Are These Medications Killing Your Sex Life?

Most medications come with several side effects, ranging from mild dry mouth to severe life-threatening diseases. For most men, some of the worst—and the most common—are adverse sexual effects.

Some sexual side effects of medications can include erectile dysfunction, impotence, low testosterone, and even low sperm count or infertility. This is because certain medications impact hormone levels, nerve function, and blood circulation, all of which are an important part of sexual health.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is typically not a disease in its own right. Instead, it is usually a symptom or side effect of another underlying condition, like high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, which is why most men with erectile dysfunction are also on prescription medications to treat these conditions.

Erectile dysfunction has been linked as a side effect of numerous diseases along with the medications that treat those diseases.


What medications can cause erectile dysfunction and other sexual dysfunction?

What can you do to treat both your condition and your erectile dysfunction in a healthy way?

1. Blood pressure medications

Use

Blood pressure medications are used to treat high blood pressure. High blood pressure can be a serious condition as it damages blood vessels and causes arteries to harden and narrow. This can limit blood flow throughout the body, including to the heart (heart disease) and penis (erectile dysfunction).

Men with high blood pressure often have ED because the blood can’t properly flow to the veins in the penis.

Impact

Men with erectile dysfunction are 38% more likely to have high blood pressure than those without erectile dysfunction; the reverse is also true. There is a direct link between blood pressure and sexual function.

Healthy blood pressure is necessary for an erection. In order to achieve an erection, blood needs to flow into the penis to make it “hard.” If the blood pressure is too high, the arteries in and around the penis become narrowed and damaged, which prevent blood from filling up inside the penis.

Diuretics, a type of blood pressure medication, interfere with blood flow to the sex organs. They also increase the body’s excretion of zinc. Men need zinc in order to produce testosterone and diuretics can decrease the body’s concentrations of free-floating zinc.

Beta-blockers are blood pressure medications that interfere with nerve impulses. This means that the brain-penis connection is severed making sexual arousal nearly impossible. Beta-blockers also reduce testosterone levels, which lowers libido and sexual interest.

There is also an indirect link between blood pressure medications and lifestyle. Lifestyle factors like eating unhealthy foods, not exercising, and smoking can cause men to take medication for high blood pressure which may also lead to sexual dysfunction. This is also directly linked to chronic inflammation in the body, which is at the heart of nearly all major diseases.

Types

  • Atenolol (Tenormin)
  • Bethanidine
  • Bumetanide (Bumex)
  • Captopril (Capoten)
  • Chlorothiazide (Diuril)
  • Chlorthalidone (Hygroton)
  • Clonidine (Catapres)
  • Enalapril (Vasotec)
  • Furosemide (Lasix)
  • Guanabenz (Wytensin)
  • Guanethidine (Ismelin)
  • Guanfacine (Tenex)
  • Haloperidol (Haldol)
  • Hydralazine (Apresoline)
  • Hydrochlorothiazide (Esidrix)
  • Labetalol (Normodyne)
  • Nethyldopa (Aldomet)
  • Metoprolol (Lopressor)
  • Nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia)
  • Phenoxybenzamine (Dibenzyline)
  • Phentolamine (Regitine)
  • Prazosin (Minipress)
  • Propranolol (Inderal)
  • Reserpine (Serpasil)
  • Spironolactone (Aldactone)
  • Triamterene (Maxzide)
  • Verapamil (Calan)

Note that some blood pressure meds have more side effects than others. The medications that are least likely to cause adverse sexual effects are ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and angiotensin II receptor blockers. Talk to your doctor about switching your blood pressure medication if you’re experiencing any form of sexual dysfunction.

2. Antihistamine

Use

Antihistamines are most commonly used to treat allergies. You’ve likely taken Benadryl if you got a bad bug bite or Claritin or Zyrtec for the springtime sniffles. Antihistamines are also used to manage nausea, relax muscles, and induce sleep.

Impact

Experts don’t know exactly how antihistamines impact the sexual system, but it may be due to their impact on the nervous system. Antihistamines are used to reduce the body’s natural response to foreign bodies. 

When you have an allergic reaction to something—like pollen or a bee sting—your body releases a surge of histamines and white blood cells to “fight off” that unknown object. Antihistamines minimize this response, which often reduces the redness and itchiness in your system. But it can also depress your body’s natural immune response.

Histamines are used as a transmitter in the brain and spine, so suppressing this transmission may impact the brain’s ability to send signals to the penis to gain an erection.

Studies have also shown that histamines actually play an important role in erections. Histamines activate the H2 and H3 receptors, which help signal the penis to have an erection.

Types

  • Cimetidine (Tagamet)
  • Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril)
  • Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine)
  • Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
  • Doxylamine (Unisom)
  • Hydroxyzine (Vistaril)
  • Meclizine (Antivert)
  • Nizatidine (Axid)
  • Promethazine (Phenergan)
  • Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
  • Ranitidine (Zantac)

3. H2 blockers

Use

H2 blockers, also called histamine H2-receptor antagonists, are used to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Common uses include treatment of GERD, gastric ulcers, peptic ulcers, heartburn, and esophagitis.

Impact

Like antihistamines, H2 blockers deactivate the H2 receptors that are necessary for an erection.

Research has found that they may cause impotence and male breast enlargement if taken at high doses for a long period of time. This is likely because they impact the endocrine system and interrupt the H2 signaling process (as discussed above with antihistamines).

Types

  • Famotidine (Pepcid)
  • Cimetidine (Tagamet)
  • Nizatidine (Axid)
  • Ranitidine (Zantac)

4. Antidepressants

Use

Antidepressants are prescription drugs used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and obsessive compulsive disorder. Some doctors prescribe antidepressants as a means of smoking cessation. Low doses of antidepressant medications have also been used to treat chronic pain, menstrual cramps, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Impact

Antidepressants influence the function of neurotransmitters and hormones in the brain, including serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Serotonin and dopamine are the “happy” hormones, but they also play an important role in libido and sexual satisfaction.

Antidepressants suppress these hormones, which in turn suppresses the body’s ability to get “excited” by sexual stimuli.

These hormones are also used as signals between nerve cells. With minimized signals, the brain has trouble alerting the nerves in the penis. This means that the penis doesn’t know it needs to have an erection. Even stimulating the nerve endings on the penis wouldn’t be able to signal the brain that it’s time to have sex. This inability for the brain and penis to interact is a direct cause of erectile dysfunction.


Overall, studies have shown that antidepressants—especially SSRIs—cause decreased sexual desire and excitement, diminished or delayed orgasm, and erectile dysfunction. There are also some cases of painful ejaculation, penile numbness, and spontaneous erection.

This proves that antidepressants have a direct influence on sexual function—even if the reason is still unclear.

It’s important to note that sexual dysfunction is often psychological. Depression and anxiety are known causes of erectile dysfunction. Thus, men on antidepressants may still have that psychological roadblock that is causing their erectile dysfunction, even while on medication.

 One study found that sexual side effects were actually worse when patients did not adhere to their depressive disorders. This suggests that for some individuals, depression and anxiety are a greater cause of sexual dysfunction than the antidepressants themselves.

Note: The same effect occurs with antipsychotic medications.

Types

  • Amitriptyline (Elavil)
  • Amoxapine (Asendin)
  • Buspirone (Buspar)
  • Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)
  • Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
  • Clomipramine (Anafranil)
  • Clorazepate (Tranxene)
  • Desipramine (Norpramin)
  • Diazepam (Valium)
  • Doxepin (Sinequan)
  • Fluoxetine (Proxac)
  • Fluphenazine (Prolixin)
  • Imipramine (Tofranil)
  • Isocarboxazid 9Marplan)
  • Lorazepam (Ativan)
  • Meprobamate (Equanil)
  • Mesoridazine (Serentil)
  • Nortriptyline (Pamelor)
  • Oxazepam (Serax)
  • Phenelzine (Nardil)
  • Phenytoin (Dilantin)
  • Sertraline (Zoloft)
  • Thioridazine (Mellaril)
  • Thiothixene (Navene)
  • Tranylcypromine (Parnate)
  • Trifluoperazine (Stelazine)

5. Statins/fibrates

Use

Statins and fibrates are used to treat high cholesterol. They’re often used in conjunction to help lower cholesterol, especially for patients with type 2 diabetes.

Impact

Statins and fibrates are medications that inhibit the production of cholesterol, which happens to be the building block of testosterone and other hormones.

Statins are known to cause rhabdomyolysis, which breaks down muscle tissue and releases protein into the bloodstream, which can impact blood flow and sexual function.

One study found that statins and fibrates, which lower lipids, were significantly related to the incidence of erectile dysfunction cases.

Types

  • Fenofibrate (Tricor, Fibricor, Lofibra)
  • Gemfibrozil (Lopid)
  • Pravastatin (Pravachol)
  • Simvastatin (Zocor)
  • Lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev)

6. Benzodiazepines & anticonvulsants

Use

Also known as tranquilizers, benzodiazepines are used to treat anxiety, insomnia, agitation, muscle spasms, and are sometimes used to prevent seizures.

Anticonvulsants are drugs specifically used to control seizures for those with epilepsy. They may also treat certain types of chronic pain like migraines or neuropathic pain.

Impact

Both benzodiazepines and anticonvulsants have muscle-relaxant properties, which lessen sexual interest and sensation. They also interfere with the production of testosterone, often leading to low T levels, which impact one’s sex drive, as well as, the ability to have orgasms.

Some research suggests that newer anticonvulsants, like gabapentin and topiramate may have fewer side effects.

Types 

  • Xanax
  • Ativan
  • Valium
  • Librium
  • Gabapentin (Neurontin)
  • Topiramate (Topamax)

7. Recreational drugs

Use

Recreational drugs are used for recreational purposes… I do not recommend the use of recreational drugs.

Impact

Most recreational drugs (and alcohol) decrease the arousal response to stimuli in the brain, which removes the mental part of getting an erection. If your brain doesn’t respond to the idea or arousal of sex, then it isn’t able to send signals to the penis to have an erection. Painkillers like morphine, oxycodone, and codeine also have similar effects.
Moreover, recreational drugs impact your genetic expression. They can cause methylation on key DNA groups, which can “turn off” healthy genes that stop disease progression and “turn on” unhealthy genes that unleash genetic disorders. Learn more about the epigenetics of drugs here.

Types

  • Amphetamines
  • Barbiturates
  • Cocaine
  • Marijuana
  • Heroin
  • Nicotine

How to stop sexual side effects?

The good news is that most of these adverse sexual side effects are reversible after you stop taking the medication. If you’re suffering from impotence, low libido, infertility, or other sexual dysfunction, you’ll want to talk to your doctor about possibly changing your prescription or approaching your condition with a more natural remedy.


But isn’t taking a medication for your heart more important than a healthy sex life?
Actually, no. A healthy sex drive is a predictor for overall health. Your sex organs are one of the first to stop working when your body is going through some sort of “shock,” like disease or infection. Your essential organs start taking all of the blood and nutrients, so none is left for your sex organs.

Thus, if you have a healthy sex life, it’s likely that your other organs are working in tip-top shape.

Plus, sex is a great method of exercise. It can help burn calories, clear out your arteries, build muscle, boost the immune system and keep your body in shape to ward off disease.

Don’t settle.

There are a number of ways to try to improve your health condition before resorting to heavy medications or therapies. For instance, if you’re currently taking statins and fibrates for high cholesterol, talk to your doctor about instead taking a mixture of vitamin B12, folic acid, and vitamin B6.

Check out the 7 supplements every man should take for optimal health here. One of the supplements I recommend for every man, especially those over 40, is a probiotic pill.

Moreover, changes in lifestyle have been shown to have an impact on cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, heart health, blood pressure, depression, anxiety, metabolic syndrome, and other conditions that typically require ED-inducing medication. 

Lifestyle changes can influence your epigenetic expression. Therefore, if you can alter your genes to be healthy and immune to disease, you won’t have to take any of the above medications that have ED-causing side effects. Learn more about how you can change your genes and risk for disease below with our Epigenetics Series.

Never stop taking a medication without first consulting your doctor.

Conclusion

There are a number of disorders that can cause erectile dysfunction, and a number of medications for those disorders can also cause ED.

Thankfully, sexual dysfunction is rarely permanent. You can change your pillbox—and your disorders—with certain lifestyle changes.

Check out our Male 90X program to start reducing your risk for disease and prescription meds.

If you don’t want to be on drugs with nasty side effects, it’s time to take control of your health.

Sign up for Male 90X’s genetic-based report and private consult to get started and own your health!

You should always talk to your doctor about any and all potential side effects of your medication before starting a regimen. You should also talk to a doctor before stopping any medications to try other avenues.

Ready to take the next steps?

Schedule a Call

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Happy Men’s Health Month!


Happy Men’s Health Month! June is our favorite month because it’s a period dedicated to education and awareness about men’s wellness. This is a great opportunity for the media, healthcare providers, and public policy creators to bring men’s sexual health to the forefront of the healthcare conversation.

Did you know that the life expectancy for males is 76.1 years, while the life expectancy for females is 81.2 years?

Although it’s possible that there are genetic factors, most experts believe that behavior plays a larger role in the shortened life expectancy of the American male.  

This June, it’s time to commit to your health. With awareness and understanding of common men’s health concerns, you can reduce your risk of serious health concerns.

What are common male health concerns?

Not every man will have the same lifestyle, behaviors, and health risks. However, there are a number of diseases that affect a large percentage of men, especially with age.  

Below are the most common male health concerns and their typical causes or risk factors.

Heart disease


The most prominent male health threat is heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the U.S., accounting for nearly 1 in 4 male deaths. It’s much more common in men than women, with over 3/4 of sudden cardiac events occurring in men.

One of the most frightening statistics about heart disease is that half of the men who die suddenly from heart disease have no previous symptoms.

Though not showing symptoms, research has proven that heart disease can be preventable. The key factors for high risk of heart disease are all controllable:

  • Diabetes
  • Overweight
  • Poor diet
  • Physical inactivity
  • Excessive alcohol use

Other significant risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking. Unfortunately, though, half of American men have at least one of these three risk factors—even though these are entirely dependent upon lifestyle choices.

Heart disease isn’t something to mess with. At the very least, it can cause erectile dysfunction and reduced quality of life. At the worst, it can be fatal. 

