{"id":259937,"date":"2025-11-04T00:41:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T00:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/259937\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T00:41:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T00:41:07","slug":"can-strength-training-replace-viagra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/259937\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Strength Training Replace Viagra?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a world obsessed with visible gains\u2014bigger biceps<\/a>, chiseled abs<\/a>, sharper jawlines<\/a>\u2014it\u2019s easy to forget about the ones you can\u2019t see. But according to recent research and a few candid physicians, one of the biggest beneficiaries of strength training might just be below the belt.<\/p>\n

A July 2025 meta-analysis of 32 studies<\/a> in Sexual Medicine Reviews found a positive correlation between muscle health and erectile function<\/a>\u2014not to mention higher sexual desire and satisfaction.<\/p>\n

These findings might make gym bros<\/a> everywhere breathe a little easier, and could rightfully inspire those who train less frequently. According to a 2022 survey<\/a> by the Cleveland Clinic, 32% of men get worried about sexual health as they age, with chief concerns being erectile dysfunction<\/a> (ED), loss of sex drive, and low testosterone. These worries are valid, especially since roughly 40% of men in their 40s, 50% of men in their 50s, and 60% of men in their 60s experience some degree of erectile dysfunction, says Gabrielle Lyon, DO, a board-certified physician, the author of The Forever Strong Playbook<\/a>, and senior author of the aforementioned meta-analysis.<\/p>\n

But how exactly do stronger muscles and stronger erections go (ahem) hand in hand? And could a solid weight lifting routine actually delay or prevent reliance on ED meds? We spoke to experts to find out.<\/p>\n

How are muscle health and erectile function linked?<\/p>\n

According to Dr. Lyon, studies consistently show that stronger men have a lower risk of erectile dysfunction. \u201cIn our recent publication, we found that skeletal muscle supports healthy sexual function through multiple mechanisms, including improved metabolism, enhanced blood vessel health, and reduced inflammation,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Skeletal muscle plays a significant role in regulating glucose metabolism. According to Mohit Khera, MD<\/a>, a board-certified urologist, men\u2019s health and sexual dysfunction specialist, and co-author of the review alongside Dr. Lyon, skeletal muscle comprises approximately 40% of body weight, which makes it a primary site for insulin-mediated glucose uptake. \u201cEnhanced glucose metabolism reduces hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, both of which are associated with endothelial and erectile dysfunction,\u201d says Dr. Khera. Plus, more muscle can improve markers of metabolic health<\/a>, thus minimizing risk factors for ED.<\/p>\n

Next, the endothelial system (responsible for dilating blood vessels) depends on nitric oxide production, \u201cwhich is enhanced when muscle tissue is metabolically active and inflammation is low,\u201d says Dr. Lyon. Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, \u201cincreases oxidative stress, damages blood vessel linings, and impairs nitric oxide signaling\u2014all of which restrict blood flow and weaken the body\u2019s ability to build or maintain muscle.\u201d Inflammatory cytokines also hinder testosterone production and worsen insulin resistance, she continues, perpetuating a cycle that disrupts metabolic and vascular health (and thus your after-hours activities).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In a world obsessed with visible gains\u2014bigger biceps, chiseled abs, sharper jawlines\u2014it\u2019s easy to forget about the ones…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":259938,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[49,48,407,84,4146,18549,343,406,12365],"class_list":{"0":"post-259937","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-fitness","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-sex-and-relationships","13":"tag-textbelowcentergridwidth","14":"tag-web","15":"tag-wellness","16":"tag-working-out"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259937","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=259937"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259937\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/259938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=259937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=259937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=259937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}