US Pharm. 2014;29(1):3.
Austin, TX—Engaging in exercise just prior to sexual intercourse significantly improves sexual functioning in women taking antidepressants, according to a University of Texas study. Antidepressants interfere with the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which facilitates blood flow to the genital region, but moderately intense exercise activates the SNS. In the study, which recruited 52 women with reported sexual side effects from antidepressants, subjects who performed 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise immediately before intercourse experienced significantly stronger libidos and overall improvements in sexual functioning. Committing to a regular exercise routine yielded improvements in all subjects, but the amount and timing of the exercise significantly influenced the level of improvement.
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