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men (except for skin cancer). It is often treatable, but it’s the second leading cause of cancer death behind lung cancer. In America, 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime, and 1 in 41 will die of it.

Prostate cancer is rare before age 40 and becomes much more frequent after age 65. Nearly 6 of 10 diagnosed cases occur in men over the age of 65, and the average age of diagnosis is 66. 

Early detection is key to treating prostate cancer. It is completely curable if caught early enough. In fact, with early detection, the 5-year relative survival rate of prostate cancer is 99%, the 10-year survival rate is 98%, and the 15-year survival rate is 96%. Thus, it’s recommended that prostate cancer screening start at age 50 and occur at least every five years. For some men, doctors may recommend yearly screenings.

Risks for prostate cancer include age, family history, race, nationality, sedentary lifestyle, diet, calcium, obesity, beer, smoking, height, and Agent Orange.

Learn more about prostate cancer here.

Erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common concern for men, affecting about 40% of men in their 40s, 50% of men in their 50s, 60% of men in their 60s, and 70% of men in their 70s. ED also called impotence, is when a man cannot get or sustain an erection long enough to have satisfying sexual intercourse. It becomes a long-term concern that can impact sexual health, relationships, and even mental health.

Although it’s more common for men of older age, studies suggest that 1 in 4 men seeking treatment for ED are under the age of 40. Those under age 40 also often have more severe symptoms of erectile dysfunction.  

Erectile dysfunction is often not a disease in and of itself. It is usually a symptom or side effect of another serious health concern like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity. ED is often one of the first warning signs that something serious is going on in the body.

Thus, if you’ve been experiencing ongoing erectile dysfunction, you want to talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor will usually consider ED as a symptom, so they will screen you for other potential concerns as well.  

There are a number of potential causes of erectile dysfunction including:

  • Stress
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Performance anxiety
  • Smoking
  • Drug or alcohol abuse
  • Heart disease
  • Kidney disease
  • Diabetes
  • Obesity
  • High cholesterol
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • Neurological diseases
  • Hormonal disorders
  • BPH
  • Low testosterone
  • Peyronie’s disease
  • Prostate cancer treatment
  • Porn addiction

ED can also be a side effect of certain medications you’re taking—including the medications that could be causing your ED in the first place. Work with your doctor to understand where your ED is coming from and what you can do about it.

Check out more erectile dysfunction resources here!

Low testosterone

Testosterone is the “man” hormone. It’s the most important hormone in maintaining male health including muscle mass, hair growth, bone density, red blood cell development, and sex drive. It also plays a role in cognitive function, mood stability, exercise endurance, and energy.  

Testosterone levels naturally decline with age. But this decline can create serious health problems for men. Low testosterone can cause:

  • Lower libido
  • Fatigue
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Weight gain and obesity
  • Reduced muscle mass
  • Mood changes
  • Reduced cognitive function
  • Poor memory
  • Arthritis
  • Increased risk of heart disease

Men with low testosterone often present a general feeling of “un-wellness.” If you’ve been feeling “off” recently, you may be dealing with low testosterone.

There are natural ways to boost testosterone, and there is the possibility of replacement therapies if lifestyle changes aren’t showing fast results. You can quickly overcome low testosterone if you commit to your health and wellness! 

Stroke 

A stroke is caused by a clot or ruptured blood vessel that cuts off blood flow to the brain. This can cause lasting brain damage that can have serious and fatal implications.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S., numbering about 800,000 deaths yearly with an additional 130,000 from stroke-related complications. Men are at a higher risk of stroke than women.

There is an increased risk of stroke in those who smoke, have high blood pressure, have diabetes, abuse drugs or alcohol, are overweight or obese, or live a sedentary lifestyle. Don’t put yourself at unnecessary risk for something that could permanently damage your brain.

Diabetes

Diabetes is when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin (type 1) and/or can’t use its insulin properly (type 2). This causes sugar levels to rise, which can create serious health concerns. It increases the risk of heart disease and impacts eyes, kidneys, and nervous system. It’s also directly linked to increased prevalence of erectile dysfunction.

The risks for type 2 diabetes and complications from diabetes include smoking, being overweight, sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It’s also more common in men over age 40.

See if you may be at risk for type 2 diabetes with this 60-second online test.

BPH

After age 40, the prostate can start to grow. This is called benign prostate enlargement, and it’s “mostly” benign. Although it isn’t dangerous, it can create a number of sexual health concerns for men. It mostly impacts the urinary tract, creating a number of “bathroom” problems like a sudden urge to go to the bathroom or a slow urine stream.

BPH has also been linked to erectile dysfunction and other metabolic diseases. This is because the prostate typically grows when there’s a change in the prostate cells. This can be due to infection, prostate cancer, prostate cancer treatment, age, or other factors.

Although BPH is itself not harmful, it’s often the first sign of another underlying factor. Enlargement is a signal that something in your body is changing your prostate cell makeup—and it’s not a sign to be ignored.

Suicide

Mental health is equally—if not more—important than physical health. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in America, and almost 45,000 people die by suicide yearly. Men die by suicide 3.53x more than women, and the rate is higher in middle age.

Too many men feel like they’re drowning with no route for escape. Men’s health month is the perfect time to open up the conversation about men’s mental health.

If you are struggling or feeling lost, it’s important that you realize you’re not alone—and you won’t feel this way forever. Find a local professional or support system to take the first steps towards regaining your life.

Metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is the term used to describe a collection of conditions that increase the risk for diseases, like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Conditions of metabolic syndrome include:

  •     Insulin resistance (pre-diabetes)
  •     Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  •     High cholesterol
  •     High blood sugar
  •     Obesity 

Metabolic syndrome is a direct cause of lifestyle choices like diet and exercise.

Did you know…

Chronic inflammation may be the link between all of the above diseases including heart disease, cancer, stroke, depression, and Alzheimer’s. Preventing chronic inflammation may help minimize the risk of disease. Learn more about chronic inflammation here.

How can you protect your health?

Handsome businessman with eyeglasses working from home

I didn’t present you with all the major male health problems to scare you. I’m not here to spook you. Rather, I’m here to remind you of your own mortality—as well as your CONTROL over your mortality.

All of these diseases are preventable with the right lifestyle changes and behaviors. So what can you do to make sure you’re maintaining your health and wellness this June—and the rest of the year?

  1. Get yearly screenings.

When was the last time you went for an annual checkup? If it was more than a year ago, it’s time to go get screened.

Yearly screenings are the top prevention method for all of the above diseases. It allows you to “catch” diseases or conditions early, so they can be treated and monitored.

You should get an annual liver, kidney, sugar, and cholesterol screenings at the very minimum. Also, talk to your doctor about a PSA test as a preliminary prostate cancer checkup.

Kill the monster while it’s a baby before it turns into an unstoppable force. If you catch diseases when they’re early on, they’re more treatable. 

  1. Eat a healthy diet. 

Diet is one of the key lifestyle factors to overall health and wellness. Diet impacts your genetic expression and epigenetics,  meaning it plays a role in just about every disease.

Studies show that you can prevent prostate cancer with a healthy diet, 

Learn more about eating a healthy diet with the following resources: 

  1. Exercise.

Exercise is one of the simplest ways to fix nearly all of your health problems. Working out 4-5 hours per week can:

  • Help lose fat and maintain a healthy weight
  • Improve metabolism
  • De-methylate genes
  • Improve sleep
  • Minimize stress
  • Elevate mood and happiness
  • Regulate blood pressure
  • Reduce bad cholesterol
  • Get rid of inflammation

Exercise is one of the easiest ways to control your health—without even thinking about it. Whether you swim, walk, lift weights, or play Frisbee, your body needs movement to be healthy and strong. I especially recommend a low-pressure exercise that won’t damage your joints, like yoga, stretching, and swimming.

Learn more about the importance of working out here.

Running man in forest woods training and exercising for trail run marathon endurance race. Fitness healthy lifestyle concept with male athlete trail runner.

  1. Know your supplements.

Most American men don’t get the micronutrients they need to maintain their health and vitality. Thus, I recommend most men take the following supplements to boost their wellness:

But make sure you know what’s in your supplements. A lot of one-a-day vitamins actually contain inactive ingredients that can do more harm than good. Always take a look at the ingredients label.

You should also talk to your doctor about the medications you’re on. If you’re experiencing any side effects, don’t be afraid to open the floor for conversation.

  1. Stress less.

Stress is the number one killer of men today. It’s an epidemic that seems to only be getting worse in America. In fact, more and more research is proving that stress is at the root of a number of serious, fatal diseases. Stress even influences your genes and epigenetic expression, “turning off” the protective genes and “turning on” those that cause serious disease.  

Make sure you’re taking time for yourself. Whether that means spending time with family, taking up yoga, or finding a less stressful career path, it’s critical that you put your health first. Learn more about how to address stress here.

  1. Sleep more.

Sleeping 7 to 8 hours every night has proven health benefits. Sleep is when your body’s hormones reset, which helps lower cortisol (stress) and boost testosterone. Without this period of rest, your body starts to go into “overdrive” and its normal functioning starts to slow down. Sleep (and a lack of sleep) can even impact your genes.

Learn how to sleep better right now.

  1. Use sunscreen.

Put on your SPF. Skin cancer is the most common cancer, and it’s frequently caused by exposure to UV rays. Daily sunscreen can help prevent the free radical damage that causes both cancer and wrinkles.

Sunscreen should become a daily habit to show the full effect. Check out these other five habits that will boost your health overnight!

  1. Drink water.

Health and wellness all come down to water. Water makes up the majority of your body. Without it, your body can’t function properly. That’s why just a couple of days of dehydration can kill you.

Drink more water and you’ll find improvements in energy, weight, sleep, mood, diet, exercise, sex, and more. Water is the building block of life—so make sure you’re getting enough.

Pro-tip: Drink pH balanced water. This helps keep your body’s pH aligned, which helps keep your body in balance to fight disease and infection.

Celebrate Men’s Health

How are you going to celebrate men’s health month? By FINALLY going in for that yearly screening? Or using these summer months to get outside and exercise?

How about changing your diet? Or by signing up for a N1 Performance Health consultation?

The G1 Performance Health Consult is a private consultation that takes you through every aspect of your health. We discuss everything about diet, exercise, psychology, and sexual health to reinvigorate your health and wellness. With high performance wellness & anti-aging medicine, Dr. Gapin provides Fortune 500 executives and entrepreneurs a personalized path to lose weight, maximize energy, & restore vitality.

And yes, I prescribe having more sex…

Schedule a consultation to learn more about N1 Performance Health.

Ready to take the next steps?

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How to Treat Peyronie’s Disease


If you have a bent or curved penis, you may be dealing with Peyronie’s disease.

Between 1 and 23% of men over age 40 deal with Peyronie’s disease at some point. Although it’s a benign condition, it can be painful and make sexual intercourse unbearable.

And I’m a firm believer in the importance of sex for a happy and healthy life.

To ensure you are living to full sexual vitality, let’s take a look at the basics of Peyronie’s: what it is, what causes it, and how you can treat it to regain your sexual prowess.

What is Peyronie’s disease?

Peyronie’s is an inflammatory condition that causes the curvature or deforming of the penis. With the disease, the penis can be bent at an angle ranging from 10 to 90 degrees, and it can bend up, down, or to either side.

It’s normal for a man’s penis to curve slightly. If you have a bend in your penis, don’t panic, especially if you’ve had that bend your entire life. 


Peyronie’s is when the penis bends due to an accumulation of fibrous scar tissue. So, in most cases, this is a new or unexpected bend in the penis.

But Peyronie’s is more than just a cosmetic concern. It can impact sexual performance and cause debilitating pain. A lot of men with Peyronie’s have so much pain that they can’t have sex.

(But not always. You can have Peyronie’s and still have a satisfactory sex life.)

Peyronie’s disease may also lead to high levels of stress and anxiety. That makes sense. It’s easy to get stressed if you look down and see your penis is bent…

But don’t stress yet. Peyronie’s is treatable—and it may even go away on its own!

What are the symptoms of Peyronie’s disease?

Peyronie’s onset can be sudden or gradual. You might wake up one day (with a morning erection) and see a bent, painful penis. Or you might find that over the course of a few months, your penis slowly stops straightening or functioning like it used to.

The top symptoms of Peyronie’s include:

  • Bent or curved penis
  • Penis pain during erection and orgasm (sometimes when flaccid as well)
  • Lumps in the penis (cased by scar tissue)
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Loss of penis length (sometimes)

Peyronie’s can sometimes cause erectile dysfunction as well. The bend in the penis can be so painful that it can make getting or maintaining an erection nearly impossible. It can also create performance anxiety due to self-image concerns. Learn more about the causes of erectile dysfunction here.

What causes Peyronie’s disease?

Peyronie’s occurs from a formation of scar tissue in the penis. Scar tissue forms as a healing response to some sort of injury. Thus, in most cases, Peyronie’s is caused by some sort of injury or trauma to the penis.

This “injury” can be a sporting accident, car accident, or even a sex incident.

The injury causes damage to the capillaries (small blood vessels) in the penis. The penis has two sponge-like tubes on either side called the corpus cavernosum. These are filled with capillaries that engorge with blood in order to have an erection. If the vessels are damaged, blood can’t flow to the penis for an erection.

Some scar tissue may form in order to heal these capillaries. If this scar tissue sticks around, it could lead to Peyronie’s disease.


The penis is surrounded in a casing of skin that’s elastic and flexible. This skin stretches when the penis is erect. However, if there’s scar tissue in the penis, the casing can’t stretch as far.

When the penis becomes erect, the skin has to stretch out to accommodate the erection. But the scarred part can’t stretch. Thus, the scarred part pulls down that side of the penis to keep it bent.

Scarring on the top of the penis will bend it upwards, scarring below will bend it downwards, and scarring on the side will bend it in that direction.

You’ll sometimes see scar tissue referred to as “plaque.” This simply means there’s a buildup of gunk in the penis, which is what’s causing it to bend.

However, there can be other cases of men with Peyronie’s who did not suffer trauma to the penis.

Risk Factors

There are other risk factors for Peyronie’s as well. For example, men with Dupuytren’s contracture, which is a connective tissue disorder, may often have concerns with Peyronie’s.

