You have accessJournal of UrologySexual Function/Dysfunction/Andrology: Medical and Non-Surgical Therapy II1 Apr 20101500 EXERCISE CORRELATES TO HIGHER SEXUAL FUNCTION SCORES IN A COHORT OF HEALTHY MEN Erin R. McNamara, Jean Alfred-Thomas, and Stephen J. Freedland Erin R. McNamaraErin R. McNamara More articles by this author , Jean Alfred-ThomasJean Alfred-Thomas More articles by this author , and Stephen J. FreedlandStephen J. Freedland More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2010.02.1237AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Exercise has often been postulated to improve sexual function. Several studies have seen improvement in sexual function scores in the setting of weight loss secondary to diet and exercise. We hypothesized men with higher exercise level would have higher sexual function scores. METHODS We prospectively recruited 178 healthy men at the Durham VA who completed the RAND 12-Item Health Survey v2, which includes 6 sexual function questions: ability to have erection, ability to reach orgasm, quality of erection, frequency of erection, overall sexual function and bother. These answers were converted to a numeric score on a 0 to 100 scale, and averaged into an overall sexual function score with higher scores equating higher function. They were also asked to complete a survey regarding current exercise behavior. Participants were asked average frequency of mild, moderate, and strenuous intensity exercise in a typical week, as well as average duration. Total current exercise was calculated in terms of MET hours per week. RESULTS Median age and BMI were 62 years and 31 kg/m2, respectively. A total of 59 men (33%) were black and 111 (62%) were white. Median sexual function was 53 points. After adjusting for age, race, BMI, heart disease, diabetes, medications, and depression, men who reported more MET hrs/wk of exercise had significantly higher sexual function scores (p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS Men who reported higher MET hrs/wk of exercise had higher sexual function scores. Further investigation is required to confirm these findings in a larger sample size and to better characterize the molecular mechanisms through which exercise affects sexual function. Durham, NC© 2010 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 183Issue 4SApril 2010Page: e578 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2010 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Erin R. McNamara More articles by this author Jean Alfred-Thomas More articles by this author Stephen J. Freedland More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...