Wet Dream Forum

The researchers suggest these findings reveal new insights into the physiological effects of stress and how they may play a role in fertility problems. According to research, chronically elevated cortisol (a hormone released when a person is under stress) levels can produce impotence and loss of libido by inhibiting testosterone production in men. In women, chronically high levels of cortisol can produce severe fertility problems and result in an abnormal menstrual cycle.

"When cortisol levels remain elevated, as is the case with so many people who are under constant stress, the ability to reproduce can suffer greatly," Josephs said. "However, these effects of cortisol in both men and women are reversed when stress levels go down."

Let's start with one counterintuitive example: depression. You would expect that depression would actually mute or numb any hormonal response, right? But it's actually quite the opposite. One study found that the cortisol levels of the depressed individuals was 68% higher than those without depression. [1] That same study found that testosterone, both nighttime and 24-hour, were significantly lower in these individuals and were negatively correlated with cortisol levels. To put it directly: the higher the cortisol, the lower the testosterone. Other studies have verified similar findings. [14]

After the researchers excluded from the analysis any men who had abnormal lab values or who were taking medications or had medical conditions known to affect hormones, they included 1,382 men in the data analysis. Men ranged in age from 35 to 80 years, with an average age of 54.
On average, testosterone levels did not decline significantly over five years; rather, they decreased less than 1 percent each year, the authors reported. However, when the investigators analyzed the data by subgroups, they found that certain factors were linked to lower testosterone levels at five years than at the beginning of the study.

"Men who had declines in testosterone were more likely to be those who became obese, had stopped smoking or were depressed at either clinic visit," Wittert said. "While stopping smoking may be a cause of a slight decrease in testosterone, the benefit of quitting smoking is huge." Past research has linked depression and low testosterone. This hormone is important for many bodily functions, including maintaining a healthy body composition, fertility and sex drive. "It is critical that doctors understand that declining testosterone levels are not a natural part of aging and that they are most likely due to health-related behaviors or health status itself," he said.

Unmarried men in the study had greater testosterone reductions than did married men. Wittert attributed this finding to past research showing that married men tend to be healthier and happier than unmarried men. "Also, regular sexual activity tends to increase testosterone," he explained.