Age may also play a role, as it becomes harder for our bodies to heal as we age. (Even though most men with Peyronie’s are over age 40, about 8-10% of men with the disease are under age 40.)

Another potential risk factor for Peyronie’s is the treatment for prostate cancer, like a radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy. This is likely because treatment can obstruct the penile blood vessels. These incite the body to go through the healing process, which can include scarring—and scarring can cause Peyronie’s.

How do I know if I have Peyronie’s?

If you have any of the above symptoms, like a bent penis or pain with erection, or you recently had a trauma to the penis, it might be time to visit your doctor.

He will do a physical exam to measure the curvature of the penis. He will be able to identify the location and amount of scar tissue with the examination as well.

In some cases, you may need an ultrasound or X-ray to pinpoint how much and where the scar tissue is exactly located. This is especially important if you’ve elected to have surgery (which I’ll discuss below).

If you’re diagnosed with Peyronie’s disease, you have several options for treatment. This can help reduce pain and make sex possible—and enjoyable—once again.

Keep in mind that the first six months of Peyronie’s symptoms are the most painful. Usually, though, the pain will start to go away without treatment. Because of this, a lot of doctors will wait for 6 to 12 months before attempting to treat Peyronie’s. It’s preferable to wait and see if your body will heal the plaque on its own.

If not, you’ll then have a discussion about treatment options.

How is Peyronie’s treated?

  1. Medication

Most medications for Peyronie’s are injected directly into the penis, not ingested.

There is only one FDA approved medication for Peyronies. Xiaflex, clostridium hystolyticum, is a series of penile injections that help breakdown the buildup of collagen. This can “loosen the gunk” in your penis to return it to its natural elasticity. It’s typically only recommended or prescribed for men with a curvature of more than 30 degrees.

Some doctors will prescribe interferon, which helps break down the fibrous tissue. It may also help reduce swelling and pain.

Verapamil is another possible option. This is a hypertension therapy medication that stimulates the activity of collagens, which plays a role in wound healing.

Keep in mind that these injection medications put a new incision in the penis. This perforation itself requires healing—which could further cause the growth of scar tissue. And scar tissue can lead to Peyronie’s.

  1. Anti-inflammatories

Anti-inflammatories are a type of medication usually taken orally. Some are prescription but many are over-the-counter. The goal of anti-inflammatory medication is to reduce pain and discomfort associated with Peyronie’s. These usually can’t reduce scarring or fix the curve, though.

If you have only a slight curve, your doctor might prescribe anti-inflammatories to temporarily relieve discomfort. When the pain goes away, you may not need treatment if the curve isn’t that severe.

  1. Shockwave therapy

Doctors have started to use shockwave therapy as a means of breaking up scar tissue. This hasn’t been proven as a continuous success, but it works for some patients.

How does shockwave therapy work? Imagine the Hulk just pounded his fist on the ground near a building. The building shakes a bit but stays intact. However, some of the coffee cups fell off the desks, some of the chairs fell over, and some of the ceiling tiles broke loose.


This is how shockwave therapy works (sort of). It uses waves to break up the scar tissue inside to help rid the body of backup and plaque.

  1. Iontophoresis

Iontophoresis uses a weak electrical current to deliver medication through the skin. This allows the medication to be delivered in a targeted area of the penis without an incision. This is only in the trial phases and hasn’t proven successful yet.

  1. Vacuum Devices

Some doctors will use a vacuum device to pull the penis outwards. This helps break up the tissue and straighten the penis. Vacuum devices are sometimes used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction as well.

However, it’s important to note that vacuum devices have a high rate of injury, meaning you could actually worsen your Peyronie’s if the vacuuming doesn’t go well.

  1. Penile therapy

You may need to put your penis through therapy to help rehabilitate it back to life. Therapy is especially recommended for patients taking medication like Xiaflex.

There are two penis exercises that can help get rid of pain and scarring.

When not erect, stretch the penis by gently pulling on it. Do this three times daily for thirty seconds each. This can help break up scar tissue in a temperate way.

You can also gently straighten your penis when experiencing a spontaneous erection. If your penis is curving to the left, pull it gently to the right during erection and vice versa. Do this for 30 seconds once daily.

  1. Nesbit procedure

The Nesbit procedure is the most recommended surgery for Peyronie’s. The doctor will remove or pinch the tissue where there’s scarring or plaque. This gets rid of the tissue, which frees the penis to bend and flex as it used to.

Although it’s the most successful reconstructive procedure, it also causes a shortening of the penis. Thus, it’s usually reserved for men who have adequate length, don’t suffer from erectile dysfunction, and don’t have any other nonsurgical options.

  1. Vein graft

Some doctors will do a plaque incision with a vein graft. This is especially common for shorter penises, those with a more severe curve, or those with an hourglass shape. This procedure puts an incision in the plaque and then grafts a vein in that area.

In this procedure, the surgeon may actually change the size of your penis. They might shorten the unaffected side, which pulls the penis back to be even on both sides. But this will shorten the length of the penis.

They may also lengthen the affected side where there’s scar tissue; they do this by creating cuts and grafts in the tissue. But this has a higher risk of impotence.


I don’t usually recommend these for my patients. There is a high risk for loss of sensation and erectile function, and it may cause an irreversible shortening of the penis. Plus, the body may again create more scar tissue around that incision, causing the Peyronie’s problem again.

  1. Prosthetic implant

You can put an implant in your penis, like those used for erectile dysfunction. This can help strengthen the curve of the penis while increasing the hardness of erections.

The implant is put in the spongy tissue that gets filled with blood during sexual arousal.

There are two types of implants. The permanent implant creates a semi-rigid penis; this can be cumbersome in daily life, but it’s enough for sexual intercourse. The inflatable implant is activated by a pump and creates a more natural erection, but you have to pump it in your penis right before having sex. This isn’t always the sexiest foreplay.

Nevertheless, implants can help improve rigidity and curvature without impacting the length of the penis or creating new incisions that require healing.

  1. Lifestyle changes

It’s also important to note that lifestyle changes have a positive impact on Peyronie’s disease. There is a link between lifestyle changes that are used to treat erectile dysfunction and treatment of Peyronie’s. For example, quitting smoking and exercising more frequently may be able to help the body better heal.

Learn more about treating your ED and Peyronie’s with lifestyle changes here.

Other treatments

Researchers are looking at other treatment methods as well, but these aren’t proven yet. For example, one study found that coenzyme Q10 can reduce penile curvature and another study found that acetyl-l-carnitine could help treat early Peyronie’s disease.

Vitamin E is another natural potential solution for Peyronie’s. It’s somewhat controversial, but I’ve seen success with a number of my patients using vitamin E as it helps to minimize pain and reduce plaque buildup. I will often recommend it to my patients because it’s cheap and easy–and it’s a necessary vitamin that everyone needs!

Is Peyronie’s curable?

Peyronie’s can be curable, but not always. Medication and surgery can show great results, but for some men, there is no permanent cure. Nevertheless, treatments can reduce pain and improve quality of life.

With certain treatments, you can have a more satisfying sexual performance and improved self-esteem, once again.

Bottom line

Peyronie’s disease is treatable. There are a number of options to help manage your pain and restore your sexual function.

You can and should have a healthy, happy sex life.

You deserve it.

If you want to restore your sex life to its youthful vigor, sign up for our G1 Performance Health program.

With an G1 Performance Health Consult, I’ll give you lifestyle changes that can help rejuvenate your sex life and health in weeks.

Don’t wait to have the healthy, sexy life you’ve dreamed of.

Erectile Dysfunction and Early Death – What’s The Link?


ED typically stands for erectile dysfunction…

But it could also mean “early death.”

There is a proven and serious link between these two variations of ED—erectile dysfunction and early death.

In fact, erectile dysfunction may be one of the first and most prominent indicators of increased risk for early death. A study at the University of Mississippi—which researched 1,790 men over the course of seven years—found that risk of death was 70% higher in men with erectile dysfunction than without.

Moreover, they found that ED wasn’t just a predictor of increased risk of death in later years with older men. Erectile dysfunction in young men also shows this same increased death rate. And with nearly 25% of men under age 40 suffering from ED, these associated risks of early death at a young age are alarming.

But how could this be? Isn’t erectile dysfunction just a “down there” problem? What does your penis have to do with your lifespan?

 

The Cause of ED

Let’s first start this discussion by talking about the causes of erectile dysfunction.

ED is the inability to get or maintain an erection.

In order for you to get an erection, your penis has to fill up with blood. When your body starts to feel sexy, it releases hormones like testosterone and nitric oxide (NO). These signal your body and penis that it’s time to start preparing for sex. Nitric oxide relaxes the penile muscles and opens up the blood vessels. This loosens the blood vessels so they can push blood to the penis in order to get an erection.

This means that you need both a healthy hormonal system, neurological system, and vascular or blood system working in tandem to get an erection. (Did you know that much was going on in your body when you’re trying to get it on?)


If one of these systems isn’t functioning properly, you can’t get an erection. For example, if you have unbalanced hormones, your body may be overloaded with cortisol and can’t produce the necessary NO to get an erection. Or if you have anxiety, your brain may not have the capacity to send necessary signals to your endocrine system. Even a porn addiction can cause erectile dysfunction.

ED has a variety of causes, but the primary reason for erectile dysfunction is vascular dysfunction.

“Vascular” refers to your blood vessels. A vascular dysfunction can come from constricted blood vessels, injury to the blood vessels, or plaque buildup in the vessels.

Basically, you need clean and clear blood vessels to push blood flow to the penis in order to get an erection.

If you don’t have clear blood vessels, erectile dysfunction ensues.

Plaque Buildup

“Plaque” is the gunk that clogs the arteries or blood vessels. This is what we refer to as the “hardening” of the arteries, medically referred to as “atherosclerosis.” Basically, cholesterol starts to cling on to the sides of your blood vessels. This clogs up your arteries so blood flow is restricted.

Think of it like a hairball in your shower (I know, it’s your partner’s fault). The hairball latches on to the side of the pipe. A small clump of hair still lets water flow down. But as the hairball grows, it starts letting less and less water flow. Water begins to backup into your shower or bath because the water can’t flow as easily with the growing hairball stuck in the way.

Plaque buildup creates this same sort of narrowing of the blood vessels. It begins to clog up the vascular system so blood can’t flow as easily.

Your body needs blood in order to function properly. Without adequate blood flow, your body can shut down within minutes.

In the brain, clogged arteries cause memory loss, dementia, and stroke.

In the heart, clogged arteries cause angina (chest pain), heart attacks, heart disease, and cardiovascular conditions.

This obstruction of blood flow is what causes heart disease, heart attack, and other fatal diseases.

Erectile Dysfunction and Plaque Buildup

Plaque buildup happens everywhere throughout the body, not just your heart. It’s not restricted to the heart, as we often belief. The heart is often place we care most about, because clogged heart arteries lead to heart disease and heart attacks.

But, in reality, all the blood vessels in your body start to develop the same buildup of cholesterol at the same time.

This means that the vessels in your penis are narrowing at the same rate as the vessels in your heart.

But the vessels in your penis are smaller than those in other places in your body. In fact, the penile arteries are about half the size of coronary ones. This means they can close up twice as fast.


Think of it this way. Is it easier to clog a small sink drain or a large shower drain? What if you used the same sized hairball in both? A large hairball will clog up a narrower sink drain faster than a thicker shower drain.

Plaque buildup first shows sign in the narrower penile blood vessels than the thicker arteries in other parts of the body.

If you are experiencing erectile dysfunction, it could be because your penis isn’t getting adequate blood flow and there’s likely some sort of vascular clog in the way—like plaque and cholesterol buildup.

If there’s buildup in your penile arteries, there’s buildup in all the arteries in your body, which means that the arteries in your heart are also hardening and clogging.

Erectile dysfunction is the first warning sign of plaque buildup and hardening arteries.

In fact, these two are so linked that ED is often called “penile angina.”

Thus, erectile dysfunction is the first symptom and sign of heart disease, heart attack, dementia, and stroke.

ED = Warning Sign

 

Let’s reiterate.

Heart disease is the result of plaque buildup in the arteries near the heart.

Stroke is the result of plaque buildup in the arteries in the brain.

Erectile dysfunction is often the result of plaque buildup in the arteries in the penis.

Plaque buildup throughout the body happens all at the same time.

So if you’re showing signs of plaque buildup in one area (like the penis), it means your entire body’s blood vessels have that same buildup.

So erectile dysfunction does not cause heart disease or stroke.

But it may be your first clue that something serious is going on in your body.

So stop ignoring your erectile dysfunction!

In fact, one study found that nearly 70% of patients rushed to the ER for chest pain—whether angina or heart attack—had erectile dysfunction symptoms leading up to hospitalization.

You read that right.

7 in 10 men with heart concerns first showed erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction is your body’s red flag.

Another study found that doctors can predict the hardening of the coronary arteries and related cardiac stress with an accuracy of 80% after measuring blood flow in the penis.

Yup, doctors use a PCDU (penile color Doppler ultrasound) to measure the blood in a flaccid penis, and they can tell how severe your heart disease is with 80% accuracy.


So why aren’t more men getting their penile blood vessels checked out?

Because they don’t know that erectile dysfunction is the first sign of serious diseases.

They don’t know that ED is linked to overall mortality and cardiovascular mortality rates.

They don’t know that having erectile dysfunction makes you 70% more likely to die an early death.

But now you know.

So what can you do about it?

Reducing Your ED2 Risk

  1. Don’t just think about your penis.

When most men get erectile dysfunction, they think first and foremost about the consequences in the bedroom.

Of course you want to solve your ED so you can have a healthy sex life again.

But, as we’ve come to find, ED is more than just a “down there” problem. ED can be a symptom of a serious underlying disease.

That’s why taking pills like Viagra can be so dangerous. You’re masking the symptoms and pretending everything is okay, rather than seeing ED as the serious symptom it is.

So focus on addressing the root cause of your erectile dysfunction: the blood vessels.

If you can clear out your blood vessels, you’ll likely stop having erectile dysfunction and you’ll have a healthier heart and brain.

The Rancho Bernardo Study found that risk factors for heart disease are also the risk factors for erectile dysfunction. Improving these risk factors in mid-life can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction.

