Researchers found rates of erectile dysfunction were around four times higher in men who play with PCs in their free time, according to the new study
Computer gamers are more likely to have trouble getting it up, according to a new study from China.
Researchers found rates of erectile dysfunction were around four times higher in men who play with PCs in their free time, according to the new study. However, other leisure pursuits like watching television or driving cars on the weekend did not have an impact on men’s sex lives, scientists said.
Boffins from the Naval Medical University in Shanghai, China, looked at data from 224,000 Europeans, including Brits – looking at their leisure activities and their sex lives. The study identified that men who participated in “leisure computer use,” including gaming, for at least one hour and 12 minutes per day were 3.57 times more likely to get erection troubles.
The higher the amount of time spent using the computer, the higher the risk of erectile dysfunction, the new analysis claims. Other factors have a bigger impact on erectile problems, with age playing the biggest role. About half of men over 40 have experienced the condition with rates going up for those who are out of shape.
Study author Zhao Huangfu blamed too much sitting down time for messing up men’s hormones, writing in the journal Andrology. Measurements of follicle-stimulating hormone, which is linked to the production of sperm and testosterone, were found to be 70 per cent lower in computer geeks, according to the study.
“Extended computer use for leisure raised the likelihood of developing erectile dysfunction, which may be associated with lower follicle-stimulating hormone levels” Huangfu said. “Computer use may also affect inflammation and blood flow to the penile arteries.”
This may be because computer users spend more time sitting down than those watching TV or possibly they are more unhealthy in other ways. Brits get an average of five hours of screen time per day outside work, according to recent figures.
However all is not list, PhD student Huagnfu said simple exercise could reverse the damage. “Although the specific mechanism of erectile dysfunction caused by computer use is not clarified in this study, the damage of sedentary behaviour to erectile function appears to be clear,” they added.
“Previous research shows that physical activity could not only increase the level of testosterone but also help to improve cell function and relieve depression and anxiety. Physical exercise should be done to prevent erectile dysfunction caused by sitting for excessive periods of time.”
