Is heart rate variability a risk factor for premature ejaculation?

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and slow breathing interventions alleviate premature ejaculation (PE) symptoms

Background

Physical exercise may alleviate premature ejaculation symptoms, a prevalent male sexual dysfunction linked to a series of negative outcomes for men and their partners.

Objective

We investigated the effectiveness of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and slow breathing interventions on premature ejaculation symptoms and their relation to autonomic activity and attention regulation.

Method

Chinese adult men (N = 76, M = 21.89, SD = 3.32) with premature ejaculation completed one of the two-week interventions in their homes or as participants in a normal breathing control group; they reported their age, height, weight, physical activity level, premature ejaculation symptoms, and attention regulation. In the HIIT group, 26 participants engaged in a 7-minute HIIT each day. In the slow breathing group, 25 participants performed 7-minute slow breathing exercises per day while the 25 participants in the normal breathing group similarly performed normal breathing exercises. All participants measured their heart rate once before and five times (with one-minute intervals) after the intervention. When participants had penile-vaginal sex with their partners, they measured their heart rate once after ejaculation.

Results

Time × Intervention interaction was significant with lower levels of premature ejaculation symptoms on Days 12, 13, and 14 in the HIIT group (M ± SD = 16.19 ± 3.45, 15.96 ± 3.43, and 15.15 ± 3.62) compared to the normal breathing group (M ± SD = 17.68 ± 3.06, 17.68 ± 3.15, and 17.44 ± 3.25). Higher levels of attention regulation were associated with fewer premature ejaculation symptoms. We also found that a larger increase in heart rate from resting to after sex was associated with fewer premature ejaculation symptoms.

Conclusion

Compared to the control group, the efficacy of two weeks of HIIT exercise in mitigating PE symptoms suggests its potential as a novel treatment for PE.

A 2-week high-intensity interval training intervention improves ejaculation control among men with premature ejaculation

BACKGROUND

Premature ejaculation (PE), which leads to substantial distress in men and their partners, is a common male sexual dysfunction worldwide. However, there is still a lack of effective treatments without side effects.

OBJECTIVES

We investigated the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on PE symptoms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We recruited 92 Chinese men aged 18-36 to complete the experiment. There were 22 (13 in the control group; 9 in the HIIT group) men diagnosed with PE and 70 (41 in the control group; 29 in the HIIT group) men with normal ejaculatory function. In the HIIT group, participants completed HIIT exercises every morning for 14 days. Participants also completed surveys inquiring about demographic information, erectile function, PE symptoms, body image (including sexual body image), physical activity, and sexual desire. The heart rate was measured before and after each HIIT. In the control group, participants were instructed not to do HIIT, but other procedures were the same as in the HIIT group.

RESULTS

Results indicated that the HIIT intervention alleviated PE symptoms in men with PE. In addition, in the HIIT group, men with PE who had a higher heart-rate increase during the HIIT intervention reported the greatest overall decrements in PE symptoms. In men with normal ejaculatory function, HIIT did not decrease PE symptoms. In addition, increments in the heart rate during the intervention were associated with more pronounced PE symptoms post-intervention in this group. Analyses of secondary outcome measures suggested that the HIIT intervention improved general and sexual body image satisfaction of men with PE compared to before the intervention.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

In summary, HIIT intervention may reduce PE symptoms in men with PE. The heart-rate increase during the intervention may be a key factor influencing the effect of the HIIT intervention on PE symptoms.

Effects of physical exercise interventions on ejaculation control

INTRODUCTION

Premature ejaculation is a prevalent male sexual dysfunction that causes significant distress for men and their partners on a global scale. Despite its widespread impact, effective treatment options without undesirable side effects remain limited.

OBJECTIVES

The present review aimed to provide an overview of experimental studies that analyzed the effects of physical exercise interventions on premature ejaculation.

METHODS

The inclusion criteria for the review included: Population: Adult men. Intervention: An intervention designed to increase physical exercise was delivered in the study. Comparison: Before versus after intervention with or without a comparison group receiving a drug treatment or an active or no control intervention. Outcomes: Self-reported or clinician-rated premature ejaculation or its symptoms. Study type: Experimental designs. We conducted the search process in 9 databases: APA PsycNET, PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Embase, and CAB Direct. This review included six intervention studies that included 433 participants (307 men with premature ejaculation) ranging from 18 to 50 years of age. All participants had a stable female sexual partner and had not any other physical or mental problems.

RESULTS

The synthesized results indicated that yoga, running, and high-intensity interval training alleviate premature ejaculation symptoms in men with premature ejaculation after varying intervention duration times. The effectiveness of physical exercise for premature ejaculation symptoms was similar to that of drug treatments.

CONCLUSION

Physical exercise can be one of the potential treatment modalities for premature ejaculation. The intensity of physical exercise and the effort of participants during exercise are key factors affecting improvements in ejaculation control. A potential limitation was that the review did not include any literature written in non-English languages.