Maintaining a thriving sex drive with age has always been a challenge, and the distractions of the 21st century haven't made it any easier to create and maintain intimate moments with our partners. But research shows that a healthy sex life is important for wellness and aging—those who have regular, partnered sex have different levels of stress, inflammation, and even blood pressure than those who don't. And if you find it hard to feel 'turned on' on a daily or weekly basis, there are actionable steps you can take to change that. Here's a summary of the health benefits associated with regular sex, how to boost your sex drive in your everyday life, and just how much sexual activity is best for your body—reader discretion advised.
And this doesn't just affect men. In women, lower stress and cortisol are associated with more sexual activity and improved sexual arousal.[2,3] This relationship between stress and sex quality also works in the opposite direction—sex can also be a direct stress-reducer.[4]
So what's the bottom line? Too much stress can get in the way of satisfying sex for anyone, but if you can quiet your stress levels enough to share a romantic moment, intimate sex can significantly improve stress and cortisol.[4] And ultimately, optimal cortisol levels won’t just help with sexual performance—they’re also important for things like sleep quality, weight maintenance, and immunity. If you're looking for ways to alleviate stress with actionable changes, check out our blog on the topic.
The relationship between testosterone and sex becomes meaningful with older age, though, specifically for men over 60.[5] This means that if you're around 60 or older and are frustrated with a declining sex drive, it's worth getting your testosterone levels checked. Now, low testosterone won't completely explain a waning sex drive—ultimately, age itself unavoidably causes low libido, regardless of hormone levels. But if your T levels are below optimal, making changes to bridge the gap may give you just the natural boost you're looking for. One interesting change to make? Consider your intake of animal products. An analysis of InsideTracker users found non-vegans had significantly higher levels of testosterone than vegans. You can read about our findings here.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, much of the research connecting testosterone and sex drive have focused on male subjects. And since women aren't just smaller men—especially in the hormone department—these findings can't be generalized to us ladies. But the information that is available indicates that testosterone is indeed important for women's sex drive. In women with clinically-low sex hormone levels, sex drive improves significantly when testosterone treatments accompany traditional estrogen ones. And while results from a clinical trial don't necessarily apply to the general population, there is some evidence that optimized free testosterone levels are associated with a greater sex drive in women.[7]
Sex may also reduce inflammation, particularly in older adults. In fact, one study found that the more sex someone had, the lower their levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell count (WBC)—both markers of inflammation.[9] And since inflammation is one of the most important factors of vitality and longevity, regular sexual activity can play an important role in healthy aging. Looking for quick ways to improve inflammation and longevity? Here's a list of some of the best foods for both.
A healthy sex life may even help to prevent heart disease later on in life. In fact, women who report high levels of physical pleasure and emotional satisfaction from sex were less likely to develop cardiovascular risks—particularly high blood pressure—as they age.[4] Men can also reap some benefits—those who have more sex are at lower risk of stroke and other coronary heart disease later in life.[4] This is probably due to a combination of things, like sex's positive impact on stress and inflammation, and the fact that its impact on heart rate and blood pressure is similar to a brisk walk.
But as it stands, research agrees that a moderate amount of sexual activity is best. Too little keeps us from reaping any potential health benefits, but too much may actually be detrimental to health, particularly in older populations. So what's the happy medium? It seems that if you're having sex at least once every other week or up to three times per week, you're in the ideal zone.[4,14]
Sex is a personal and, at times, uncomfortable topic to talk about. But knowing the facts about its relationship to our well being is an important first step towards an ideal sex life, however you define that for yourself. Hopefully, knowing even a little bit more about sex can help you feel agency over your sex life and empowered to make the right decisions for yourself and your relationships.
References
[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/ijir200914
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20545400
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4199300/
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5052677/
[7] https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM200009073431002?articleTools=true
[8] Kontula, Osmo, and Elina Haavio-Mannila. "The impact of aging on human sexual activity and sexual desire." Journal of sex research 46.1 (2009): 46-56.
[9] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28372938
[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21819545
[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24196274
[12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19170860
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28074679
[14] https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/is-sex-exercise-and-is-it-hard-on-the-heart