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Sex, hormones and orgasms - what actually happens afterwards?

W

Wings of wax

Bluelighter
Joined
Oct 1, 2007
Messages
139
Hi,

I am trying to make sense of what happens to the body during and following sex. Recently I found a bunch of studies that surprised me quite a bit. Admittedly, I found them on a website that clearly has a mission (advocating non-orgasmic sex), but never the less, the science seems solid.

These studies center on what happens during sex:

http://www.reuniting.info/science/research/sexual_hangover#testosterone

The basic idea is that orgasms triggers the reward systems in the brain (duh), but that this has consequences that aren't transparent, and go beyond just sex.

From a male point of view, orgasms have some negative sides to it that noone ever told me about. It's all related to this hormone called prolactin, that is released as a reward hormone in both men and women after orgasm. This hormone has many properties.

In men, as far as I understand it, it lowers testosterone levels in the days following orgasm. One of the studies suggests that testosterone fluctuates in a 14-day period, going up to 150% following a week-long abstinence.

I hope someone will read the studies and give their opinion on this. If sexual abstinence is a way to increased testosterone levels, I would like to know.

Any thoughts will be appreciated!
 
Unless you have a deficiency, I don't see why increased testosterone would be desirable. If you do have a deficiency, there are better ways to treat it than sexual abstinence.
 
Thats probably the oddest thing I've heard all week. I've never heard anything like that or anything that sounds like it would support it. I'm too lazy to read the study at the moment, but I would love to hear if anyone knows anything about it.
 
so basically

masturbation is the worst thing a single man could do with his life

GREAT
 
LOL, yeah it's not exactly great information for the single man!

But actually, it makes sense. Sex releases bonding hormones, and who wants bonding hormones when you don't a have a partner? That's the recipe for feeling lonely.
 
Ok, so after reading up on this subject, I have begun integrating the thoughts in my own life. Really, it's all about being more aware of your body.

There's so much of our sexuality that is just on automatic pilot. We don't think about it, and we don't realize that sex actually has implications that go way beyond the orgasm itself. So much body chemistry goes on "under the hood", and it seems that people (myself included) stand to gain a lot by paying more attention to these unconsciouss processes.

I would love to hear other people's experiences.
 
Masturbation may marginally reduce testosterone. Testosterone normally is all over the place in terms of serum testing anyway.

During sex for men and women, the initial arousal and copulatory behaviour is probably facilitated by dopamine and norepinephrine release. Orgasm is likely modulated by endogenous opiates as well as oxytocin and vasopressin, the last hormone causing ejaculatory and probably cervical contractions. After sex prolactin is released which causes the refractory period for men and some females. They're not sure why some men and moreso women can orgasm many times as far as I know.

I wouldn't really say prolactin is a reward hormone, since antipsychotics cause enormous elevations in prolactin yet have little if any abuse potential.
 
orgasm will cause flucuations in testosterone. Yes, it will temporarily decrease testosterone. But, also think about this: doing 5x5 back squats will also temporarily decrease testosterone following the activity (look up the studies if you don't believe). But, we all know who have squatted and deadlifted that doing so increases test in the long run (our voices deepen and our body hair increases as a result of elevated levels of DHT from the elevated levels of test). Its proven in the trenches that despite the decrease in test ultimately we're talking an increase.

In one study, test increases over a period of 7 days from abstinence and then starts to drop off (feedback loops inhibiting production of LH no doubt which would impact the size of the testes and decrease the amount of testosterone produced in the balls). So, you can gain something over the short run by abstaining, but permanent abstinence is not going to gain you anything (in fact it would probably result in lowered levels).

I'm convinced that doing activities that are reinforced by androgenics (such as sexual intercourse or weight lifting) actually promotes the release of more androgenics. Also being a leader and being confident will promote more testosterone release. Your body responds to the external demands you place it in. Basically, if you're fucking a lot, then your body is going to upregulate the size of its testes in order to support this activity.
 
OP, I think you're worrying too much. The only studies I've seen on the effects of sexual activity on athletic performance show no effect whatsoever. You won't hear coaches these days advising athletes to abstain from sex or masturbation (generally---I'm sure there are exceptions).

I can't find anything about the number of subjects involved in the study that site references, whether they controlled for other factors, etc.

Seriously, this is a non-issue.
 
So testosterone is not involved in any negative effects. How about prolactin? Are all its effects known?
Hasn't anybody here experienced a 'cum-down' period after sex, the so-called refractory period, which affects their general mental and emotional state and not only their sex drive? I've seen a couple of threads about that lately. What are the neurological and hormonal mechanisms of that?
From what I've read, dopamine releasers and reuptake inhibitors are potent aphrodisiacs. Do they cause arousal by some specific mechanisms or is the sexual drive inextricably linked to general dopaminergic activation?
Also, how do antipsychotics increase prolactin (and which antipsychotics)? Specifically or as a result of their anti-dopaminergic activity?

Does anyone have experience with anti-prolactin drugs? Eg. cabergoline?
 
Heuristic said:
OP, I think you're worrying too much. The only studies I've seen on the effects of sexual activity on athletic performance show no effect whatsoever. You won't hear coaches these days advising athletes to abstain from sex or masturbation (generally---I'm sure there are exceptions).

