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The other hormone released is prolactin. If any hormone can be considered the hormone of
orgasm, it's prolactin. In both men and women, prolactin levels rapidly increase post orgasm. The
magnitude of release and the duration of elevation favors men, meaning men have a larger
prolactin release and a longer period where prolactin is elevated.
The current consensus is that prolactin is responsible for the refractory period that occurs post
orgasm. This refractory period involves loss of erection, decreased desire for sex, and most
famously sleepiness.
Apparently, orgasm is a pretty reliable pain desensitizer for women. This effect may last for
hours after orgasm. Along with this comes decreased anxiety and less activity in the parts of the
brain associated with fear and what researchers describe as a "trance-like state."
While I don't have a double-blind study to quote here, I'd love to see a study that looked at
whether these brain changes result in increased weight lifting PRs for females.
Less fear, less anxiety, greater trace-like focus, and greater pain tolerance? Sounds like the
optimal mental state. Could orgasm be a performance enhancer for women? The research isn't
there yet, but it seems likely to me.
Sorry guys, there are no similar studies of the male brain on orgasm. However, it does look like
the fear, anxiety, and pain reductions of orgasm may be female specific.
There are differences between masturbation and sex. Masturbation is a solo endeavor and
therefore we'd expect the cuddle hormone, oxytocin, to be less. That is indeed the case. It's also
generally not as stimulating or as satisfying compared to actual intercourse, so we'd expect the
prolactin surge to be less. That too is the case.
Abstinence
One small study in men showed abstinence from orgasm raised resting testosterone levels and
enhanced the testosterone elevation of anticipation. This study showed testosterone did not fall in
the days after orgasm, but showed it did rise if another orgasm was delayed for seven days.
Other studies show a mixed bag in this arena with some showing increased sexual activity with
orgasm raised testosterone levels and others showing it decreased or left testosterone levels
unchanged.
This is usually the case with hormones. They're highly variable from person to person and
sensitive to many external factors related to timing and experimental design (i.e. researchers
observing from the other room may well raise stress hormones and lower testosterone).
These types of confounding factors are often difficult to eliminate.
could imagine less cravings, more psychological wellbeing, less mental worry, and a greater
focus on the present moment.
The hormonal activity also supports rest and relaxation. Stress hormones, including cortisol, are
generally shown to be lower (the cortisol response may be variable, especially in women).
Oxytocin levels are elevated and can remain high with plenty of post-coital cuddling. This makes
us feel supported, suppresses cravings, and gives an overall sense of wellbeing.
The biggest impact is prolactin, which is far more pronounced in men. This is likely the major
factor involved in the ability to easily fall asleep after orgasm and why men suffer this stereotype
more than women. As mentioned, some lines of research hint that the transitory spike in prolactin
has a positive impact on testosterone, while chronically high prolactin does not.
All of this makes sexual activity an ideal recovery method for those who are subjecting their
bodies to elevated training stress.
Quickie Summary
These types of articles are the most difficult to write as the research is far from conclusive. I tried
to focus my inquiry completely on human studies. Very few randomized controlled studies exist
in this area. The ones that do exist suffer from the inherent issues associated with studying a
sensitive topic under laboratory conditions.
What you have here is my interpretation, extrapolation, and perhaps biased reading of what's
available in the research. With that said, here are some possible take-homes to use in your
training:
1. Sex is extremely relaxing and recuperative. Enjoying a good orgasm after a strenuous
workout could aid recovery between training bouts.
2. Guys, don't just roll over after sex. Cuddle. It just may lower your cortisol levels and help
your recovery. Plus your partner will like it.
3. Ladies, there's some indication you could get benefit from both pre-workout and postworkout orgasms. The brain changes of a pre-workout "O" may help you get more out of
your training sessions. The hormonal effects after may aid workout recovery.
4. Guys, you may want to experiment with no sex pre-workout, but instead get yourself
worked up with erotic stimuli. You may enjoy strength gains and testosterone surges as a
result.
5. Guys, good sex post-workout may be a superior workout recovery strategy. A good
orgasm will lower cortisol and help you rest.
6. While there's no conclusive evidence that sex impedes performance in any way, this
likely depends on many factors. Explore different strategies that optimize your mental
state and don't drain your physical resources.
7. There's some indication that abstaining from sex (men) for 5 to 7 days can raise
testosterone and amp performance. Training hard during the week and then getting your
release on the weekend may make some sense.
One thing we do know conclusively is that healthy, fit bodies have healthier sex lives and suffer
less sexual dysfunction. They also look better in the act too.