So focusing on heart health will ensure erectile health and vice versa.


Keep in mind that not all men will suffer erectile dysfunction due to a vascular dysfunction like plaque buildup. ED can also be a hormonal or psychological concern.

Nevertheless, ED doesn’t happen “just because.” It often signals some other underlying concern, like diabetes or chronic stress.

Both diabetes and chronic stress can increase your risk of early death. (Chronic stress has even been shown to cause atherosclerosis.)

See how ED can be your best friend in alerting you to other problems in your body?

Talk to a doctor to discover the cause of your ED—and how to attack the problem at its core.

  1. Reduce your body’s inflammation.

Atherosclerosis is a systemic inflammatory condition. This means that those with chronic inflammation are at a greater risk of plaque buildup.

Chronic inflammation may be linked to almost all deadly diseases, including cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease. It’s also been linked to—you guessed it— erectile dysfunction.

Click here to learn more about this silent killer and how to overcome chronic inflammation fast.

  1. Eat a Mediterranean diet.

The Mediterranean diet has been shown to have positive results on both your heart and penis. This diet cleans out your arteries, reducing gunk from clogging up your vessels. 

The Mediterranean diet consists of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, and legumes. Olive oil especially has been linked to a decrease in cardiovascular disease and early mortality rates. This article by EatingWell makes the Mediterranean diet easy to understand. 

 

Want to get exact recipes and foods you should be eating for heart and sexual health? 

The Mediterranean diet also improves metabolic syndrome, endothelial function, and inflammatory markers. Metabolic syndrome increases your risk of early death due to its conditions of pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. Learn more about overcoming metabolic syndrome for optimal health here.

Moreover, you should avoid any inflammatory or vessel-clogging foods. This includes packaged and processed foods, animal meats (in high quantities), soy, flaxseed, dairy, fried foods, salt, and alcohol. Learn more about the 7 foods causing your erectile dysfunction and clogging your arteries.

You should also focus on keeping your vitamin D levels high. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to erectile dysfunction and other health concerns, including cancer, diabetes, bone loss, and heart disease.

Also check out: 13 Natural Vasodilators To Treat Your ED

  1. Workout.


When you get the blood pumping with physical activity, you’re forcing blood to flow through the veins. This can actually help unclog your veins and get rid of plaque buildup.

Cardio gets the blood moving and the heart pumping, which helps clear out any gunk and keep your vessels clear.

Let’s go back to that shower clog. You may pour a heavy-duty clog solution like Plumr or Power Plumber down the drain (rather than snaking the drain, which we all hate to do). These solutions work in a similar way as a surge of blood from working out. It helps push out the clogs because the pressure is so powerful.

Working out is one of the healthiest ways to keep your blood free of serious buildup.

Check out these 9 exercises to beat ED and keep your heart healthy.

  1. Stop thinking you’re immune.

If you’re under 40 and you have erectile dysfunction, you’re at the same risks of early death as men over 40.

You’re also not alone. Nearly 25% of men under 40 suffer from erectile dysfunction at some point.

If you have erectile dysfunction under 40, you should be even more aware of your vascular and heart health. It’s critical that you talk to your doctor about lifestyle and eating habits to reduce cholesterol, blood pressure, and risk factors.

No matter who you are or what age you are, if you have erectile dysfunction, it’s time to visit the doc.

Erectile dysfunction is not something to be ashamed of.

Think of ED as your body’s way of saying, “Hey, guy! Wake up!”

I know you want to have vibrant, passionate sex once again.

I know you want to have a healthy heart, brain, and blood flow.

And I know you want to live a long and energetic life.

So stop waiting to take your health into your hands.

11 Ways To Conquer Performance Anxiety TODAY

Performance anxiety is one of the biggest opponents against a healthy and happy sex life. It can become a physical and emotional obstacle that can drastically impact your quality of life—both inside and outside the bedroom.

What is performance anxiety and how can you overcome it to achieve an exciting sex life once again?

What is performance anxiety?

Performance anxiety is literally anxiety about being able to perform sexually.

It can manifest in a number of ways:

  • Premature ejaculation (PE): ejaculating before or immediately after penetration
  • Delayed ejaculation (DE): a prolonged period and/or overstimulation is necessary in order to ejaculate
  • Erectile dysfunction (ED): inability to get or maintain an erection long enough for intercourse
  • Psychological stress in and out of the bathroom
  • Low libido or lack of interest in sex
  • Obsessive negative thoughts

Performance Anxiety | Gapin Institute
Even cheating on a partner or having multiple partners can be a sign of performance anxiety. In some cases, men may seek sexual satisfaction elsewhere if they find they are having performance anxiety with their partner. This is generally the cause of some sort of previous negative sexual experience with that particular partner, often exacerbated by a lack of communication.

Note: Experiencing one of the above instances once or twice doesn’t necessarily mean you have performance anxiety. However, as we’ll discuss below, even one instance of the above can actually make you talk yourself into having performance anxiety in the long-term!  

What happens to your body with performance anxiety?

Performance anxiety isn’t all in your head—although it usually stems from the head. Anxiety is not only an emotional or psychological problem but also a physical concern with serious associated health implications. Anxiety is part of the body’s natural fight or flight response. It’s actually a warning sign meant to help protect us from danger.

Performance anxiety can actually make you feel like you’re in a hostile situation when you’re about to sex. That’s not very sexy.

When you feel anxious or stressed, your body releases cortisol. Cortisol, the “stress hormone,” actually stops the production of testosterone. You need a high level of testosterone in order to feel sexy. Testosterone is the libido-boosting hormone in both men and women. Lowered testosterone can cause a decreased sex drive, depressed mood, weight gain, and erectile dysfunction—all of which worsen or cause performance anxiety.

Learn more about how to naturally raise your testosterone levels and reduce cortisol levels.

Moreover, anxiety can actually cause your blood pressure to rise. This can lead to hypertension and cardiovascular concerns, which inhibit blood flow throughout the body. This means that blood can’t flow to the penis for an erection. In fact, anxiety is often a major contributor and cause of erectile dysfunction because the penis literally isn’t getting the blood it needs to get hard.

These physical manifestations of stress can worsen your ability to perform sexually, causing a negative feedback cycle of performance anxiety.

Where does performance anxiety come from?

Sexual Performance Anxiety | Gapin Institute
Performance anxiety often starts small and grows. It’s generally psychological, where you start to overthink your sexual experiences.

Did I last long enough?

Did I make my partner happy?

What did my partner think about that one thing that I did?

Was I good?

The more you ask yourself these questions, the more anxiety you’ll get. These constant thoughts can affect your ability to have enjoyable sex in the future. You’re too busy thinking about what could go wrong or your partner’s “judgment” than focusing on the fun and pleasure of the moment.

But these thoughts are coming from somewhere… so what can spur these anxieties?

Society’s views of sex

Consider the term “performance anxiety.” Even the wording of that is stressful!

Socially, we’ve started to think of sex as a “performance.” This puts a lot of pressure on the act. It reminds us of public speaking or playing in the Super Bowl; we feel like we’re expected to have grand performances in the bedroom.

Moreover, masculinity standards can put a lot of pressure on sex. When boys start entering “adulthood,” they’re quickly taught that having sex makes them cool. We continue to watch movies and TV where the “cool” guys get the girls and have amazing sex. This starts to condition the brain that sex equates to masculinity.

As a society, we’ve transformed sex from something intimate and pleasurable to something competitive and goal-oriented. Thus, if something “goes wrong,” we can start to feel emasculated or anxious about ourselves.

Porn

Porn adds another layer to this idea of “performance.” Pornstars are literally putting on a sexual performance. Everything has to look perfect in porn. That can make us normal folks—without special lighting and editing equipment—feel a little anxious.

Watching a lot of porn can actually even cause erectile dysfunction due to insufficient real-life sexual arousal, issues of low self-esteem and confidence, and less visual and auditory stimulation. Learn more about porn-induced erectile dysfunction here.

Past negative experience

Negative Experience Performance Anxiety
Like any sort of “trauma,” our minds can build negative associations. If something happened in a previous sexual experience, you might consciously or subconsciously take this event with you into your other experiences.

For example, you had one instance of premature ejaculation with your partner for some reason. Or you had a week where you couldn’t seem to get an erection. You might be embarrassed by your “inability to perform.” You can then start convincing yourself that you have a “problem” and that you’ll never be able to please your partner again.

This is especially exacerbated if a negative experience happens and the partners don’t communicate about it. This can cause men to start overthinking the experience, often undermining their own masculinity and confidence in tandem.

Confidence or self-esteem issues

Specific sexual instances can cause men to lose confidence in the bedroom. Other confidence or self-esteem issues can make a man feel anxious to get naked or please his partner. For example, a man may have body issues because he’s slightly overweight or he’s insecure because he has a large mole near his penis.

Again, these confidence concerns often stem from a lack of communication with the partner. More often than not, these are perceived self-esteem issues not based in reality.

Medical concerns

While performance anxiety is often psychological, these psych concerns can stem from physical problems as well. There are some unrelated medical problems that inhibit your ability to have sex. For example, a man may have diabetes, which shows a secondary symptom of erectile dysfunction.

When a man has these physical concerns, he might start thinking something is “wrong” with him—rather than thinking of his ED as a medical concern. This can then lead to negative self-talk and confidence concerns, ultimately lending itself to performance anxiety.

Desire to please

Sometimes performance anxiety can come from a positive place but have a negative impact. You might worry about pleasing your partner so much that it actually becomes debilitating. You start overthinking about how to “perform” in a way that will excite them, and you end up not having any fun or pleasure yourself. If you don’t feel that excitement yourself, your brain won’t signal your body to physically prepare to have sex. If you aren’t feeling sexy, your body won’t be able to have sex.

Negative feedback loop

All of these physical and psychological concerns can mix to create a negative feedback loop, potentially causing a man to spiral down into severe performance anxiety.

The cycle looks something like this:

  1. Something happens that causes you to feel you didn’t perform “at your peak” during a sexual experience.
  2. You start thinking about that sexual experience and wondering what happened.
  3. This overthinking begins to cause you to wonder if you have some sort of “problem.” This can make you feel emasculated and unconfident.
  4. Thinking about this “problem” causes the problem to manifest itself. You can literally talk yourself into not being able to perform.
  5. This causes further problematic sexual encounters.
  6. This causes even more anxiety, which can push your body into a physically unhealthy state of high stress, low testosterone, and high blood pressure.
  7. In turn, these concerns create a physical performance issue.
  8. So you can’t perform again because of a physical problem.
  9. And then the negative self-talk starts again.

It causes a vicious cycle of psychological and physical concerns.

This cycle can be hard to break when you’re in it.

But you can break it…

And you can start breaking it right now!

 

How do you overcome performance anxiety?

Stop thinking of sex as goal-oriented

Sex performance anxiety
Sex is not about putting on a performance. Sex is not even about having an orgasm. It’s about pleasure and intimacy. It’s about connecting with your partner in an intimate—and very enjoyable—way.

Try having sex without worrying about an orgasm. Tell your partner that you want to focus solely on foreplay. This can relieve some of the pressure and give you time to better explore one another. This can help overcome some mental hurdles moving forward.

Stop judging yourself.

Masculinity does not mean you are perfect at sex. Sex is an important part of life—but it’s not an important part of your identity.

If something happens, don’t start telling yourself you have a “problem.” Realize the event for what it is. Maybe you’d had too much to drink. Perhaps you were stressed from work. Maybe you have an underlying medical concern to chat with your doctor about. Stop overthinking or misplacing meaning to a sexual event.

Remind yourself how awesome you are.

Stay positive performance anxiety
There is power in positive thinking. Stand in front of the mirror and tell yourself you’re amazing in bed. Tell yourself that you’re a sex god. Whatever phrases work to get you excited, happy, and goofy. Just like you can talk yourself into having performance anxiety, you can talk yourself into having sexy confidence!

Moreover, think of all the sensual moments in your life. These moments can be during sexual or romantic. They should remind you of your sexual prowess and the amazing feelings you had during those exciting moments. This reminder can instantly renew your sexuality and help remind you of your abilities.

Eliminate external stressors.

Performance anxiety can stem from other anxieties and stresses as well. If you’re feeling stressed, your cortisol levels will rise, which increases blood pressure and inhibits testosterone production. You may not even feel stressed, but it could manifest itself in the bedroom and impact your sexual health.

Consider what stresses you have in your life. Find ways to manage the anxiety and environment around you. Take proactive steps to reduce stressful triggers around you.

Take time to relax.

relax performance anxiety | Gapin Institute
Sometimes you can’t avoid stress. But you can mitigate or reduce it. Take time to calm your overall body, and your sexual health will calm in tandem. Try yoga and meditation. Try mindfulness techniques. Do breathing exercises, which help regulate heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and decrease muscle tension—which all put your body in a better state for sex.

Working out is a great way to relax and release nervous energy. It also increases your testosterone levels and lowers your cortisol, which can help overcome erectile dysfunction. Exercise can also make you happier and healthier overall, so you’re less likely to fall into stressful situations like sex-related anxiety.

Check out: 9 Exercises To Beat ED And Have Better Sex

Communicate with your partner.

Communication is key to overcoming performance anxiety. No matter the cause of your anxiety, talking about it with your partner can release some of the tension. Often, your partner can help reduce some of your concerns by telling you how they view the situation. Honesty allows you to work together to manage and overcome the situation.

Plus, opening the lines of communication can allow you to try new things with your partner. For example, you might want to tell your partner that you’re feeling anxious about performing, so you want to try having sex without orgasm. There will be no expectations for you to finish because you talked about it ahead of time.

Get a little kinky.

Get Kinky, Performance Anxiety | Gapin Institute
Now that you’ve opened the lines of communication, try new things. If you don’t have erectile dysfunction and can still ejaculate in other situations, it likely means you’re in some sort of anxiety-ridden “rut” with your partner. Share your fantasies or try out new moves.

Breaking a routine with new experiences can help overcome anxiety. You’re not “repeating patterns” so there is less pressure.

And remember- if you tried something new and it didn’t work, that’s okay! At least you tried it. You’ll have less stress moving forward with other experiences.

