At Rushcutters Health, we know that true well-being extends beyond just looking good – it’s about feeling great, inside and out. And let’s be honest, a healthy sex life is a big part of that! You might be surprised to learn how much your diet impacts what happens between the sheets.
Plenty of things can put a damper on your erection: heart health issues, smoking, and certain medications are all common culprits. But a major mood killer you might not have considered? Your diet. The foods you eat, how much you eat, and how often can seriously mess with your energy levels, blood flow, and hormones – all crucial for a supercharged sex life.
There are plenty of foods that help boost your libido, keep your sperm healthy, and optimise your testosterone. So naturally, some eating habits exist on the other end of the libido-killing spectrum.
Here are six ways your diet might be sabotaging your sex life – and exactly what you can do about it with the help of a personal training Sydney expert or a dedicated fitness trainer Sydney.
- You’re Fueling Up on Rubbish
A healthy heart equals healthy sex. Just like any workout, an A+ bedroom session demands strength, stamina, and endurance. In other words, any eating habit that’s bad for your gym game is also bad for your sex life.
When your heart isn’t happy – say, your arteries are clogged – it can actually hinder blood flow to your penis, paving the way for erectile dysfunction (ED). A diet high in unhealthy fats and added sugars can exacerbate this issue. It’s commonly known that obese men can have lower levels of testosterone, the hormone that fuels your sex drive. While not all heavier guys have low T, your risk increases when the number on the scale starts to climb.
The Rushcutters Health Fix: Our personal trainer Potts Point team can guide you towards a diet rich in various nutrient-dense whole foods. Combined with at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, this can make a significant difference. Anything that helps decrease the amount of fat in your body will help your testosterone levels naturally go up. The more your body can tolerate physical activity and exercise, the more likely you will be able to go longer and stronger in the bedroom.
- You’ve Switched to Decaf
Your daily cuppa might play a bigger role in bed than you realise, because your caffeine intake can impact your circulation. We’ve seen that people who enjoy a caffeinated cup of coffee (around 50 milligrams of caffeine) can experience increased blood flow.
Caffeine might improve the function of your small blood vessels and reduce inflammation, both great for your heart. This means it could benefit your penis too. A large part of sexual health is about increasing blood flow, since better blood flow equals better erections.
While we’re not saying coffee is a magic pill, drinking decaf might be holding you back. Sex is already hard enough when you’re exhausted, so that extra cup of joe might be just what you need to perk things up.
- You’re Enjoying Too Many Beers
There’s real science behind the dreaded “whiskey dick.” Sure, booze may relax you enough to pull out your best pickup lines, but going too hard at the bar means you might go too soft later on.
That round of shots can tank your erection in a few ways. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, so it can numb the feelings of sexual stimulation and alter the blood flow in and out of your penis. As your body works to flush the alcohol from your system, it prioritises that instead of your hard-on. This is because your body doesn’t have a place to store alcohol like it does for carbs, fat, and proteins, so it wants to get rid of it.
Heavy drinking – defined as more than five drinks a day or 15 drinks per week – can also dip your testosterone while raising your oestrogen levels, which can sap your libido, bring your mood down, and make it harder to achieve orgasm, even when you can get an erection. We also know that chronic drinking can cause some permanent damage to the cells in your testicles, which could impact your ability to have kids later on.
There is no amount of alcohol that is “safe” for your erection. We usually tell our clients that the more they drink, the harder it will be for them to stay hard. One drink probably won’t make it or break it for the average person, but the more alcohol consumed, the greater chance of killing your erection.
Rushcutters Health Tip: Our personal training Sydney experts can help you develop healthier habits that naturally reduce your reliance on alcohol. Aim to cut yourself off early and stick to the recommended limit of two drinks per day.
- You Indulge Your Sweet Tooth Too Often
Sugar is a sex-life killer on a few fronts. Firstly, diets that are high in sugar are going to impact your overall cardiovascular health – which subsequently impacts your penis health.
Sugar also lowers your libido by reducing testosterone levels. We’ve seen that eating a significant amount of sugar can lead to a decrease in average testosterone levels, which can remain suppressed for a few hours.
Finally, don’t forget about the sugar crash. If you’re eating a high-sugar meal and you crash afterward, you’re likely to be more fatigued. That’s because sugar can flip switches in your brain, turning on neurons that make you feel sleepy.
Rushcutters Health Tip: Our fitness trainer Sydney team can help you transition to naturally occurring sugars, like those in fruit, whenever possible. When it comes to added sugars – like those found in soft drinks and baked goods – we recommend no more than 36 grams per day for men.
- You’re Eating Giant Portions
Piling too much food on your plate can slow things down in bed. Not only does it lead to weight gain, but it also sets you up for a major energy slump.
If you overeat, especially carbs and sugar, you may crash and feel too tired to do anything but lay on the couch or sleep. Besides making you feel sluggish from the sheer amount of food, lots of refined carbs (think white bread and sugary cereal) rapidly spike your blood sugar. Your body tries to fight back by pumping out more insulin, making you feel even more tired.
Rushcutters Health Tip: If you know you want to get it on later, try to eat more frequently throughout your day, rather than scarfing down a giant dinner. Instead of three huge meals, aim for four or five smaller ones, full of protein and slower-digesting carbs that are packed with fibre, like oats, quinoa, and vegetables. Your personal trainer Potts Point can assist you in developing a sustainable meal plan.
- You’re Running Low on Vitamin D
A Vitamin D deficiency can spell bad news for your penis. In fact, low levels of the vitamin are something we often look for when a client is struggling with erectile dysfunction.
Why? Low levels of Vitamin D can raise your risk of ED. When you don’t get enough D, your body might not produce enough nitric oxide, a compound your blood vessels need to function at their best.
Good news: You can boost your intake. We recommend aiming for at least 600 international units (IU) of Vitamin D per day, but many suggest more than that. For peak penis health, most clients should probably get anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 IU of Vitamin D3 if they are found to be deficient.
Your best bet is getting enough sunlight – but that can be a struggle, especially in certain climates. But while Vitamin D is hard to come by, it’s not impossible. Fatty fish like salmon and tuna, eggs, fortified milk, and cheese are all good options. If you suspect your D levels are low, we encourage you to chat with your healthcare provider.
At Rushcutters Health, we believe in a holistic approach to your health. Whether you’re looking for expert guidance on nutrition, a tailored workout plan with a personal trainer Sydney, or just general fitness advice, our team is here to support you in achieving your best self, in every aspect of your life. Come and speak to a fitness trainer Sydney today!