I can't find anything about the number of subjects involved in the study that site references, whether they controlled for other factors, etc.

Seriously, this is a non-issue.
Click to expand...

no, its definitely not. Its not testosterone levels that you have to be worried about though. The prolactin release post-orgasm (the stuff that makes us go to sleep right after nutting) is the main inhibitory hormone for athletic performance.
 
RigaCrypto said:
So testosterone is not involved in any negative effects. How about prolactin? Are all its effects known?
Hasn't anybody here experienced a 'cum-down' period after sex, the so-called refractory period, which affects their general mental and emotional state and not only their sex drive? I've seen a couple of threads about that lately. What are the neurological and hormonal mechanisms of that?
From what I've read, dopamine releasers and reuptake inhibitors are potent aphrodisiacs. Do they cause arousal by some specific mechanisms or is the sexual drive inextricably linked to general dopaminergic activation?
Also, how do antipsychotics increase prolactin (and which antipsychotics)? Specifically or as a result of their anti-dopaminergic activity?

Does anyone have experience with anti-prolactin drugs? Eg. cabergoline?
Click to expand...

when you orgasm a flood of dopamine hits D2 receptors and temporarily desensitizes them as a result (downregulation). The lack of activation from the desensitized D2 receptors triggers a prolactin release, which will inhibit athletic performance (and also can cause a form of progestin gyno if the D2 desensitization is extreme enough).

Fighting prolactin with anti-prolactin drugs like cabergoline (very potent D2 agonists) is actually counterproductive in the longrun, because the drugs themselves will end up doing the same thing that an orgasm does to the D2 receptors (ie desensitize them). You will end up with a greater prolactin release ('rebound') once the cabergoline wears off (in 24-36 hours).
 
^Thanks for clearing it up. So is it known that the inhibition of athletic performance is caused by prolactin and not by the dopamine system inhibition itself?

Too bad about the cabergoline. I guess there is no free ride with drugs. We have to wait for the Hedweb people to bring about their pipe dreams.
 
hey rigacrypto, if you want to research another drug that might be useful try researching pramipexole. Its also a D2 agonist but some people suspect it won't cause as much desensitization (dunno why though I haven't studied it too closely?). Some people are taking this drug to combat progrestin side effects from taking steroid drugs like DECA (nandrolone). I'm not sure if it has a rebound effect or not.

I stopped researching these drugs when I made up my mind to never take any steroids that convert to progrestrone. I think thats the only legit use of these drugs (guys can get in serious dire straits using high doses of DECA where they start lactating thick fluid out their nipples and obviously get scared and want to take some drugs to combat that). I'm already prone to prolactin side effects naturally so I made up my mind to not mess about with those drugs.

I would honestly suggest you don't mess around with these agonists if you are natural. You'll just end up knocking things more out of whack.
 
Thanks, I'll look into it. Although, I didn't know that prolactin inhibitors also cause dopamine receptor desensitization and that there is such a strong link between the two. This kinda sours the deal. I was hoping for a side-effect free elimination of the refractory period. But I guess that's generally too much to ask from drugs.

I may try them once though to see what they're about. But a cursory look at the side effects of pramipexole reveals that it may cause dizziness, drowsiness, hypersexuality and cross-dressing. Being a dazed, horny tranny sounds like a recipe for dismay the morning after.
 
<LobalDominatrix> said:
During: Total. Satisfaction.
After: Fighting over who sleeps on the wet spot.
Click to expand...

chestrockwell.jpg


YOU DO!!!!
 
sunyata said:
when you orgasm a flood of dopamine hits D2 receptors and temporarily desensitizes them as a result (downregulation). The lack of activation from the desensitized D2 receptors triggers a prolactin release, which will inhibit athletic performance (and also can cause a form of progestin gyno if the D2 desensitization is extreme enough).

Fighting prolactin with anti-prolactin drugs like cabergoline (very potent D2 agonists) is actually counterproductive in the longrun, because the drugs themselves will end up doing the same thing that an orgasm does to the D2 receptors (ie desensitize them). You will end up with a greater prolactin release ('rebound') once the cabergoline wears off (in 24-36 hours).
Click to expand...

All true, but just to emphasize, no one needs to worry about the effects of orgasms on athletic performance. Those increased prolactin levels disappear in a couple of hours, and I have NEVER seen a study or, for that matter, heard of a single anecdotal report, of an orgasm diminishing athletic performance.

Fuck and masturbate to your heart's content. Don't do it on the field or in the weight-room, and you'll be fine.
 
not to dig up an old thread, but i have to disagree with this last post: throughout history you'll find male athletes stating how in order to win you've got to abstain from sex for as long as possible before a competition, i.e. a boxing match. muhammad ali is quoted somewhere as saying how sex makes a man soft and he never fucks for a full month before a fight. traditional chinese medicine tells us the same thing, that you disruptyour qi and kidney yin and yang thru climaxing (men). and the kidneys, youll remember, is where your adrenal glands are located (something chinese people knew long before western medicine, though their concepts were radically different)
 
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