It can feel like you’ve tried everything to turn things around when you’re dealing with erectile dysfunction (ED). But while the exact reason why you’re having trouble getting and staying hard can be complicated, a new research review suggests there’s a simple lifestyle move that can help fight ED: Building muscle.
The scientific analysis, which was published in the journal Sexual Medicine Reviews, builds on previous research that has found that a gym routine that’s good for your muscles and health is also good for lowering your ED risk and keeping your sexual function healthy. It also had some interesting findings on nutrition and erectile dysfunction, giving you more tools to add to your ED-fighting arsenal.
You may know this, but it never hurts to repeat it: Erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability to sustain an erection that is firm enough for penetrative intercourse. It’s estimated to affect 322 million men around the world and more than half of men over the age of 50.
How does adding more muscle to your frame factor in? Doctors who treat ED break it down.
What did the study find?
For the study, researchers analyzed data from 32 studies on sexual dysfunction, muscle mass, and strength. After crunching the data, they saw that higher levels of skeletal muscle mass (the weight of the muscles in the body that are attached to your skeleton) and strength were linked to healthy sexual function, especially in men with risk factors for ED including diabetes and obesity and also in older men.
The researchers also found a link between higher hand-grip strength—a common indicator of health and muscle strength—and a lower risk of erectile dysfunction.
“Maintaining skeletal muscle with nutrition and physical activity improves erectile and overall health outcomes,” the researchers wrote in the conclusion. “Therapies that target sexual function and muscle health simultaneously—testosterone and L-carnitine—may further benefit sexual function.”
There are a few things to take away.
The link between ED and exercise isn’t new. “We published a paper about a year and a half ago, showing that exercise significantly reverses erectile dysfunction,” says study co-author Mohit Khera, MD, MPH, a urologist specializing in male and female sexual dysfunction at Baylor College of Medicine. And the latest findings add weight to the idea that increasing your muscle gains may help you below the belt, in addition to improving your overall health.
There are a few things going on here:
• Strength training can help with blood flow. “While higher testosterone levels from strength training may play a minor role, the primary benefits are derived from improved vascular health,” Khera says. Strength training is linked with lower inflammation in the body, better function of the endothelial cells that line the inner surface of blood vessels, and more availability of nitric oxide, which widens blood vessels throughout your body (including in your penis), he explains. All of these elements support better blood flow and blood vessel health, which Khera calls “critical” for erectile dysfunction.
• Having more muscle mass also increases insulin sensitivity, which is linked with better erectile function, too, points out John Sigalos, MD, a urologist at Urology Austin. That influences how well your body uses glucose for energy. “As seen in diabetes and other metabolic syndromes, we know that poor regulation of sugar leads to dysfunction of the small blood vessels that affect erections,” Sigalos says.
• More muscle strength may mean you’re healthier in general. That means you’re less likely to have issues associated with ED, including type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol, says Philip Werthman, MD, urologist and director of the Center for Male Reproductive Medicine and Vasectomy Reversal in Los Angeles, CA. “Doing more strength training may help you lose fat, build muscle mass, and change your overall hormonal dynamics,” he says.
So will lifting more take down ED?
Overall, Khera says it’s not a bad idea to lift more to combat erectile dysfunction, although there’s no specific prescription yet for how much and what kind of workouts you should do. “Strength training can be an effective remedy for erectile dysfunction,” he says. Khera’s past research has found that 160 minutes of exercise a week, including strength training, significantly improved erectile function in men. “Notably, those with the most severe erectile dysfunction experienced the greatest improvements through regular exercise,” he says.
Nutrients Might Matter, Too
One more thing to consider: The study also found that L-carnitine, an amino acid found in red meat, poultry, and fish, may help work as a remedy for ED, too. “L-carnitine plays a role in nitric oxide production, as it is a precursor to this crucial molecule,” Khera says. “Nitric oxide is essential for vascular health, including penile blood flow.”
Werthman has also found that his patients have success with L-carnitine supplements. “We’ve been using L-carnitine for male fertility for decades,” he says. “It’s an antioxidant that protects the sperm and it helps muscle recovery.” Werthman points out that he’s studied the impact of L-carnitine on sperm, and found that stronger erections happened, too. “There were a number of men who came back after a couple of months on L-carnitine and said, ‘Hey, my erections got better,’” he says.
If you’re experiencing erectile dysfunction, Werthman says it’s important to see a healthcare provider for a full workup. Not only can a health professional help turn things around, they can also check in on what’s going on behind the scenes that’s contributing to or causing ED. “Erectile dysfunction can be an early warning sign of cardiac dysfunction, type 2 diabetes, or other conditions,” Werthman says. “Make sure you’re OK before just getting a prescription for Viagra.”
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
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