Run Well Juliet McGrattan (microsoft ebook reader TXT) 📖

with fluid from the prostate and seminal vesicles, and leaves as semen via the urethra in the penis. The testicles also make hormones, including testosterone, the main male hormone. Testosterone has many roles in the body other than sperm production, including regulating sex drive, controlling muscle, bone and fat metabolism, and prompting red blood cell production. Testosterone can also influence mood and behaviour.

The female reproductive system includes the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, vagina and vulva. The ovaries make the main female hormones, progesterone and oestrogen. They also make small amounts of testosterone. The two ovaries take it in turns to release an egg each month. This is called ovulation. The egg travels along the fallopian tube and, if it meets a sperm, it can become fertilised, nestle into the wall of the uterus and result in a pregnancy. If it’s not fertilised by a sperm then the lining of the uterus, which has been bulked up for possible pregnancy, is shed in a monthly bleed. The menstrual blood passes through the cervix (neck of the womb) and into the vagina. The vagina opens to the outside in the vulva. Many people (men and women) get the terminology wrong. The vulva is not the vagina. The vulva is the whole area inside the lips, also called the labia majora, and includes the inner lips (labia minora), the clitoris, the urethral (water works) opening and the vaginal opening. More information on all aspects of the female reproductive system, including menstruation, periods, pregnancy and menopause, is covered in my previous book, Sorted: The Active Woman’s Guide to Health.

Problems and questions related to these systems crop up all the time, so let’s dive in and consider them. We’ll start with sex and move onto fertility, periods, pregnancy and beyond.

Q Will sex the night before a race help my ­performance or am I better to abstain?

A In the past there has been a view that having sex before a sporting fixture could decrease performance, and that a degree of sexual frustration would lead to a more aggressive, competitive and successful performance. As a result, many individuals have been advised or even prevented from having sex before important fixtures. Research in this area is generally of low quality and mostly involves male participants. There seems to be little evidence to support the theory that sex negatively impacts performance. One study showed that there is no negative effect if the sex occurs at least ten hours before the exercise test, but there is a negative effect if it’s less than two hours. It seems reasonable to presume that a late night with hours of sex might not put you in the best physical shape for an endurance event the following morning, due to expended energy and little sleep. However, a 2017 survey of over 4000 Brits by online adult toy business Lovehoney revealed that the average time for sex in the UK is 19 minutes (ten minutes of foreplay and nine minutes of intercourse), which would burn around 70 calories and not put too much of a dent in your energy or sleep.

If pre-race anxiety levels are high, sex can be relaxing and aid sleep, so potentially this could improve performance. There’s some evidence that the female orgasm lowers pain thresholds, which if that effect lasted long enough (and we don’t know if it does), could be handy when you’re hurting in the toughest parts of a race the next day. They say never try anything new on race day and you could add the night before race day too. It’s not the best time for new sex positions if you want to avoid a muscular injury. All in all, it’s an individual thing – do what works for you and have fun with the trial and error testing!

Q Can running increase your sex drive?

A There are many causes of a low sex drive or libido. While running can’t help reduce some of them, such as pain on intercourse, neurological diseases and side-effects of medications, it can help counteract many others. A low libido is often linked to mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, and we know that regular exercise can help alleviate and treat these (see here). Running is a useful tool for managing daily life stress and fatigue, both of which can have a significant effect on how keen you are to have sex. Low self-esteem and poor body image can lower libido, and running has an amazing ability to help people build confidence through goal setting and improving their relationships with their bodies. Regular running is a healthy lifestyle choice and reduces the risk of developing medical conditions that can affect libido, including high blood pressure, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Did you know?

Erectile dysfunction – problems getting and maintaining erections – affects 40 per cent of men aged 40. By age 70, the figure rises to 70 per cent. If it’s happening to you, visit your GP or a sexual health clinic to check for underlying causes.

Q Will running improve sexual performance?

A Studies on this subject rely on surveys and self-reporting so there is always the risk that people don’t give accurate answers to questions about their sex lives and exercise habits. One of the larger, more recent studies carried out by the University of California in 2019 surveyed around 3900 men and 2200 women, with an average age of over 40, to determine whether more cardiovascular activity (running, cycling and swimming) each week reduced the likelihood of sexual problems. They found that men doing more cardio exercise each week reported less erectile dysfunction and women exercising more vigorously suffered less sexual dysfunction too, with easier arousal and better orgasm satisfaction. In summary, the more exercise, the greater the sexual performance and satisfaction. The reasons for this are unclear and many factors, both psychological and physical, will have a role, but improved circulation may play a part. Erections rely on