Some men have been known to say, “you can’t just expect sex after sex.”
But why not?
While men want to continually sexually satisfy the women they love, it’s a fact that women have an anatomical advantage. “As long as she’s aroused and lubricated, a woman is physically capable of having sex as many times as she wants without a break in between,” explains Drogo K. Montague, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic Glickman Urological Institute.
Guys actually have a built-in recovery period (nature’s cockblock, if you will) after sex. It’s called the male refractory period (MRP), and it’s the time after ejaculation—lasting anywhere from a few minutes to a few days—where a guy is unable to get an erection again.
While women don’t have an equivalent (allowing for the possibility of multiple orgasms), every man experiences some kind of post-ejaculation recovery period.
“On average, a man in his 20s needs 5 to 30 minutes following his first orgasm to attain an erection again,” says Dr. Montague.
A 30-something man will need a few more minutes of recovery time; the older the man, the longer it takes for him to get that second erection.
Here’s why:
Every time a man ejaculates, his pituitary gland produces a surge of oxytocin and prolactin, hormones that make him relax, says Larry Lipshultz, M.D., a professor of urology at Baylor College of Medicine.
These hormones suppress dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for arousal.
Scientists suspect that lengthened refractory periods are caused by age-related changes in the pituitary system, which disrupt the balance of oxytocin and prolactin and suppress dopamine.
Here are four natural solutions to get back at it quicker:
1) Raise Your Dopamine Levels
You can raise your dopamine levels naturally by eating more foods rich in vitamins B6, B12, and folate, such as chickpeas, tuna, and asparagus
2) Consume Vasodilating Foods
Vasodilators increase the circumference of your blood vessels.
You may have heard of the big pharma version of this as a class of pills to treat high blood pressure (wider veins lower = blood pressure).
To reduce your refractory period naturally, vasodilators simply improve blood flow so your penis gets erect sooner and with more enthusiasm.
– Dark chocolate
– Watermelon
– Ginger
– Coldwater fish
– Curcumin and Turmeric
– Berries
– Spinach
3) Reduce Prolactin
Prolactin is a hormone made by male and female bodies and is most strongly linked with breast tissue development and the production of milk.
In men, higher levels can cause a variety of issues with libido and the mechanical aspects of getting an erection. Your body secretes prolactin when you orgasm.
A variety of studies have linked elevated prolactin levels with erectile dysfunction and longer refractory periods…
Including one where a man capable of having multiple orgasms without a refractory period was found to have No elevation in prolactin after he climaxed (source).
You can reduce your prolactin levels in general with any number of vitamins and supplements:
– Vitamin B6
– S-Adenosyl methionine
– Vitamin E
– Mucuna Pruriens
**Out of this list, Mucuna Pruriens is definitely the most potent.**
4) Use Your Whole Body
Lastly, just remember, you don’t need an erection to give and receive pleasure. You’ve got ten good fingers, a tongue, and hopefully some toys that can help your partner reach climax during your “downtime.”