By Elizabeth McQuillan
A randomised controlled trial on the effect of lifestyle changes in obese men has shown that healthy lifestyle factors are associated with the maintenance of erectile function.
The Italian researchers studied 110 obese men with erectile dysfunction (male impotence) and randomly assigned the participants to either lose weight or be in a control group.
Both groups had various pertinent – and very private – tests performed at the begininning and end of the two-year study, with the weight-loss group advised on health eating and lifestyle choices throughout.
The lads who opted for the healthier food choices and a bit of exercise enjoyed higher erectile function scores, with almost one third no longer experiencing a problem. In fact, the more they exercised and ate healthily, the more their erections improved.
Alternative research from Harvard University suggests that men who ran for 90 minutes or who did three hours of rigorous outdoor work per week were 20 per cent less likely to develop erectile dysfunction than those who didn’t exercise at all. More physical activity conferred an even greater benefit: men who ran two-and-a-half hours per week were 30 per cent less likely to develop the condition than were their sedentary counterparts.
It isn’t really all that surprising when you consider the role that the cardiovascular system plays in circulating blood to all the necessary places.
Exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, especially the pubococcygeus muscle, may also help with erectile dysfunction. To locate your pubococcygeus muscle, you should be able to give a discreet "squeeze" to find it – it’s the one you flex when you need to stop peeing or ejaculation. For those with a very weak muscle, who are struggling to feel its whereabouts, medical literature suggests tightening the anus around a lubricated finger to isolate.
The use of Kegel exercises develops better muscular control of the pelvic floor. According to some sources, as yet unverified, strengthening the pelvic floor may also allow some men to achieve a form of orgasm without allowing ejaculation, and thereby perhaps to reach multiple climaxes during sexual activity.
The Kegel technique appears simple enough: "Use a 'squeeze, hold, release' pattern. You squeeze the muscle, hold for several seconds, and release. Gradually, you would like to be able to build up to a hold of ten seconds, repeating the ‘squeeze, hold, and release' ten times.
"When you perform the exercise correctly, you should be able to feel or see the testicles lift. This takes time for some men. But, if you practice the routine regularly, you should notice an improvement in 4–6 weeks."
If squeezing and releasing fails to improve performance, then a specially designed vacuum pump (not a Dyson) that increases blood flow to the penis can also successfully treat many cases.
However, erectile dysfunction can be caused by an underlying health condition, such as heart disease or diabetes, so it’s important to talk to your GP if things aren’t working as they should. Treating the underlying cause may also resolve the problem of erectile dysfunction.
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