I recommend trying tantric sex. Tantric sex focuses on breathing and mindfulness rather than on the actual physical act of sex. In fact, it’s not uncommon for men and women to orgasm without penetration! This is a great way to get intimate with your partner without worrying about the “performance” aspect.

P.S. Practice makes perfect. The more you have sex, the more confident you’ll be in your abilities.

Avoid drugs and alcohol.

Drugs and alcohol can actually worsen anxiety and lower sexual desire and arousal. Moreover, drugs and alcohol actually unbalance your hormones, which can lower libido and make it harder to obtain an erection.

Reduce your porn watching.

Porn sets unrealistic expectations about sex, which can lead to severe anxiety and performance concerns. It can even cause erectile dysfunction in high doses.

Remember: Porn is edited. You can’t compare yourself to the special effects used in porn filmmaking.

Seek professional help.

Talking to a sex therapist is a discreet and effective way to help you understand where your performance anxiety stems from. They will look at your relationship and sexual history to get at the root of your sexual stressors.

It is not embarrassing to seek professional help. You deserve to have an exciting and vivacious sex life, and a professional will help get you to that point.

You can find quality sex therapists through the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists.

Change your lifestyle.


Performance anxiety and general anxiety often stems from lifestyle. Diet, exercise, supplements, and health choices all impact your stress levels inside and outside the bedroom.

If you want to overcome anxiety, you need to change your lifestyle.

You can kiss performance anxiety goodbye…

And say hello to the best sex of your life!

Are Low Vitamin D Levels Linked To ED?


Studies have concluded that vitamin D deficiency and erectile dysfunction are strongly correlated. In fact, a study published in Dermato-endocrinology found that men with a vitamin D deficiency have a 30% greater prevalence of ED and an 80% greater prevalence of severe ED compared to men with optimal levels of vitamin D.

But why is this? What’s the link between vitamin D and the ability to have an erection?

More importantly, what can you do to ensure that a vitamin D deficiency isn’t killing your sex life?

What Is ED?

Erectile dysfunction, also called “impotence,” is when a man has difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection long enough to have satisfactory sexual intercourse. This could mean that the erection quickly fades or that he can’t have an erection at all.

Erectile dysfunction has a lot of moving parts. The causes of ED can be varied, which can make it difficult to treat in the long-term. ED can be neurological (brain), vascular (blood vessels), muscular, hormonal, and even psychological. Oftentimes, ED is a vascular problem caused by endothelial damage or inhibition of vasodilation. Basically, this means that the blood vessels are damaged and can’t properly transport blood to the penis (which is what gets the penis hard).  

ED is often a symptom of another underlying disease or concern, like cardiovascular disease or diabetes. In fact, erectile dysfunction is often one of the first and primary indicators of heart disease.

What Is A Vitamin D Deficiency (VDD)?


A “deficiency” of a vitamin means that your body doesn’t have the amount of that nutrient in the body for proper function. A vitamin D deficiency is usually classified as anything below 20 or 30 ng/mL. The Vitamin D Council recommends optimal vitamin D levels between 40 and 80 ng/mL.

Nearly three-quarters of all U.S. teens and adults are deficient in vitamin D. Often called the “sunshine vitamin,” scientists are realizing more and more just how important vitamin D is to overall health. In fact, research has shown that a deficit in vitamin D can be linked to a number of health concerns, from cancer to diabetes to bone loss to heart disease… to erectile dysfunction.

Vitamin D plays a role in the health of:

  • Bone
  • Immune system
  • Muscle function
  • Cardiovascular system
  • Respiratory system
  • Brain development

Did you know: Vitamin D is the only vitamin that your body produces. Your body can’t make other vitamins; it receives those vitamins from foods. But your body can make vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight.

Because of this unique aspect of vitamin D, it’s not always the easiest vitamin to give to our bodies. Eating more of a food won’t necessarily increase our vitamin D levels that much. The process of making vitamin D is a little more complex than other nutrients.

And that’s one reason why so many Americans are deficient in vitamin D.

Most people don’t show signs of vitamin D deficiency… though most people have it. Interestingly, a 2015 study found that 67% of 160 physicians studied had vitamin D deficiencies. Even doctors—who should be the best at watching their health—are deficient in vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) has become an epidemic.

How Are ED And VDD Linked?

A number of recent studies have proven that vitamin D deficiency and erectile dysfunction have some sort of correlation, independent of other risk factors. Researchers have concluded that “a significant proportion of ED patients have a vitamin D deficiency.” Ultimately, as researchers Sorenson and Grant wrote in their 2012 study: “We conclude that VDD contributes to ED.”

This study also found that low levels of vitamin D promoted endothelial dysfunction. Vitamin D has been shown to help improve endothelial function, while a deficiency in vitamin D contributes to endothelial dysfunction.

But what is endothelial dysfunction?

The endothelium is the inner lining of the blood vessels. This basically keeps your blood flowing smoothly and healthily. If there is endothelial dysfunction, there is an imbalance in the vessels, which restricts blood flow. This dysfunction can come from high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, plaque build-up, smoking, or other environmental factors.

In order for you to have an erection, your penis needs to fill up with blood to get “hard.” If your blood vessels aren’t working properly, blood can’t get down to your penis to fill it up. This can cause a vascular-related erectile dysfunction.

Vitamin D has been shown to promote endothelial function. In the opposite way, vitamin D deficiency can actually damage our endothelial system and injure our blood vessels. If your blood vessels are injured, they can’t do their job and get blood flowing to your penis to have an erection.

Moreover, damaged blood vessels can also lead to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, which we’ll discuss below.


Vitamin D also plays a role in nitric oxide synthesis. Nitric oxide is needed to relax the smooth muscles of the penis and open up the blood vessels to allow blood to flow into the penis. NO functions as a natural vasodilator that’s essential to gaining an erection.

Some studies suggest that vitamin D may regulate the synthase or production of nitric oxide. This means that vitamin D could play an integral role in boosting blood flow to the penis. In reverse, a deficiency in vitamin D could mean an inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis. Without NO, there’s no erection. If VDD prevents NO, then an erection is impossible.

How Are VDD And CVD Linked?

Moreover, as discussed, erectile dysfunction is often a symptom of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Risk factors that are associated with CVD are also associated with a high ED risk, like smoking and being overweight. If vitamin D deficiency contributes to erectile dysfunction, scientists have concluded that VDD may also be linked to cardiovascular disease.

Ultimately, vitamin D deficiency is closely associated to both erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease.

And you don’t want either of those health issues.

So it’s time to get rid of your vitamin D deficiency (because, like most people, you’re probably not getting the vitamin D you need).

How Do You Get The Vitamin D You Need?

As discussed earlier, vitamin D is a unique nutrient. Your body chemically creates vitamin D when it receives sunlight. (Yes, you’re like a plant going through photosynthesis!) In this way, obtaining a healthy amount of vitamin D means committing to lifestyle changes for the long haul.

But these changes are fun, if you ask me!

  1. Sunlight

The best way to increase your vitamin D is to get more sunlight. Exposing your skin to the sun is the fastest and most efficient method of vitamin D consumption.

This doesn’t mean you need to tan or burn in order to be healthy. In fact, you shouldn’t be tanning or burning, which can end up chemically altering your cells and causing long-term problems (like wrinkles and cancer). Rather, you only need a few minutes of unprotected sunlight in order to get your full daily dose of vitamin D. You should then apply sunscreen liberally to ensure you don’t do any long-term damage with the UV rays.


Yes, the doctor is telling you to get out and go surfing, go for a bike ride, or take a walk around the park in the middle of the workday!

A few variables will affect the amount of vitamin D you get from the sunlight:

  • Time of day: your skin can produce more vitamin D if you get sunlight exposure during the middle of the day
  • Location: the closer you are to the equator, the more UV rays you’ll receive, and the easier it will be for your body to produce vitamin D
  • Altitude: the closer you are to the sun, the more vitamin D you’ll make (sun is more intense on a mountain than on a beach, even if the temperature disagrees)
  • Exposure: the amount of skin you expose to the sun affects the amount of vitamin D you’ll produce
  • Skin color: pale skin can make vitamin D quicker than darker skin tones
  • Age: your body’s production of vitamin D naturally slows down as you age
  • Sunscreen: wearing sunscreen can block the UV rays that are transformed into vitamin D
  • Pollution: polluted or cloudy air will soak up more UV rays than non-polluted air, stealing some of your vitamin D potential
  • Glass: glass blocks UVB rays, which are the rays needed for vitamin D production

Generally, I don’t recommend tanning beds to get the vitamin D you need. Often, you need only a few minutes of exposure to get your daily dose of vitamin D. Most indoor tanning bed sessions can cause severe burns and tans with long-lasting consequences.

  1. Supplements

The second best way to get vitamin D is through supplementation. If you don’t live in a sunny area or you don’t want to expose yourself to UV rays, vitamin D supplements are usually a good option.

Different organizations and doctors have different ideas about the correct dosage of vitamin D supplements. The Vitamin D Council recommends about 5,000 International Units (IU) of vitamin D daily; the Endocrine Society recommends about 1,500-2,000 IU per day; and the Food and Nutrition Board recommends 600 IU per day and 800 for seniors. The Food and Nutrition Board is the official recommendation by the U.S. government.

Ultimately, there isn’t a “right” answer just yet on how much you should be taking. But you should definitely not be taking more than 10,000 IU per day. The Food and Nutrition Board even says the maximum dosage should be 4,000 IU per day.


Generally, you should take vitamin D3 as opposed to vitamin D2. Vitamin D3 is not vegetarian, so talk to your doctor if you do not want to take an animal-based product.

You can also take cod liver oil, which contains vitamin D. However, cod liver oil has higher amounts of vitamin A than D. Taking too much vitamin A can be dangerous, so it’s important to maintain a healthy balance when supplementing with cod liver oil.

Vitamin D is fat-soluble. If you take too much, your body can’t easily get rid of it. You don’t want to be swimming in vitamin D, as high doses may cause diseases like MS or prostate cancer. Learn more about the link between vitamin D and prostate cancer here.

Talk to your doctor before adding any supplements to your regimen.

  1. Diet

Although our bodies produce most of our vitamin D, you can still get small amounts of vitamin D with your diet. However, most scientists believe that eating vitamin D won’t provide enough of the vitamin to stay healthy.

Nevertheless, adding vitamin D foods to your diet can help supplement your anti-VDD efforts.

  • Salmon
  • Mackerel
  • Tuna
  • Sardines
  • Herring
  • Raw milk
  • Caviar
  • Oysters
  • Shrimp
  • Eggs
  • Mushrooms
  • Fortified cereal and oatmeal
  • Nutrient-Additive milk (cow and soy)
  • Fortified orange juice

  1. Workout

Working out won’t necessarily give you more vitamin D, but it can help you absorb more of the vitamin D you do get. Vitamin D is extracted from the blood by fat cells. This means that the more fat you have on your body, the more vitamin D will be pulled out of use. Thus, people with a high body mass index (over 30) often have lower blood levels of vitamin D.

If you are carrying some extra pounds, you could be sabotaging any vitamin D regimen you try to implement. Moreover, being overweight is also strongly linked to erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease.

If you want to lower your vitamin D deficiency and minimize your risk of ED and other serious diseases, it’s time to lose some of the weight.

Struggling to lose weight and feeling overwhelmed by health concerns? Learn about metabolic syndrome here.

The Bottom Line

Vitamin D deficiency is a common concern throughout the U.S. This deficiency can cause a number of serious health concerns, including erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease.

But thankfully, a deficiency is easily solvable—by adding more of that vitamin into your body! By getting more sunlight, adding vitamin D supplements, and changing your diet and exercise, you can lower your risk of vascular problems and ED in no time.

Are you ready to finally balance your health?

Are you ready to get back to that energetic vigor of your youth?

Of course, you are!

Sign up for the Male 90X program right now!

This genetic-based report and private consultation will get you started on the steps of total body transformation to realign every aspect of your health and wellness.

What are you waiting for? Get Male 90X now to start living the life you deserve!

9 Exercises To Beat ED And Have Better Sex


It’s time to get physical! If you want better “physical fun” in the bedroom, you need to improve your daily physical activity outside the bedroom as well.

Are you one of the 30 million men suffering from ED? If so, you may be feeling trapped or suffocated in your sex life. You can’t get or maintain an erection like you used to, which can hurt your confidence, your intimacy, and even your relationships. You might be feeling unfulfilled or unsatisfied. There may be a loss of intimacy between you and your partner. You may be falling into anxiety or depression, or you may have trouble getting your partner pregnant.

Many men think popping a blue pill will do the trick. In reality, these only mask the symptoms without getting to the root causes of your ED or related complications. Plus, they often have more side effects than benefits!

But thankfully, you can overcome ED in a natural and effective way… with exercise!

Why exercise for ED?

Exercise can help treat almost all causes of ED. This makes it the ideal addition to any ED treatment. I like to call this solution: “sexercise.”

ED has 8 main causes. Physical activity actually addresses each cause in some way or another.

1. Stress and anxiety

Stress and psychological problems is one of the most common causes of ED. Working out has been shown to lower stress, reduce cortisol levels, improve mood, and increase endorphins (the “happy” chemical in your brain). According to the American Psychological Association, exercise betters our body’s communication system between all of our organ processes and functions. The more sedentary we are, the less efficient our bodies are at communicating and responding to stress. In this way, exercise is crucial to both the body’s physical and mental reaction to stress.

2. Obesity

Obesity is a significant risk factor for erectile dysfunction. The only treatment that works to overcome obesity-related ED is weight loss. Exercise is crucial to any diet and weight loss plan. You need to stay active to burn calories, shed fat, build muscle, and maintain a normal body weight.

3. Cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol

Exercise improves heart health and improves oxygenated blood flow throughout the body. Benefits of regular exercise on cardiovascular risk factors include: increase in insulin sensitivity, increase in good cholesterol, reduction in bad cholesterol, reduction in blood pressure, and reduction in body weight. Exercising regularly is the best way to take care of your heart and blood.

4. Relationship concerns

Communication problems in your relationship can cause erectile dysfunction. But research suggests that working out together can actually improve your overall relationship by increasing your happiness, boosting romantic attraction, enhancing support, and increasing emotional bond. Exercise also helps better overall health, which makes for a healthy relationship in tandem.

