The idea of becoming fit to improve your love life isn't new; it has been locker-room philosophy for as long as there have been locker rooms. Now there's research to back up this age-old athletic wisdom: exercise increases sexual drive, activity and satisfaction. The physical benefits of getting fit have all been heard before - improved stamina, better muscle strength and tone, lower body fat levels, and increased blood flow. The psychological benefits such as reduced stress, the lifting of moods, increased self-confidence and self-esteem, are also well documented. According to the Journal Of The American Medical Association, sexual dysfunction is more likely to occur in people with poor physical and emotional health. So the more you do to improve your overall health by looking after yourself, the better your sex life. The effect exercise has on the male reproductive system is definitely positive. In studies conducted at the New England Research Institute in the United States, vigorous exercise was found to be effective in lowering impotence risk. Of the 600 middle-aged men (with no reported problems with impotence) studied over an eight-year period, those who exercised regularly had fewer problems. In a similar study in California, after 78 sedentary but otherwise healthy men began to exercise, they all reported improvements in how they functioned sexually as well as more frequent encounters. Overall, these men found they had greater satisfaction. A study from the Harvard School of Public Health found men who exercised vigorously for 20 to 30 minutes four times a week, were half as likely to have erection problems as their sedentary friends. Women's sex lives can also benefit from regular exercise. The University of Texas conducted a study on 35 women, between the ages of 18 and 34. The women watched two videos - the first was a travel film and the second a short X-rated film - on two separate occasions. Before the first viewing, they cycled hard for 20 minutes; they didn't exercise on the second occasion. The researchers measured their sexual response using a device to record blood flow in their genital tissue and found that after exercising the women's vaginal responses were 169 per cent greater. Doctors believe exercise causes these increases in sexual potency because of improvements to the cardiovascular system and circulation, both of which are important for sexual function. Ironically, losing weight, quitting smoking and drinking do not improve sexual function the way regular exercise does. Plus sex itself is good exercise. A single act of intercourse (depending on the duration) uses about 150 calories. By comparison, 18 holes of golf (in a cart) only uses about 118 calories. And what about the belief that sex zaps your energy before a big game? A study out of Colorado State University found that having sex within 24 hours of an athletic event didn't hurt performance. So it's not the actual act, just the lack of sleep that hurts. The ideal amount of exercise depends on the individual, but you can overdo it. The same doctors who did these studies maintain too much exercise is just as detrimental to your sexual functioning as too little. Heavy exercise can actually decrease testosterone levels in men, causing a decrease in sex drive. Studies of female athletes have shown that intense exercise can cause a drop in body fat to the point where the menstrual cycle stops (amenorrhoea). There's also a possibility overtraining can hurt fertility because of a lowering of other sex hormones. All this points to the importance of balance and harmony in health. A balanced, regular exercise programme can help establish and maintain the physical and mental health required for sexual desire, performance and satisfaction. alihk@netvigator.com