(Article medically reviewed by Dr. Zac Hyde M.D)
If you’re looking to reduce refractory period naturally,
keep in mind…
It only takes 5-30 minutes for a healthy man in his 20’s to reload and go again after climaxing.
In older men, this recovery period can range between 20 minutes and several hours.
If you hit these benchmarks….
And your sex drive is fine and you have no problems achieving an erection under normal circumstances, you have nothing major to worry about.
So go ahead and skip to part 2 just below the next section.
But we also have an outlaying group that can get taken out for several days after an ejaculation.
So before we jump into the main body of this article I want to address those of you who fall into this several days category.
Refractory Period & Postorgasmic Illness Syndrome
There’s a condition called postorgasmic illness syndrome, that can affect both older and younger men.…
It’s characterized by extreme fatigue, headache, cold or flu like symptoms, muscle pain and brain fog that occur rapidly after an ejaculation.
And these symptoms can stick around for up to a week, leading to moody, anxious and depressed states.
There are several theories that attempt to explain why this happens…..
That run the gamut from allergies and auto immune problems, to issues with the urethra that deliver urine and semen thru the penis.
One theory even suggests that the condition is caused by an allergy to one’s own semen, or even the cytokines released when a man ejaculates.
I believe this may be the cause in a subset of men with severe autoimmune issues, which you can read more about on this page.
But I also believe the more common theory that this issue is usually related to the hormonal flatline that occurs in certain men after they ejaculate.
For one….
The severe headaches these men experience after a climax is a common symptom of low progesterone.
The anxiety and depression are very common symptoms of low dopamine levels, combined with high prolactin.
This makes sense because after a man ejaculates prolactin levels spike, which pushes dopamine levels down rapidly.
Also, when prolactin remains elevated it puts downward pressure on testosterone and if this downward pressure is severe enough it can lead to blatant hypogonadism.
And this hypogonadism could be the driver of many of these symptoms of postorgasmic illness syndrome…especially the fatigue, low sex drive and difficulty concentrating.
If you fall into this camp…
My recommendation would be to get your prolactin levels tested right after an ejaculation.
And if that number comes in higher than 10 ng/ml, put your focus on prolactin first, then get to work on your dopamine and testosterone levels.
And make it a point to avoid supplements that increase prolactin like the plague.
Now here’s Jason Brick with his take on the subject…
Reduce Refractory Period Naturally – Part 2:
Remember having sex in your teens and early twenties?
The down side of sex in those days was your partner was in for a short trip.
The bright side was you’d be ready for another round in just a few minutes. As we get older, we tend to last longer in the sack but when you’ve finally had your orgasm…well, let’s just say Elvis Has Left the Building for quite a while.
That period of slack unresponsiveness between erections is called your “refractory period” and it can be kind of a drag.
Luckily, there are things you can do to help reduce it even in your 40s, 50s and 60s.
Let’s talk about a few that don’t involve a magic blue pill. Try a few of the following on for size and see your “halftime show” shrinks.
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.
But don’t make an appointment with your doctor. A whole lot of foods are natural vasodilators, so put a few of these on heavier rotation in your menu planning:
- Dark chocolate
- Watermelon
- Ginger
- Cold water fish
- Curcumin and Turmeric
- Berries
- Spinach
Refractory Period Supplements
Any number of foods and supplements can make a big difference in your general erectile health, all of which can also decrease your refractory times.
Two in particular go directly toward faster second (and third, and fourth…) erections: amino acids and PDE5 inhibitors.
Amino acids, especially arginine, taurine and ornithine are precursors to the nitric oxide and hormones that make erections happen.
The more you have in your system, the faster your body can get ready for round two. You can’t overdose on either — your body makes all kinds of other stuff out of them as well.
PDE5 inhibitors block the breakdown of cGMP inside the corpus cavernous tissue of the penis, which improves your ability to get an erection.
This is the core mechanic by which pills like Viagra do their thing.
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 are definitely the most potent.
Some foods often naturally reduce prolactin levels, including bananas, apples, watermelons, strawberries, prunes, legumes, cheese and lean meats.
Lower Serotonin To Reduce Refractory Period
Serotonin is another hormone that occurs naturally, and is important to many processes, but which can mess up your erection mojo if you have too much of it in your blood at once.
Specifically, serotonin is one of the feel-good hormones your body releases when you’re done having sex. SSRIs, a class of antidepressants, work by elevating serotonin levels, which is why they often have loss of libido as a side effect (source).
You can reduce your serotonin by increasing your Vitamin D levels, either via taking supplements or the “old fashioned way” of spending time outdoors in natural sunlight.
Tryptophan, found in turkey, fish, oats, legumes, eggs, chicken and most red meats, also reduces serum serotonin.
As a happy coincidence, taking in amino acids (which you’re already doing because of my instructions in that earlier section, right?) will regulate your serotonin levels.
Entertain Her During Your Refractory Period
Even if you take all of the advice above, you’re still going to need a little rest time between erections.
No matter how long it takes, keep in mind that your penis is just one part of your body you can use to…uh…keep her attention. Women don’t need to wait between orgasms, so why should you make her?
This helps you out, too.
By taking your mind off the question of when you’ll next get hard, it stops those psychological yips that can prevent your erection from happening.
