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~ Reliable information on improving sexual health. Herbs, drugs, and more. This site offers research-based solutions for managing ED. You can contact us at: menznews@yahoo.com.

Menznews – News for Sexual Health

Category Archives: Other

Male Kegels

25 Saturday Jul 2015

Men can enjoy some of the same benefits as women by performing Kegels, an excise the strengthens the muscles in the pelvic area.

To do Male Kegels, follow this advice from a Nurse’s blog:

So, basically you have the squeeze the same muscles that you would squeeze as if you are holding in urine or a bowel movement, when you really have to go, but have to wait.  It is best to actually do these exercises with an empty bladder, but try to contract and relax these muscles 15 times a day, and work up to 75 times and them start holding the contraction for 3-5 seconds and try to get in two sets of 50 per day while holding the contraction.

I know it seems like a lot BUT you can do them anywhere at any time without it being noticed: while driving, in the shower, at work, watching TV, etc. No one has to know that you are exercising, and really the benefits to you out weight the few minutes a day you will be strengthening your pelvic floor muscles and doing something positive for your body!  You will start to see the benefits in 4-6 weeks after starting the exercises and, I promise you, you’ll thank me!

The source of this information: http://www.nursebridgid.com/2011/07/male-kegels.html

 

Increase Nitric Oxide with…Sunlight?

19 Sunday Jul 2015

We ALL know that it’s good to increase our ol’ friend, nitric oxide. Well, here’s one I’ve never heard before. You might be able to increase nitric oxide levels in your body by exposure to…sunlight. Beyond its effect on vitamin D, sunlight is also claimed to increase levels of nitric oxide release, which flows throughout the body in a healthy way.

It sort of makes sense, actually. Animals in the wild would be healthy from walking around in the sun. It would also suggest a nitric oxide/health benefit from tanning/sunbooths/UV rays. However, this is just speculation, and the sun and tanning do have health risks.

Decide for yourself. Here is an article about it, which include a reference to an abstract from a conference. Not exactly a major study but worth a look, if you are interested.

Source:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/260247.php

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh in the UK suggest that the heart-health benefits of sun exposure may outweigh the risk of developing skin cancer.

In the landmark study, the researchers found that when sunlight touches our skin, a compound called nitric oxide that helps lower blood pressure, is released into our blood vessels. Richard Weller, Senior Lecturer in Dermatology, and colleagues, say the effect is such that overall, sun exposure could improve health and even prolong life, because the benefits of reducing blood pressure, cutting heart attacks and strokes, far outweigh the risk of getting skin cancer.

The proof-of-principle study is being presented this week in Edinburgh at International Investigative Dermatology 2013, the world’s largest gathering of skin experts.

The abstract was published online in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology on 15 April.

The researchers note that rates of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease rise in winter and are tied to geographic latitude (for instance they are higher in northern Europe than in southern Europe). Also, estimates show that in northern Europe, for every death from skin cancer, about 60 to 100 people die of stroke and heart disease linked to high blood pressure.

This new study is important because until now it was thought that sunlight’s only benefit to human health was production of vitamin D, which rises after exposure to the sun. Previous studies have found that while increased vitamin D levels link to lower cardiovascular disease, oral supplements do not have an effect on this.

Weller and colleagues found that the body’s production of nitric oxide is separate from production of vitamin D.

For their study they invited 24 volunteers to sit under sunlamps for two 20 minute sessions while they examined their blood pressure. In one session, they exposed the volunteers to both ultra-violet (UV) rays and heat from the lamps. In the other session, they only exposed them to the lamps’ heat and blocked the UV rays. The results showed that the volunteers’ blood pressure fell and their heart rate rose in the session where they were exposed to both UV and heat, but not when they were exposed to heat only. The reduction in blood pressure lasted for about 50 minutes.

Human skin contains large stores of nitrite (NO2) and nitrate (NO3). The researchers note that while nitrate is “biologically inert”, the action of sunlight can reduce it to active nitrite and nitric oxide (NO). They found that circulatory nitrate fell and nitrite rose during UV and heat exposure, but not during exposure to heat only. There was no difference in vitamin D levels.

Weller says in a statement that:

“We suspect that the benefits to heart health of sunlight will outweigh the risk of skin cancer. The work we have done provides a mechanism that might account for this, and also explains why dietary vitamin D supplements alone will not be able to compensate for lack of sunlight.” He and his team now want to look at the relative risks of skin cancer and heart disease in people who have received different amounts of exposure to sunlight. “If this confirms that sunlight reduces the death rate from all causes, we will need to reconsider our advice on sun exposure,” says Weller.