5. Confidence concerns

Men suffering from ED due to “performance anxiety” often have low self-confidence or a negative view of their body. Studies have shown that exercise can enhance attractiveness and increase energy levels, where participants rate themselves as higher on positive perception of self. Those men who were working out consistently considered themselves more desirable and were thus able to perform better sexually.

6.  Sleep deprivation

A lack of sleep—with regards to both quantity and quality— has been linked to erectile dysfunction. In fact, a 2016 survey found that 65% of men who came in with sleep apnea (a sleep disorder) also had symptoms of erectile dysfunction. Working out regularly can improve your quality of sleep and help you fall asleep faster. In fact, exercise is the most effective natural cure for insomnia.

7. Hormonal imbalance

There is a link between low testosterone and erectile dysfunction, though it still calls for further exploration. Nevertheless, we know that a severe imbalance of hormones—like too much cortisol and estrogen with low testosterone—can negatively impact sexual performance. Exercise has been shown to help balance out hormone production, raise testosterone, and lower cortisol and estrogen. Basically, exercise can help put your hormones in a sex-friendly state.

 

8. Nitric oxide

It’s also important to note the link between nitric oxide and exercise. Nitric oxide (NO) is the chemical that opens up the blood vessels (vasodilation) in the penis and relaxes the muscles in the pelvis. After an erection, your nitric oxide levels will naturally decrease to signal to your body that it’s time to stop having an erection. NO basically controls your erections; you need an appropriate amount of nitric oxide in order to have and maintain an erection for any period of time.

Almost every type of exercise is proven to increase the production of nitric oxide. This is because exercise forces the blood to pump harder, so the blood vessels must dilate to handle the pumping blood; this exercised-induced vasodilation then helps produce more nitric oxide. The reverse is true as well; nitric oxide can help improve physical endurance and performance. This helps create a positive cycle to quell erectile dysfunction symptoms.

Overall, exercise increases energy, tones muscle, and burns fat. This improvement in overall health can help combat the typical causes of erectile dysfunction. Study after study has proved that physical activity is linked to sexual vigor. Not only does it improve your erectile dysfunction, but it can also improve your flexibility, endurance, and performance in the bedroom…

So what are you waiting for?

Below you’ll find the 9 easiest exercises that will improve your ED symptoms and sexual health—and you can do them today! No equipment and no experience needed.

1. Kegels

Kegels aren’t just for women. These exercises are actually one of the best ways to regain your overall sexual health since they target the pelvic muscles. The pelvic muscles contract around the testes and base of the penis during sex, contributing to the “hardness” of the erection. Kegel exercises can strengthen two key muscles: the pubococcygeus (PC), which is the muscle that stops the flow of urine, and the perineal muscles, which is the muscle that supports erectile rigidity and ejaculation. Overall, the strength of these muscles impacts erections, sexual experience, ejaculation, and bladder.

Like all of our muscles—these pelvic muscles tend to get weaker with age. This weakness means the muscles can’t contract enough to help the penis “stand up” and have an erection, thus contributing to erectile dysfunction.

But all muscles strengthen when you use them. Think of lifting: the more often you curl a dumbbell, the more your bicep grows. The same is true of the pelvic muscles. The more you use them, the stronger they’ll bebe. Kegel exercises are like lifting but for your penis. The stronger your sex muscles, the better you can control your erections and sexual endurance.

Note: This also means that the more you have sex, the stronger your pelvic muscles; the stronger your pelvic muscles, the better your erections and sexual health. So, if you have just mild ED and can still have sex, this doctor says to do it… and do it often.

So how do you use Kegels to strengthen the pelvic muscles and get back in the game?

  1. You shouldn’t stop the flow of urine while peeing. This can cause infection and bladder problems. But stopping mid-flow onvr can help you get used to the feel of these muscles.
  2. You want to try to squeeze and tighten these pelvic muscles.
  3. Try not to tighten the surrounding muscles. Focus on the PC muscles. Be aware not to tighten your abs, butt, or thigh.
  4. Start with 5-second squeezes. Squeeze for five seconds, then relax.
  5. Do 10 to 20 reps of 5-second squeezes.
  6. As you get more comfortable, increase the length of the squeezing and number of reps.
  7. Be sure to breathe as normal. Don’t hold your breath.
  8. Do a set of reps two to three times per day.

The best part about Kegels is that you can do them anywhere at any time. You can do them while on the floor, in bed, during a commercial break, or even sitting at your desk at work.

Try it right now as you read the rest of this article!

2. Aerobic Exercise

A number of studies and reviews have concluded that aerobic exercise can help improve ED by boosting blood flow. When working out, your heart is pumping faster. This “clears out” your veins from buildup and blockages caused by obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease (which all contribute to by ED).


Furthermore, research presented in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that aerobic exercise of moderate intensity for 5 to 7 sessions per week for 12 weeks increased nitric oxide levels by 32%. Remember that nitric oxide is what pushes blood flow into the penis for an erection and relaxes the penile muscles to allow for stiffness.

A 1990 study reported that aerobic exercise overall:

  • Increases levels of sexual intimacy
  • Improves sexual function
  • Creates more satisfying orgasms
  • Boosts energy levels
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Improves muscle tone
  • Reduces body fat
  • Improves self-image
  • Betters sleep

What kind of aerobic exercise should you be doing? Anything that gets your heart rate up! This could be running, using the elliptical, rowing, swimming, or dancing. Even good, old-fashioned walking has significant health benefits. In fact, a Harvard study found that brisk walking 30 minutes per day had a 41% reduction in the risk for erectile dysfunction. I usually recommend avoiding biking, as that can bring with it other concerns for male sexual health.

Whatever aerobic exercise you choose—get sweaty and get your heart rate up!

3. Lifting & Squats

Aerobic exercise can help burn fat and improve ED symptoms, but you shouldn’t neglect your weight training as well. If you are also suffering from symptoms of low testosterone levels, I always recommend men with low T stick to high-intensity interval training. This is because HIIT weight lifting can drastically spike your testosterone levels in the short- and long-term. This, in turn, improves workout performance, burns fat, builds muscle, and heightens the libido.


Although low testosterone and erectile dysfunction are not the same, data suggests they are linked in some way. If you have low testosterone, you won’t have interest in sex; and not having sex means your penis goes unused, which can eventually weaken the pelvic muscles and cause ED. Furthermore, low libido can often cause psychological or relationship concerns that can exacerbate erectile dysfunction. ED is just one part of the equation of men’s sexual health.

Thus, it’s time to get lifting! Not only will it boost your testosterone, but HIIT weight training will also get your heart pumping (like aerobic exercise). Lifting can regulate your hormones, boost your metabolism, and improve weight loss efforts—all of which are vital to erectile function.

My favorite move is the squat. Squats are one of the best exercises because they work a number of large muscle groups at once. The more you’re working, the more benefits you’re getting. Squats are resistance exercises, performed in intervals, with high intensity—the perfect combo for boosting testosterone levels. Plus, squats improve blood flow to the pelvic region. The more blood flow near the penis, the easier it is to gain an erection.

 

4. Yoga

Yoga is one of my favorite cures for ED and sexual health. A study of a 12-week yoga program found “significant improvement” in sexual scores for men with an average age of 40. They had improvement in: erections, desire, intercourse satisfaction, performance, confidence, ejaculatory control, partner synchronization, and orgasm.

Countless studies prove yoga has benefits relating back to a number underlying causes of ED. Overall, yoga can increase quality of life by enhancing muscular strength, improving cardiovascular function, improving sleep patterns, reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, and more. Relaxation is the key here; the intense relaxation that comes from yoga actually helps improve blood flow and oxygen circulation in the blood, which in turn improves organ function (like the sex organs and muscles).


Moreover, certain yoga poses boost blood flow to the penis and work those pelvic muscles. I like to think of these yoga poses as a “wake up call” to your penis, by stimulating the vessels and muscles around it.

Below you’ll find my favorite yoga poses for improved sexual health.

5. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)

The “seated forward bend” is easy and comfortable, relaxing the pelvic muscles and promoting blood flow to the hips and penis. It’s also great for reducing stress in a pinch.


How to do:

  • Sit on a yoga mat or blanket with your legs in front of you.
  • Keep your upper body long and straight.
  • Lean forward from the hips, moving your chest towards your knees.
  • Lengthen your tailbone as you reach down towards your feet.
  • Reach as far as you can. Extend and grab your feet if possible. If not, go as far as you can for a comfortable stretch. You can also use a yoga strap around your feet for a deeper stretch.
  • Hold the post for 1 to 3 minutes and then release.

6. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

The “standing forward bend” or “intense forward-bending pose” helps with anxiety and stress, while also stimulating organs in the abdomen (including the sex organs). Tradition even says that this pose is so beneficial for sexual health that it can actually help with male and female infertility.


How to do:

  • Stand with your hands on your hips.
  • As you exhale, bend forward from the hips.
  • Keep your back straight as you bend forward. Lengthen the torso as you bend.
  • Keep your knees straight. A soft bend is okay for newbies.
  • Bring your fingers down towards the floor.
  • If you can’t reach your feet with your hands, cross your forearms and hold your elbows. You can swing gently.
  • Relax into the pose for 1 to 3 minutes.
  • As you inhale, focus on lengthening and straightening your spine. As you exhale, relax deeper and fuller into the stretch, letting gravity pull you down.
  • Avoid straining your neck or back. You should be able to nod your head yes and no while in the pose.

7. Baddha Konasana (Butterfly Pose)

The “butterfly pose” or “bound angle pose” stretches the inner thighs and groin. It opens up the hips and pelvis in a way that stimulates the prostate gland, bladder, kidneys, and abdomen.


How to do:

  • Sit upright with your legs extended in front of you.
  • Bend one knee at a time while you exhale, pulling your heel inward towards your pelvis.
  • Drop both knees to either side. Press the bottoms of your feet together.
  • Use your first and second fingers to grab your big toes. You can also grab your ankles with your hands.
  • As you breathe, focus on straightening your torso. Imagine someone is pulling up a string that’s attached to your spine.
  • Stay in the pose for 1 to 5 minutes.

8. Janu Sirsana (Head-To-Knee Pose)

The head-to-knee pose helps with flexibility in the lower body while also relieving stress and improving blood flow in the groin.


How to do:

  • Sit on your mat or blanket with legs extended in front of you.
  • Bend in one knee, bringing the heel towards your pelvis.
  • Rest the sole of that foot against your other thigh.
  • Release your knee towards the floor. Support with a blanket if you need to.
  • As you inhale, raise both of your hands towards the sky.
  • As you exhale, hinge from the hips and bend towards your extended foot.
  • Try to bring your chin to your knee. If you can, clasp your hand around your foot. If you can’t, bend as far as you can and hold on to your shins.
  • Stay in this position for 1 to 3 minutes.
  • Inhale and raise your arms overhead to return to sitting.
  • Repeat with the other leg folded in for balance.

9. Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)

The “bow pose” stretches your muscles in the groin and thighs while energizing the reproductive areas. Plus, it’ll boost your flexibility—and may make an interesting sex position in the bedroom.


How to do:

  • Lay face down on your mat on your stomach. Your feet should be hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.
  • Bend your knees in towards your back, grabbing the front of your feet with your hands.
  • Raise your upper body and pull up on your legs at the same time. Your chest and knees should both be lifted off the floor, while your pelvis stays grounded.
  • Stay in the pose for 20 to 30 seconds. While posing, take a few deep breaths. The deeper the breath, the more it will stimulate your pelvis.
  • Exhale as you release from the pose.
  • Repeat two or three more times.

Bonus: Work out with your partner.

Getting your heart rate up together can help bring you closer to one another. Partners that work out together find that they have an improved sex life in the bedroom as well. This is likely due to improved self-confidence, regulated hormones, endorphin release, and all those great benefits from working out. But, more than that, couples that work out together connect on a physical level outside of the bedroom. This connection translates back into the bedroom nicely. This is especially true for yoga. One study found that “partner yoga may help couples who are struggling with sexual dysfunction.”

Bottom line

You can naturally overcome your erectile dysfunction and improve your sexual health… and it costs you nothing but your time and willingness! The above 9 exercises and poses will put you on a track of sexual health that will make you looking, feeling, and being the most vigorous you in years. Say goodbye to ED (and hello to exercise). 

5 Benefits Of Pomegranate For Your Sexual Health

Is pomegranate the ultimate solution to all of your “sex-drive” needs? What are the benefits of pomegranate?

What if I told you pomegranate could help all of your sexual health problems, from low testosterone and diminished libido to erectile dysfunction to even prostate cancer? This superfood is filled with antioxidants that have proven results to help both men and women have better sex lives. This fruit can increase testosterone levels, improve sperm quality, and increase sex drive and mood.

Pomegranate has three times more antioxidants than even red wine and green tea. Antioxidants are what improve blood circulation, decrease inflammation, reduce the risk of heart disease, and fight harmful free radicals that cause aging, illness, and cancer. Pomegranate antioxidants have even been known to help fight breast cancer.

If you’re looking to improve your sexual health, you need to add pomegranate to your daily lineup. From juice to seeds to supplement extracts, it’s easy to enhance your life with the wonders of pomegranate.

Let’s take a deep dive into the 5 benefits of pomegranates for your sexual and overall health.

1. Boosts testosterone

Testosterone is the “manly” hormone that controls your facial hair, deep voice, muscle growth, and even your sex drive. Low levels of testosterone can become a serious health problem leading to lowered energy, depression, diminished libido, weight gain, muscle loss, brain fog, and more. Women also need testosterone for their sex drive and regulation of estrogen levels.

By the way, low T means low libido… and low libido means a low desire for sex. If you have been losing your interest in sex recently, you may be suffering from low testosterone levels.

I always recommend increasing testosterone levels the natural way before resorting to costly (and often ineffective) testosterone replacement therapies. A daily intake of pomegranate is one of the easiest (and tastiest) ways to improve your testosterone.

Firstly, pomegranate is shown to block estrogen production. The Beckman Research Institute in California reported that pomegranate is rich in ellagittanins (ET). ETs convert into compounds that are used to stop your androgens from turning into estrogens. Basically, ET helps lower the production of estrogen.