As a bonus, it keeps your mind, eyes and hands on things that will sexually arouse you. When your equipment is ready to get back to work, it will have plenty to work with as soon as possible.
Reduce Refractory Period Naturally – Conclusion
This may seem like a lot of work to just increase the number of times you can have sex in a night, but look at it this way….
How much other work do you do just to get to have sex as often as you’re having it now?
What changes to your diet, how many hours of exercise do you do, to make yourself more attractive to your partners?
Like most of the programs we recommend, you should start with just one or two items on this list.
Once you’ve made them a habit and confirmed they’re helping, you can add another, and another, until you’ve effectively reduced your refractory period naturally.
A few supplements in the morning, plus a tweak here and there and you’ll be ready to reload like a twenty year old.
Update!
Reduce Refractory Period Part 3:
This article has been updated. Read on to learn 4 more ways to reduce your refractory period, naturally.
Avoid Masturbation 48 Hours Before Sex
Most of the time, jerking off is going to detract from your sexual enjoyment and extend your refractory period.
So, if you have a night that you’re pretty sure you’re going to get lucky, avoid feeding the geese for at least 48 hours ahead of time.
Your main objective should be to get to that Blue Ball state where you have big motivation to breed.
Because when your sex drive is high, it’s going to be easier to reload and go again after the first climax.
But if you’ve been spanking it, and you come in with low drive, you’re going to be finished after the first pop.
Get Your Mental Pre-Game On
Getting back-to-back erections is as much of a mental game as it is a physical one.
And just like with your “southern brain,” you need a lot of prep work in order to get your tool ready for multiple rounds.
What I’m talking about is spending time simply thinking about the act, just like you did back when you were a horny teenager.
Imagine what you’d like to do to her, and what you’d like her to do to you.
Send naughty texts, ask her to send you a salacious pic, tell her exactly what you want her to wear.
In other words, get both your brains involved in the act long before the act even begins.
Take Mucuna Pruriens
Mother Nature is a very generous benefactor, providing us men with a variety of supplements that enhance our ability to do the deed.
One such example is Mucuna Pruriens, a tropical legume native to Asia and Africa.
When extracted, the nutrients of this bean are incredibly potent, and have been used for hundreds of years to treat sexual dysfunction.
It might sound far-fetched, but studies like this one from 2010 found that this extract also increases semen quality.
It also elevates the ejaculatory response, and increases dopamine levels in the brain…All of which are essential components of a short refractory period.
Mucuna Pruriens also reduce stress.
And when you’re trying to get it going more than once, low stress is absolutely essential.
Embrace Your Kink
Remember that first time your significant other suggested that thing you never thought they’d be into?
Chances are your pants suddenly felt a whole lot smaller.
Kinks do that, and merely thinking about them is enough to open up the dopamine floodgates and slash your refractory period.
The great thing about modern sexuality is that everyone is far more open-minded than they were even just 10 years ago.
Kink shaming is now a big no-no for both men and women, and people are proudly flaunting their deepest desires with friends, partners, and strangers alike.
So rather than stick with the boring and mundane, whip out those handcuffs, blindfolds, or whatever else you’re into.
If you eliminate the shame and really go after that thing that lights you up…you’ll slash your refractory period, instantly.
Stimulate Your Perineum
That open-mindedness I just mentioned isn’t one-sided.
As we as a culture drift further and further toward sexual enlightenment, we need to understand that there is more to male pleasure than “meats” the eye.
In fact, some of the best orgasms you’ll ever have might be waiting just around the corner.
If you haven’t’ guessed yet – I’m talking about your perineum, which we sometimes call the “taint.”
While it might be a little close to the “danger zone” for some less exploratory men, massaging the P-spot can result in some amazing side effects.
For one, it feels amazing, as it provides non-penetrative access to your prostate gland.
Two, stimulation of this area greatly reduces your refractory period.
All you need to do is ask your partner to stimulate it between rounds.
If you’re not familiar with this spot, it’s the highly sensitive area that lays between your testicles and anus.
Men and women both have a perineum, but men are especially sensitive in this area.
Why?
Because this male erogenous zone is loaded down with nerve endings that sit just above your prostate.
And after your first climax, stimulation of this sensitive area can often get an erection going when penile stimulation can’t.
Moving away from the genitals and stimulating other erogenous zones is also a novel activity.
And anything unique or novel like this causes your brain to release dopamine.
And dopamine is the primary driver of the ejaculatory response in humans.
Now let’s quickly summarize…
Semen Retention
Prior to the sexual engagement, keep your hands off yourself and build up some back pressure.
Get Your Brain Involved
Send naughty texts, pics and spend plenty of time thinking about the act before it begins.
Try Mucuna Pruriens
If you dose up 4 hours prior to the event the herb will hit you when you need it the most.
Exploit Your Kink
Going after that Thing that lights you up will slash your refractory period like nothing else out there.
Have a Perineum Party Between Rounds
Take the focus off the erection and put it onto this erogenous zone and the erection will take care of itself.
And finally…
Take the pressure off and have fun.
Because if you’re stressed, trying too hard and not having a good time…there’s not a chance in hell you’re going to reduce your refractory period.
Because nothing will extend a your refractory more than stress.
Enjoy the ride!