There have also been suggestions that exposure to the sun can help prevent infectious disease. For example, in 2011, Phil Rice, a virologist at St George’s Hospital, University of London, suggested that the sun’s UV rays inactivate the chickenpox virus on the skin.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD

Here’s the actual abstract, from The Journal of Investigative Dermatology:

1247
UVA lowers blood pressure and vasodilates the systemic arterial vasculature by mobilisation of cutaneous nitric oxide stores

D Liu,1 BO Fernandez,3 NN Lang,2 JM Gallagher,4 DE Newby,2 M Feelisch3 and RB Weller1,5 1Dermatology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 2Cardiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 3Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom, 4Leithmount Surgery, Edinburgh, United Kingdom and5Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
The incidence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) correlates with latitude and rises in winter. Population vitamin D levels inversely correlate with CVD, but oral supplementation does not alter CVD rates. Skin contains large stores of nitrite(NO2) and nitrate(NO3). Nitrate is biologically inert, but can be photo-reduced to active NO2 and nitric oxide (NO). The dermal vasculature enables rapid systemic dispersal of NO2 and NO.We hypothesised that ultraviolet A (UVA) mobilises NO bioactivity from skin to circulation to exert beneficial cardiovascular effects. Vit’ D is a marker for sunlight exposure. 24 healthy volunteers were sham (temp’ control) irradiated then actively irradiated with 20 J/cm2 UVA. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) fell and heart rate rose during active but not sham irrad’n (3.50±0.73 mmHg vs 2.80±0.98). The MAP fall was sustained for 50 mins in the active group only. Temperature rise was the same in both groups. Circulatory nitrite rose. min of the NOS antagonist L-NMMA was infused to the brachial artery. FBF rose during active but not sham irradiation (23.7±6.5 % over baseline vs no change p<.0002). Physiological levels of UVA irradiation cause systemic vasodilation and lower BP in a vitamin D and NOS independent manner. Deaths from CVD and stroke are 60 to 100 times higher than from skin cancers in northern Europe. This study provides a mechanistic explanation for the inverse correlation between sunlight exposure and CVD mortality. Sunlight has beneficial effects independently of vitamin D synthesis.
Link:
http://www.nature.com/jid/journal/v133/n1s/full/jid2013104a.html

Magnetic Stimulation – to Cause Erections.

16 Sunday Nov 2014

Here is an interesting study (LINK HERE). They used magnetic stimulation to create erections in dogs. The erections would stop when the magnetic stimulation was removed, and could be restarted any number of times. As far as I know, this has never been attempted in humans.

The article doesn’t indicate if this approach would turn you into a “chick magnet”.

No Refractory Period

28 Thursday Nov 2013

Here is a report from Nature (LINK HERE) about a man with no refractory period, because he lacks the hormone prolactin:

 

Case Report
Absence of orgasm-induced prolactin secretion in
a healthy multi-orgasmic male subject
P Haake1, M S Exton1, J Haverkamp1, M
Krämer1, N Leygraf2, U Hartmann3, M
Schedlowski1 and T H C Krueger1
1Department of Medical
Psychology, University Clinic of Essen, Essen, Germany

2Department of Forensic
Psychiatry, University Clinic of Essen, Essen, Germany

3Department of Clinical
Psychiatry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
Correspondence to: M S Exton, Department of Medical
Psychology, University Clinic of Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany.
E-mail: michael.exton@uni-essen.de
Abstract
In several studies we have recently demonstrated that orgasm induces prolactin secretion in healthy males and females. This suggests that prolactin may form a feedback regulator of the refractory period following orgasm. To examine this position we investigated the prolactin response of a healthy multi-orgasmic male subject. Blood was drawn continuously during  masturbation-induced orgasm. The prolactin response of the case-subject was compared with that of nine healthy adult men with a normal refractory period. The case-subject showed no prolactin response to three orgasms. Data from this
multi-orgasmic subject support the hypothesized role of plasma prolactin in contributing to sexual-satiation mechanisms.