This is critical to testosterone levels. Too much estrogen can interfere with libido, hurt erectile health, and damage bone strength. Plus, estrogen actually blocks testosterone production. High levels of estrogen actually further diminish T levels to create an unhealthy imbalance of hormones that are destructive to male sexual health.

A study at the Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland found that participants who were given one glass of pomegranate juice per day for two weeks had a 24% increase in testosterone on average. They also saw further results linked to improved testosterone, balanced hormones, and regulated mood:

  • Decreased blood pressure
  • Decline of stress levels
  • Increase in positive emotions, especially self-confidence
  • Heightened mood
  • Lowered feelings of shyness, fear, and sadness

2. Treats erectile dysfunction

It’s important to note that the Queen Margaret study found not only an increase in testosterone levels, but also an increase in positive emotions as well. Stress, anxiety, low self-confidence, and fear are all major causes of erectile dysfunction. This study demonstrated that pomegranate might be able to improve psychological concerns that could cause erectile dysfunction.

Furthermore, pomegranates help address three major causes of erectile dysfunction: restricted blood flow/high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity.

Blood flow

You need proper blood flow in order for your penis to fill with blood and get “hard.” If you have high blood pressure, damaged arteries, or vascular problems, blood flow to the penis can be restricted, thus causing erectile dysfunction. Some studies show that pomegranate juice can reduce systolic blood pressure with “promising acute hypotensive properties.” This lowered blood pressure can help promote blood flow to the penis when it’s time for an erection.

Furthermore, a 2007 study found that drinking 100% pomegranate juice (POM Wonderful brand) actually helped manage erectile dysfunction. 50% of participants who drank the juice saw an improvement in their erections. They concluded that this was due to the high antioxidant content of pomegranates, which can stop free radicals from inhibiting blood flow to the penis.

Additionally, pomegranate is high in vitamin C. Vitamin C plays a crucial role in the production of nitric oxide (NO) by converting nitrites to nitric oxide (NO). Nitric oxide is the chemical that relaxes blood vessels and flexes muscles near and in the penis. This NO process prepares your penis for an erection. A 2005 Italian study found an increase in levels of nitric oxide and a decrease in oxidant damage in all blood vessels after consumption of pomegranate juice.

Heart disease

In a similar “vein,” heart-healthy pomegranates (filled with vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals) can open up your blood vessels and reduce the risk of heart disease. Heart disease is another cause of erectile dysfunction and lowered libido. Pomegranates can help lower cholesterol, remove arterial deposits (bad cholesterol), limit inflammation, and encourage blood flow—all lowering the risk of heart disease.

One study found that daily pomegranate seed oil for four weeks improved participants’ ratio of triglycerides to HDL, basically lowering bad deposits and raising good cholesterol. Researchers discovered that half a glass of pomegranate juice and three dates had enough antioxidants to help protect against heart attacks and strokes. A second study also showed that pomegranate juice could reduce bad cholesterol in those with type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol.

Obesity

Being overweight can cause erectile dysfunction, lowered testosterone, imbalanced hormones, heart disease, diabetes, and more. Pomegranates also have been shown to help fight obesity by curbing hunger pains and improving satiation levels.

A 2016 study at Queen Margaret found that those participants who took a daily supplement of pomegranate had less desire to eat, were less hungry, and felt more satiated while eating than the placebo group. Researchers hypothesized that this was because of the fruit’s polyphenols (a specific type of antioxidant), which can act as an appetite suppressant.

Plus, pomegranates can help improve exercise performance, helping you lose weight and gain muscle at a faster rate. Pomegranate has a high amount of nitrates, which enhance blood flow throughout the body. This improved blood flow to the muscles can improve exercise performance, efficiency, and endurance. The better you workout, the more your body can burn off that extra flab. Regulated, healthy weight can reduce ED symptoms—and make you more energetic, happy, and productive!

3. Lowers risk of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer affects 11.6% of men at some point in their lives. What seems to be an inevitable disease is actually preventable—and maybe even with a delicious fruit like pomegranate! Recent research suggests, “pomegranate is likely to be valuable for treatment of some forms of human prostate cell life.”

One study looked at the reason why pomegranates may have this effect on prostate cancer. Data suggests that pomegranate extract down-regulates HR which sensitizes cells to DSBs, growth inhibition, and apoptosis.” Basically, pomegranate polyphenols help your cells kill themselves. “Apoptosis” is your body’s natural process where unhealthy cells self-destruct before spreading their “disease” to other cells. When damaged cells don’t self-destruct, they begin to breed and grow into tumors and cancers. Pomegranate extract helps keep this natural process of apoptosis functioning, so cancerous and damaged cells will continue to die off at an appropriate rate.

4. Improves sperm quality

A Turkish study found that rats that drank pomegranate juice had significant increases in healthy sperm. Generally, “healthy” sperm refers to the quantity, movement, structure, and fertility of the sperm. Healthy sperm is more likely to fertilize an egg and create a healthy embryo. If you and your partner are trying to get pregnant, it’s time to start glugging the pomegranate juice.

Turkish researchers also found an increased amount of natural antioxidants in sperm and blood, further demonstrating that pomegranate extract helps to send nutrients directly into the bloodstream to fight against damaging oxidation.

5. Other benefits of pomegranate

Pomegranate also has a number of health benefits that will make your overall wellness significantly better. For example, pomegranate’s ability to fight oxidative stress and minimize inflammation has been shown to fight rheumatoid arthritis, joint pain, and swelling. It has also been shown to aid brain health, improve memory, and fight off signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

As we age, our body’s natural processes start to slow down. If you want to stay functioning with optimal health, you need to take care of your sexual, physical, emotional, and mental wellness in tandem. Pomegranates have proven benefits in all of these wellness facets.

How to consume

There are a number of ways to get your daily dose of pomegranate. Pomegranate juice and pomegranate supplements are a popular way to get a shot of healthy goodness.

But be careful. Steer clear of most store-bought pomegranate juice, which tends to be filled with sugar—and sugar can actually make your sexual health worse. If you’re going to buy store-bought, stick to all-natural 100% juice like POM Wonderful.

I like making pomegranate juice right at home, so I can control the taste and consistency myself. Here’s how:

  • Cut open a fresh, organic pomegranate.
  • Scoop out the seeds and place in a bowl filled with water.
  • The seeds will sink to the bottom, and their white goopy membrane will float to the top.
  • Strain the water, which will clean the seeds and remove the membrane.
  • Place the seeds in a blender and blend to a pulp.
  • Strain the seed mixture into a pulp.
  • Add water and agave sweetener to taste.
  • Eat the rest of the pomegranate or use in your cooking!

And don’t neglect pomegranate seeds! They burst in your mouth for a hydrating and sweet snack. If you have a midnight sweet tooth like me, pomegranate seeds are a deliciously healthy way to curb those cravings.

Bottom line

Get back to the sex life you want with boosted T, high libido, diminished erectile dysfunction, lowered risk of prostate cancer, improved sperm quality, higher energy, regulated weight, improved memory, fewer aches and pains, and so much more… all with pomegranates!

Adding pomegranates to your morning routine or midnight snack is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to boost your sexual health and wellness. In fact, you’ll start seeing most of the benefits of pomegranates in as little as four weeks.

What else can you do to upgrade your health? 

Well, you can flip the page on your calendar.

And you can renew your vitality and vigor with a Male 2.0 Consult! Sign up to start living your best life in now!

 

Tracy Gapin, MD FACS is a board-certified Urologist, Men’s Health Expert, Author, and Professional Speaker. Using state-of-the-art biometric monitoring, nutrition and lifestyle intervention, Dr. Gapin coaches Fortune 500 executives and evolutionary leaders of business, sports medicine, and high performance. He specializes in cutting-edge precision medicine with an emphasis on epigenetics, providing men with a personalized path to optimizing health & performance. www.drtracygapin.com

BPH and Erectile Dysfunction: Are They Related?


Approximately 70% of men with BPH (enlarged prostate) have co-existing erectile dysfunction (ED), according to research presented in The World Journal Of Men’s Health. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that ED causes BPH or that BPH causes ED. It also doesn’t mean that if you have one problem, you must have the other as well. This statistic simply means there’s some sort of connection between the two. But what is the relationship? And what does this link mean for your wellness?

If you’re suffering from BPH and/or ED, you’re likely wondering how this will influence your sexual and urinary health. Wonder no more—the answers are here!

(Well, not all the answers. Still waiting on more research and science for some explanations. But a lot of the answers!)

What is erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is when a man can’t get or keep an erection. ED affects nearly 52% of all men at some point in their lives. It can stem from psychological concerns like: anxiety, depression, stress, poor sleep, relationship concerns, or lowered confidence. It also has physical causes like: vascular problems (high blood pressure or poor blood flow), imbalanced hormones, lowered nitric oxide, damage to pelvic area, clogged arteries, and diabetes.

Basically, your brain, blood vessels, hormones, nerves, psyche, and muscles all need to work together to create an erection. If one part of the process isn’t functioning properly, an erection simply won’t happen.

But none of these have to do with the prostate. The prostate isn’t part of the erection process  (it’s part of the sperm-making process)… so why are BPH (enlarged prostate) and erectile dysfunction linked?

What is BPH?

The prostate is the walnut-shaped gland at the base of the bladder that surrounds the urethra. Its primary function is the production of fluid for the semen. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is the noncancerous growth of cells in the prostate, creating an enlarged prostate gland.


Although the prostate function is sexual in nature, the enlargement of the prostate actually upsets the urinary tract due to the proximity to the urethra and bladder. When the prostate enlarges with a benign tumor, it tends to block off the urethra—aka the tube from which you urinate and ejaculate.

This is the first link between BPH and sexual dysfunction. Even though BPH primarily influences the urinary tract, this is the same tract that semen comes out of. This indicates there is also some sort of concern with sexual health and ejaculation as well. But read on for a deeper understanding of this connection…

What are the symptoms of BPH?

The symptoms of BPH tend to be urinary in nature. If you are struggling going “number one” in the bathroom, you may want to get checked for BPH. You’ll often see BPH referred to as LUTS, which stands for “lower urinary tract symptoms.”

Symptoms can include:

  • Feeling the urge to urinate frequently or urgently
  • Trouble starting or stopping urination
  • Weak stream of urine
  • Straining during urination
  • Incomplete emptying of bladder
  • Needing to go excessively at night

It’s interesting to note that there may be a correlation between the severity of BPH symptoms and the risk of other sexual dysfunctions. For example, men with severe trouble going to the bathroom often also find they have reduced sex drive, inability to keep an erection, and lowered sexual satisfaction. One review found that most men who sought treatment for either BPH or ED were actually diagnosed with both conditions.

What causes BPH?

BPH is a common concern for a number of men. In fact, autopsy studies around the world have found prevalence among all men regardless of race or location. The one link is age: 10% of men in their 30s, 20% in their 40s, 50-60% in their 60s, and 80-90% over age 70. The cause of BPH is poorly understood. Because of its prevalence worldwide, it’s concluded that the major cause of BPH is simply age. However, some research has suggested that genetics, insomnia, anxiety, heart disease, and diabetes also play a role in prostate enlargement.

The “causes” of BPH are also causes of ED. This is where the second link comes in. Age, anxiety, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and poor sleep are all proven causes of erectile dysfunction—as they are with prostate enlargement. In this way, the two may not be interdependent—but their root causes are the same.

What are the treatments for BPH?

Typical treatments for BPH include hormone blockers and surgeries. This is where the third link, and possibly the most potent connection, plays a role. The treatments for BPH are proven to impact and potentially cause erectile dysfunction.

Medications

Common medications that are often prescribed for the treatment of BPH are alpha blockers and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. Alpha blockers, such as Flomax, relax the urine channel that runs through the middle of the prostate to ease urination. The 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, such as Proscar and Avodart, influence your endocrine system (hormones) to slowly promote shrinkage of the prostate.

Although 5-alpha reductase inhibitors may improve symptoms BPH and reduce the likelihood of problems related to BPH, they have some potential serious side effects. A study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that the most common side effect for 5-alpha reductase inhibitors was erectile dysfunction. They attributed this to a decrease in nitric oxide activity; nitric oxide is necessary for the blood flow to the penis that happens during an erection.


Another study in Hormones Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigations found that Avodart could worsen erectile dysfunction in men already experiencing some sexual dysfunction problems. Moreover, the study found that Avodart put men at an increased risk for diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Researchers at George Washington University found that finasteride (Proscar) caused a number of sexual side effects including ED, changes in genital sensation, and quality of ejaculate. These side effects could even persist for up to 14 months after discontinuation of use. Proscar has been linked to ED in 3.7% of men who use it, and 3.3% of men report a diminished libido.

Surgeries

One of the most common surgeries for BPH is TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate). The incidence of erectile dysfunction post-TURP surgery is approximately 14%, as reported in the World Journal of Urology.

Overall, it’s widely accepted that surgery on or around the pelvis/prostate can cause erectile dysfunction.

Research has shown that less invasive surgeries for BPH may have reduced risk of ED. For example, TUNA (transurethral needle ablation) has been shown to less likely to cause sexual dysfunction. TUIP (transurethral incision of the prostate) and TUMT (transurethral microwave thermotherapy) also have lower incidence of ED. Nevertheless, any prostate surgery has the chance to potentially cause ED.

What is the link between BPH and ED?


So what does all this mean? Let’s recap.

Enlarged prostate does not cause ED. ED does not cause BPH.

But they do often appear simultaneously. The Survey of the Aging Male found that 60% of men who had urinary symptoms also presented ED symptoms.

There are three major links between these two independent concerns:

  1. Enlarged prostate blocks the urinary tract, which is also where semen is released. This may thus influence the ability to maintain an erection and ejaculate quality semen. Though this is not related to erection quality, it demonstrates a sexual health concern as well.
  2. The accepted causes of BPH are also common causes of ED, such as age, poor sleep, stress, heart disease, and diabetes.
  3. Common treatments for BPH, including hormone blockers and invasive prostate surgeries, often hold erectile dysfunction as the most prevalent side effect.

So what can you do about this? How can you overcome your symptoms of BPH and ED easily, quickly, safely, and effectively?

Do ED medications work for BPH?

Some research has shown—though not definitively—that ED meds may also help BPH. It seems against logic, since ED meds tend to affect the vascular system and BPH is not a vascular problem. Despite logic, ED meds might work for BPH.

