work out have a lower libido than those who do low intensity exercise.
Male fitness enthusiasts reach a “tipping point” at which they are too tired to have sex or are just not interested any more. The study by the University of North Carolina concludes that fertility specialists should consider asking men how much exercise they do if their partners are trying to conceive.
Each of the men was categorised according to whether they had short or long workouts and if they were light, moderate, or intense. Their sexual appetite was also categorised into high, moderate or low libido.
According to the researchers, there was a “significant” relationship that emerged. Lead researcher Anthony Hackney, a professor of exercise physiology and nutrition, said those who had a less intense workout had a higher libido. Those who exercised for a shorter amount of time also wanted more sex.
The study said: “Exposure to higher levels of chronic intense and greater durations of endurance training on a regular basis are significantly associated with a decreased libido score in men.” Usually, it is women trying to get pregnant who face a number of questions by fertility specialists about their love life and the amount of exercise they do.
Prof Hackney said: “Based on our data, we think they should also be asking the man.”
The research, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, came to light as health experts said a rise of body-enhancing drug abuse was being driven by the “selfie” culture.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has told gym owners to “actively target people who are taking, or considering taking, image and performance-enhancing drugs”. The guidance is part of an effort to tackle the spiralling abuse of anabolic steroids, which analysts believe are taken by more than 60,000 people a year.
Side effects of the drug, which are illegal to manufacture or supply but not to possess, can include mood disorders, heart disease and severe acne. Jim McVeigh, one of the academics con- sulted by Nice, said the most commonly abused drugs were those to enhance muscularity. He said: “People are a lot more body-conscious than they were a generation ago and society as whole is a lot more aware of appearance.”
This, combined with the new “selfie” culture and the ease of acquiring steroids and growth hormones online, was pushing the rise in use, he said. Other drugs included in the guidance include slimming substances, as well as skin lightening and darkening drugs.