Science Explains Why Working Out Gets You So Worked Up

If you’ve ever experienced a hard-on along with your post-workout high, don’t freak out—that’s actually a normal response to working out.

Exercise and sexuality go hand in hand: The libido-boosting benefits of working out for men have been touted since at least the 1990s (according to findings published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior), and both acute and chronic exercise were shown to improve women’s sexual arousal and satisfaction in a 2018 analysis of relevant studies published in the journal Sexual Medicine Review.

On a very base human level, if you feel sexy, you’ll feel more sexual—and exercise can help optimize confidence-promoting factors like weight, tone and shape, said Alyssa Dweck, M.D., OB-GYN in Westchester, New York, and co-author of The Complete A to Z for Your V.(The positive link between physical fitness and sexual health was confirmed in a 2018 study published in the Journal of Education and Health Promotion.)

But exercise also affects you on a hormonal level, chemically increasing your desire for sex. “Exercise impacts endorphins—feel-good chemicals in the brain—which can provide a general sense of well-being and analgesic effects, and thus enhance libido,” Dweck said. Endorphins may also regulate the release of hormones called gonadotropins, which stimulate the sex organs to produce the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen, explained William Kolbe, a human sexuality researcher and author of The Rejuvenating Power of Masturbation.

The benefits are reciprocal, too—a healthy and robust sex life can help boost your immunity, circulation and overall satisfaction, resulting in more energy when you're ready to start working out in the gym.

'You’re going to feel the horniest post-cardio workout, like a run (which, as an endurance activity, will also help increase stamina during sex).'

But if you find your post-pump performance leaves something to be desired, Libido Boost vitamins can provide you with a steady stream of nutrients to keep your sex drive in high gear. These Giddy Health supplements use only key ingredients that have been shown to help reduce stress, boost testosterone production and act as pro-erectile agents. Filled with ashwagandha, longjack and zinc, these capsules use microbead technology for a timed release throughout the day.

Regular workouts increase serotonin, dopamine, growth hormone and testosterone levels, too, said Kolbe. “Exercise stimulates the brain's reward centers, ultimately improving dopamine production,” he said—and that’s a key neurotransmitter involved in desire, arousal and orgasm. At the same time, it triggers the release of tryptophan, a substrate for the synthesis of serotonin, which not only increases sexual appetite but is associated with the production of oxytocin—aka the love or “cuddling” hormone—into your blood, said Kolbe.

“Aerobic and resistance exercises are also powerful stimuli for growth hormone production, which increases blood circulation, exercise capacity and the pleasure associated with sexual activity, all-important for sexual function,” said Kolbe, adding that “high-intensity interval and resistance training are good means to promote testosterone levels; this hormone physiologically stimulates sex drive, while low levels are associated with erectile dysfunction and low libido.”

As you probably can guess from your sweaty, red face, working out increases circulation throughout the body, including blood flow to the genitals, said Dweck. That’s going to result in better natural vaginal lubrication during arousal, she said; meanwhile, people with a penis are likely to experience stronger erections and more intense orgasms, added Kolbe.

You’re going to feel the horniest post-cardio workout, like a run (which, as an endurance activity, will also help increase stamina during sex). But any exercise—including strength training, which builds muscle and tone, and yoga and Pilates, which can increase flexibility—that enhances sexual self-esteem and decreases cortisol, the stress hormone (and a bedroom buzzkill), is likely to turn you on, said Dweck.

Working out isn’t always going to make you horny, though. Men who go too hard at the gym too often (think: marathoners or triathletes) are actually more likely to have a significantly decreased sex drive compared to those who engage in lower-intensity exercise, a 2017 study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found. And excessive exercise can lead women to experience irregular periods, anovulation (the lack or absence of ovulation) and hormonal imbalances that can impact sex drive and function, said Dweck.

But next time you’re tenting your gym shorts or feeling a little damp down there (and not just due to sweaty leggings), lean into this revved-up state. A post-workout romp is like the icing on the cake of your day’s calorie-burning activities.