Major Finding: Exercise equivalent to 30 minutes of brisk walking per day, 4 days per week, is associated with a 65% decrease in the risk of sexual dysfunction.
Data Source: Study of 178 healthy men.
Disclosures: Dr. McNamara reported that she had no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
SAN FRANCISCO — Higher levels of exercise are associated with lower levels of sexual dysfunction, according to a study of 178 healthy men.
Men who reported exercise of at least 9 metabolic equivalents (METs) per week were 65% less likely to report sexual dysfunction. Brisk walking for 30 minutes a day for 4 days per week is equivalent to about 9 METs, according to Dr. Erin R. McNamara of Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C., who presented the results of her study at the meeting.
“If men won't exercise for the cardiovascular benefits, maybe they'll exercise to have better sex,” Dr. McNamara said at a news briefing.
The men in the study were all enrolled in a prospective case-control study at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Their mean age was 62 years, and their mean body mass index was 30.7 kg/m
The sexual function survey consisted of six questions, asking men to evaluate their ability to have an erection, the quality and frequency of their erections, their ability to reach orgasm, their overall sexual ability, and the extent to which they were bothered by their sexual functioning. The investigators converted scores on the survey to a 0–100 scale. Overall, the participants' mean sexual function score was 53.
The men also were asked to assess their duration, intensity, and frequency of exercise. The investigators converted these estimates to MET hours per week. They classified men reporting fewer than 3 MET hours per week as sedentary (53% of the sample), 3–8 MET hours as active (14% of the sample), 9–17 MET hours as moderately active (9% of the sample), and 18 or more MET hours as highly active (24% of the sample).
Mean sexual function scores were 42 for sedentary men, 50 for active men, 72 for moderately active men, and 70 for highly active men. The trend was statistically significant.
In a multivariate analysis, the investigators controlled for age, race, BMI, heart disease, diabetes, medications, and depression. They defined a sexual function score of less than 40 as sexual dysfunction. Compared with sedentary men, those reporting moderate or high levels of physical activity were 65% less likely to have sexual dysfunction.
In an interview, Dr. McNamara emphasized that her study demonstrated only correlation, not causation. Asked to speculate on the reason for the association, she said, “Just as exercise provides cardiovascular benefit by increasing blood flow, we think the same thing probably happens [with sexual function] because the penis is engorged with blood vessels.” She also suggested that exercise may improve sexual function as a psychological byproduct of improved feelings of well-being.
Men with moderate or high levels of physical activity were 65% less likely to have sexual dysfunction.
Source Courtesy Ken Trombatore