For example, tadalfil (Cialis), when taken daily, has been shown to improve erectile function, ejaculatory function, and sexual satisfaction in men showing both BPH and ED. Another study found that ED and BPH symptoms share common pathophysiological pathways that can be treated by tadalafil. This is likely because tadalfil increases cGMP, which is the chemical that both enhances blood flow to the penis and relaxes the muscles in the prostate and bladder. Nevertheless, tadalfil is not an approved treatment for BPH.

 

Image Source: www.healthdirect.gov.au/cialis

However, despite the research, there is still hesitancy to start prescribing tadalfil for all men with ED and BPH. ED pills don’t get to the root of the problem, instead just masking the symptoms indefinitely. This means you will be on pills the rest of your life in order to stay healthy. Moreover, medications often host a number of mild and serious side effects that aren’t worth the trouble, including blood pressure and heart concerns.

You want to get to the root of the problem of your BPH and erectile dysfunction. As we know, the causes of erectile dysfunction are also the shared causes of BPH. In this way, fixing the root cause can solve both problems in the long-term.

This means taking a look at your risk factors and making lifestyle changes accordingly. Common causes of BPH and ED that you should consider with your doctor include:

  • Weight (being overweight/obese)
  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Heart disease
  • Diabetes
  • Medications

Treating symptoms of BPH and erectile dysfunction

If you’re dealing with BPH and ED, you might feel overwhelmed running to the bathroom and unable to enjoy the sexual pleasures of life. And lifestyle changes take time. Below are a few tips to reduce your suffering in the meantime, while you attack the root causes of your ED and BPH problems.

  • Reduce your intake of fluids, especially after dinner. This will help reduce the urge to urinate throughout the night.
  • Limit alcohol and caffeine. These are diuretics that increase urine flow.
  • Talk to your doctor about anticholinergic medications like antihistamines and antidepressants. These weaken bladder contractions, so it can be a challenge to control your symptoms.
  • Talk to your doctor about blood pressure or heart medications, which are usually diuretics.
  • Avoid medications that stimulate your muscles, like pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) and other decongestants.
  • Clear the path from your bed to the bathroom so you don’t hurt yourself in the middle of the night.
  • Always use the bathroom when you feel the urge.
  • Eat an ED-fighting diet.
  • Exercise! Sweating can help reduce the urge to go to the bathroom. It can also help maintain a healthy body weight, reduce stress, and lower anxiety—all of which may be causing your BPH and ED.
  • Get more vitamin D, which is linked to prostate health.

Bottom line

Enlarged prostate and erectile dysfunction are linked, often presenting signs at the same time. If you’re suffering from urinary and sexual symptoms, it’s time to talk to your doctor. Be sure to discuss how your treatment for BPH will influence your ED and vice versa.

You don’t need to run to the bathroom. You don’t need to shy away from sex. It’s time to take control of your health.

Take power over your health and vitality right now by checking our Male 90X program. With this genetic-based report and private consultation, your sexual and overall health will be completely renewed and revolutionized. 

7 Testosterone Boosting Myths No One Will Tell You About


If you’re one of the 25% of U.S. men suffering from symptoms of low testosterone-or one of the millions of men following testosterone boosting myths-you’ve probably tried anything and everything to raise your testosterone levels. But nothing seems to be working.

If you suffer from low testosterone, you may be experiencing:

  • Low libido and sex drive
  • Low sperm count
  • Weight gain
  • Muscle loss
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Diminished mood
  • Insomnia
  • Brain fog
  • Loss of vitality
  • Erectile dysfunction

Are you sick and tired of these symptoms making you sick and tired?

Of course, you are! So you visit your doctor, who prescribes some testosterone replacement therapy or medications or pumps or doodads… and yet you still feel the same crappy way.

That’s because most therapies for testosterone don’t get to the root of the issue. They raise T-levels in the short-term without attacking the underlying root cause.

So maybe you’ve even decided to make lifestyle changes to address these root-cause concerns. That’s the first step towards overall health and increased testosterone.

But months later and you’re still not seeing results.

Why?

Because there are a number of testosterone boosting myths floating around out in the “world wide web” that just don’t work.

I’m here to debunk those myths to ensure that every lifestyle choice you make is optimizing your health with increased testosterone, regulated hormone levels, and a vibrant sex life!

So what are these testosterone boosting myths? And what can you do instead to exponentially boost your testosterone levels for real?

Myth 1: “Working out boosts your testosterone.”

No, working out doesn’t boost your testosterone. This is a common testosterone boosting myth. Working out the right way boosts your testosterone. Not all exercise is created equal when it comes to raising your testosterone levels.

Endurance exercise, like running and cycling, may actually reduce your free-floating testosterone levels. A number of studies have shown that prolonged endurance training can interrupt hormone production and damage the male reproductive system—aka lower testosterone.

Moreover, low testosterone generally means increased estrogen; increased estrogen can lead to low bone density and osteoporosis. This means that men with low testosterone are more susceptible to injuries during endurance exercise. It becomes a double whammy of problematic low T!

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be working out. In fact, you need physical exercise in order to lose weight and boost your testosterone. Instead, focus your exercise efforts on HIIT, lifting weights, and yoga.

High-intensity interval training has been shown to have a higher testosterone response than steady endurance exercise. It also burns more calories and boosts fat loss in both the short- and long-term. One study of overweight men found that 12 weeks of HIIT reduced their fat mass by 17%. Losing weight thus helps to increase the level of free-floating testosterone, regulate hormones, and reduce the risks of metabolic syndrome.

Combining HIIT with weightlifting has been shown to help burn fat at a higher rate. Lifting weights helps to build muscle. The more muscle you have, the higher your testosterone levels. Plus, body muscle helps your body use up more energy and burn more fat. You’ll burn fat at a faster rate, helping to quench weight-related low T.

Yoga has also been studied as a strong testosterone booster. Yoga can help lower stress and anxiety, which in turn lowers cortisol levels. Cortisol kills testosterone production and destabilizes hormones. Yoga is able to minimize cortisol to improve T levels and overall reproductive health. Yoga has also been shown to boost libido, improve erection quality, improve orgasms, stimulate genital blood flow, and enhance sexual pleasure. It’s time for downward dog if you ask me!

Myth 2: Eating fats hurts your testosterone levels.

Having fat on your body can lower your T levels, but eating fats will now lower your testosterone. In fact, you need fats in your diet because testosterone is fat-soluble. If you cut out fats, your free-floating testosterone has no where to run… so your T lowers in tandem.

In fact, low-fat diets are proven to kill your T. One study found that a diet with less than 40% fat drastically decreased testosterone levels. Another study found that increasing the percentage of calories from fat from 20% to 40% increased testosterone levels drastically. This study also found that a low-fat, high-fiber diet reduced testosterone by 12%. Moreover, fats are necessary to regulate the endocrine (hormone) system, including the production of testosterone.


Plus, eating fats can actually help you burn body fat. Research found that participants eating a low-fat diet only burned 18.8% of their energy from fat, while the high-fat diet group burned 41% of their energy from fat. Furthermore, the high-fat group had 13% higher testosterone levels.

Nevertheless, eating a diet too rich in fats can make you gain weight. And being overweight or obese will lower your testosterone levels. In this way, you’ll want to eat healthy fats like omega 3s (fish), avocados, and coconut oil. You should also evenly balance all three of your macronutrients: carbs, fats, and protein. 

Myth 3: Eating carbs hurts your testosterone levels.

In the same vein, people tend to demonize carbs. Nope, this is another testosterone boosting myth. In reality, carbs are absolutely necessary for hormone production. Sure, processed carbs are bad for you, but they give all carbs an unnecessarily bad rep. Whole-wheat products and grains are vital to ensure your body stays healthy and functioning.
A study by the University of North Carolina found that participants on a low-carb diet had reduced testosterone and raised cortisol (which kills the production of T). On the other hand, a Life Sciences Journal Study found that men on a high-carb diet for 10 days had higher levels of testosterone and lower levels of cortisol.

In this way, scientists have concluded that carbs help keep cortisol levels low. Cortisol not only stops the production of testosterone but also binds to free-floating testosterone for a double whammy of low T. Carbs can help fight off these T-killing effects of cortisol. If you want to boost your testosterone, stick to a moderate amount of whole-wheat, full-grain carbs.

Myth 4: Soy will increase testosterone levels.

Soy is commonly considered a healthy protein alternative to “fatty” meats. Not in the testosterone boosting myth busters house! Soy can be found in a number of protein powders, as people assume soy can help build muscle. The real reason “soy protein isolate” is used in so many protein powders? It’s cheap and easy to come by.

Researchers have found that soy can actually lower testosterone and raise cortisol. This is likely because soy is highly estrogenic, so much so that one study even found male subjects had enlarged breast and nipple discharge when eating high amounts of soy. This is obviously not what any guy wants who is trying to raise their testosterone levels. Perhaps they will have better luck with a testosterone booster taken as a dietary supplement.

Moreover, men who eat a lot of soy were found to have high levels of equol in their bloodstream. Equol is an anti-androgen that shuts down hormone production, making the manufacture of testosterone impossible. This soy-related diminishment of hormone production can also lead to infertility and low sperm count.


Steer clear of soy if you’re working on boosting your testosterone levels. Watch out for “soy protein isolate” in your protein powders. Be aware of the soy content in your sushi platters.

If you’re lactose intolerant and use soy as an alternative, try almond milk or cashew milk instead. These nut milks are lower in calories and higher in testosterone-boosting goodness. 

Myth 5: Drinking alcohol gives you a “man’s” boost.

The image of sipping a cold beer or scotch seems “manly,” and so many people naturally associate alcohol with testosterone. However, booze actually lowers your testosterone levels, reduces fertility, and promotes weight gain. One study found that alcohol, even in the short-term, can severely suppress the synthesis of testosterone. Some studies even show that two drinks per day can cause these testosterone-minimalizing effects. Alcohol has also been linked to erectile dysfunction, depression, and anxiety—all of which are related to low T.

Plus, alcohol makes you gain weight. Drinking your calories without any nutritious value is a sure-fire way to quickly increase the number on the scale. And the higher the number on the scale, the lower your testosterone.

Alcohol also influences the liver. The liver is responsible for metabolizing testosterone and ridding the body of excess estrogen. While you’re drinking, the liver has to instead work to metabolize the alcohol rather than rid the body of estrogen. Estrogen then builds up in the body, which suppresses T production and stores more fat.


Beer is especially a testosterone killer. The hops in beer are highly estrogenic, so much so that beer is being studied as a treatment for hot flashes in menopausal women. The estrogenic properties in beer slow down testosterone production and pack on the pounds towards a double whammy of low T.

Alcohol of any type is the enemy of your testosterone by stopping testosterone production, increasing estrogen, raising cortisol, damaging the liver, and increasing fat storage. The more you drink, the lower your testosterone.

It’s okay to drink in moderation, though. Have one glass per day or keep your drinking to once per week.

Myth 6: ED medications help with boosting testosterone.

The relationship between low testosterone and erectile dysfunction is complex and not fully understood. But we know that treating ED doesn’t solve low testosterone, and raising testosterone doesn’t necessarily treat ED. Although the two are linked, they’re not interdependent. A man could have low testosterone and diminished libido but still have the ability to have an erection. Another man may be incredibly horny with a high sex drive, but he can’t seem to have an erection when the time comes. ED and low T both affect sex, but they’re not the same.

In this way, erectile dysfunction medications are not a solution for low T.

Moreover, ED medications could actually affect your testosterone levels in some way. Because ED medications like Viagra and Cialis only mask the symptoms of an underlying problem, they can actually create more psychological concerns. These can influence your brain’s ability to send signals to the endocrine system to make testosterone.

If you have erectile dysfunction, talk to your doctor to see if you have low testosterone as well. The two are not the same, but they can often be treated with similar lifestyle changes.

Myth 7: Masturbation boosts your testosterone.

Some men have the belief that the more you masturbate, the higher your testosterone levels. The thought process goes that every time you get aroused, your testosterone levels go up. So masturbating and getting aroused often is good for T levels… right? Negative, this is another one of those crazy testosterone boosting myths.

Well, that’s not exactly how it works. While it’s true that arousal boosts testosterone in the short-term, masturbating too often can create hormonal imbalances and erectile dysfunction. Frequent masturbation over-stimulates the levels of dopamine (which is the hormone that triggers sexual pleasure).

If dopamine is released too often, your body stops responding to it. This means that when you masturbate, you won’t feel the same sort of satisfaction that you do in the past. This not only destabilizes your hormones and forces testosterone to take a back seat… it also creates a masturbation addiction.

You’re constantly looking for that sexual pleasure, but you can’t achieve it because your brain has become desensitized to the related dopamine.

Moreover, multiple ejaculations increase the level of estrogen in the body. The more you ejaculate, the lower your androgen receptor activity (aka lower free-floating testosterone). Higher estrogen and lower testosterone can throw your body out of whack for days. If this happens often, like with a masturbation addiction, this imbalance can severely damage your T levels long-term.

Still, some studies suggest that a short-term sexual abstinence of 7 days can result in a 145% spike in testosterone. Nevertheless, too much abstinence can lower your testosterone.

So what’s the solution? Have sex. Find a partner, though some prefer the use of a sex doll, and revel in that intimacy. Unlike masturbation, sex is proven to increase testosterone levels because of the sexual arousal and personal intimacy needed for the act. Older men who have sex have higher testosterone levels than those who don’t, and a study of couples found they had higher T levels on nights where they had sex over nights they didn’t.

Having sex 1-2 times a day will keep your testosterone strong and your health and wellness vivacious. Doctor’s orders!

Bottom Line

Don’t believe everything you read or hear about testosterone. It is possible to boost your testosterone with natural and healthy lifestyle changes. But those changes shouldn’t necessarily include endurance exercise, depriving yourself of fats and carbs, eating too much soy, over-drinking, and over-stimulating your mini-me.

If you want to increase your testosterone levels with healthy lifestyle changes, learn more with my article 13 Ways To Increase Testosterone Naturally. Ready to take the ultimate step? Sign up for our G1 Performance Health program, a genetic-based report and private consultation that will get you started on a total body transformation.

What are you waiting for? Sign up for G1 Performance Health now!