International Journal of Impotence Research (2002) 14, 133-135. DOI:10.1038/sj/ijir/3900823
Keywords
sexual arousal; prolactin; multi-orgasmic; model; refractory period;
neuroendocrinology
Introduction

Sexual dysfunction is a commonly reported side effect of psychiatric medication, underscoring the importance of neuroendocrine
mechanisms in regulating sexual competence.1,2 Thus, we recently designed a continuous blood sampling technique and sexual arousal paradigm to investigate endocrine mechanisms regulating sexual arousal. This series of studies demonstrated
substantial increases in plasma prolactin following orgasm in both men and women,3,4,5 but unaltered prolactin levels following sexual arousal without orgasm.6 Further, plasma prolactin concentrations were elevated for at least 60 min following orgasm. Due to the known impact of prolactin on sexual drive and function, these data suggest that prolactin may contribute to a feedback control of the refractory period following orgasm. To investigate this position, we examined the prolactin response to orgasm of a
healthy man who reported a short refractory period, thereby fulfilling the criteria for multi-orgasmic and multi-ejaculatory males.7

Methods
The case subject (aged 25 y) reported an average refractory period of 3 min, whereby erection remains following orgasm in approximately 50% of all episodes. Sexual appetence remains high following initial orgasm, with a second orgasm usually possible in the absence of strong sexual stimulation. Every orgasm is
followed by an ejaculation. The ability to reach at least two orgasms shortly after each other was noticed by the subject in adolescence. [I bet it was] The case subject was both psychologically and physically healthy, as confirmed by psychiatric and medical examination. TRH-test confirmed normal thyreotropic and lactotropic function.
Nine healthy male volunteers, aged 26±1 y were used
as a reference group. Participants reported a refractory period of at least 10 min, and as a group disclosed an average refractory period of 19±2 min. Erection is lost after orgasm in each participant. All subjects participated following written informed consent. The experimental session was conducted as described

previously.3,4,5,6 Briefly, whilst viewing a documentary film blood
was drawn continuously from participants and divided into 10 min intervals. The film switched to erotic scenes after 20 min and again after 60 min, with subjects required to masturbate until orgasm at these times.

Results

All control participants experienced orgasm following masturbation after 30 and 60 min. Consequently, increases of plasma
prolactin concentrations were observed in each control subject. Collectively, an increase in plasma prolactin concentrations were observed following the first orgasm, with further increases following the second orgasm (Figure 1). In contrast, the case subject experienced two orgasms at 30 min, separated by 2 min, and a further orgasm at 60 min. Additionally, unaltered sexual appetence following orgasm was accompanied by unchanged concentrations of plasma prolactin in the case subject.

Discussion

These data demonstrate a clear absence of the orgasm-induced prolactin surge in a healthy male exhibiting multiple orgasms and
short refractory period. This contrasted with control participants, who each displayed a regular refractory period and associated prolactin surge following orgasm. These data support the hypothesis that orgasm-induced prolactin secretion may be one mechanism regulating peripheral and central effectors of the refractory period.4,5,6,8 Indeed, the short refractory period of the case subject may result from a combination of both peripheral and central processes, as the absent prolactin surge is accompanied by both maintenance of erection and ejaculation capacity, as well as preservation of sexual desire. Hyperprolactinemia is associated with marked depression of libido and sexual function.1,2,9 Clearly, the changes in prolactin observed following orgasm are of lower magnitude and duration than those observed in hyperprolactinemia. Nevertheless, animal data suggest that acute low-level increases of peripheral prolactin are also capable of inhibiting sexual drive.10 Thus, the prolactin response to orgasm is one candidate as a peripheral regulator of the refractory period.

In summary, a male subject displaying low refractoriness following orgasm demonstrated a clear absence of the typical prolactin surge following orgasm. These data suggest that the prolactinergic response may be one potential focus for therapeutic approaches to dysfunctional sexual drive and function.

Bikes and Sexual Problems…

07 Sunday Apr 2013

Here’s a good article from Harvard Medical School (LINK HERE) on how to avoid sexual problems from biking:

Bicycling is a terrific way to get from one place to another. It’s also an excellent form of exercise, providing the same health benefits as walking, jogging, swimming, and other aerobic activities. Some men and women avoid bicycling, though, because they worry that it may damage their reproductive organs and harm their sexual function.

Science supports this worry. But it mainly applies to people who cycle a lot. And it isn’t inevitable—there are many things you can do to protect your sexual health as you cycle to improve your overall health.

Blame it on the bike seat

When you sit on a chair, your weight is distributed across both buttocks. This takes pressure off the perineum, a region of the body that runs from the anus to the sex organs. It contains the nerves and arteries that supply the penis in men and the clitoris and labia in women. Sitting on a bicycle seat puts pressure on the perineum, compressing those crucial nerves and arteries. This can lead to loss of sensation and other problems.
Nerve damage accounts for the penile numbness that some male bikers experience. Pressure on the pudendal artery can add to this nerve injury to produce temporary or prolonged erectile dysfunction. A narrow bike seat can reduce blood flow to the penis by as much as 66%, and even a broad seat may reduce flow by 25%. The same processes account for bicycling-related sexual problems in women.

What the research shows

Over the past 10 to 15 years, several studies have linked bicycle riding with sexual problems. Here are a few examples. Norwegian researchers evaluated 160 men who filled in a questionnaire after they participated in a bike tour of some 324 miles. One in five of the men had numbness of the penis, which lasted more than a week in some. Thirteen percent (21 men) developed erectile dysfunction that generally lasted more than a week. Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH) evaluated 17 members of a bicycling police patrol unit in Cincinnati, Ohio. The men averaged nearly 5½ hours in the saddle each workday. Almost all of them experienced genital numbness from time to time. Those who rode the most were at the highest risk for erectile dysfunction, and the men who exerted the most pressure on their bike seats had the most problems. In a follow-up study, the NIOSH researchers found that bike-riding patrol officers who used a no-nose saddle reported penile numbness far less often than those using a standard saddle.
A team from NIOSH also looked at bike riding and sexual function in women who rode for an average of two hours several days a week. These women experienced decreased genital sensation compared to women to ran several days a week. In a later study, the team found that narrow seats and so-called cut-out seats increased pressure on the perineum.

Simple solutions

You don’t have to give up biking to preserve your sexual function. In fact, you can break the vicious cycle of biking and sexual dysfunction by taking a few simple precautions.

  • Don’t use a racing seat with a long narrow nose. Pick a wide seat, ideally with plenty of padding. Special gel-filled and shock-absorbing seats are even available.
  • Don’t tilt your seat upward, a position that increases pressure on the perineum.
  • Be sure your seat is at the correct height, so your legs aren’t completely extended at the bottom of your pedal stroke.
  • For extra protection, consider wearing padded biking pants.
  • Raise the handlebars so you are sitting more upright.
  • Shift your position and take breaks during long rides.

Above all, be alert for early warning symptoms. If you experience tingling or numbness in your “privates”, get off your bike. If the problem recurs even with a broad, padded, well-positioned seat, consider switching to a recumbent bike.
Perhaps the best advice is to make biking part of a balanced fitness program instead of relying on it exclusively. Alternate riding with walking, jogging or swimming. Climb off your stationary bike and get on a treadmill, elliptical trainer, stair climber, or rowing machine.
If biking is your “thing,” mix it up. Exercising a few simple precautions will ensure that your passion for exercise doesn’t interfere with your passion in the bedroom.

Exercise Reduces ED.

20 Friday Apr 2012

Here is a recent study with rats that shows the benefits of exercise for ED: (LINK HERE)

Summary Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a major public health problem that seriously affects the quality of life of patients and their partners and its prevalence increases significantly with ageing. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that age-associated decrease in penile endothelial (eNOS) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) activity in aged rats may be increased by regular exercise. A total of 28 young (4 m) and aged (24 m) male rats were divided into four equal groups: group 1 – young control; group 2 – young trained; group 3 – old control and group 4 – old trained group. Groups 2 and 4 rats were trained to swim for 30 min a day and 5 days a week, which lasted 8 weeks. At the end of 8 weeks, rats were sacrificed and penile tissues evaluated for eNOS and nNOS activities. eNOS and nNOS activities were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in paraffinized penile tissues and results assessed semiquantitatively. Results also were compared with healthy age-matched and adult (4 m) controls. Serum level of testosterone (T) was determined using ELISA kits (Beckman Coulter, Fullerton, CA, USA). In penile tissues of aged control rats, eNOS and nNOS staining were weakly positive; however in trained groups, eNOS and nNOS immunoreactivity were increased. In young control group, eNOS and nNOS activities were more intense than aged control. eNOS and nNOS activities were higher in adult trained group than control. Serum T concentrations were significantly higher in young and aged trained group than in control groups. We can suggest that regular exercise upregulates eNOS and nNOS expressions in the aged and young rat penis. Regular exercise may improve penile erection by increasing penile neurotransmitter in both young and aged rats.

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