Men, we can’t always have our cake and eat it too. While the fairer sex can physically enjoy multiple successive orgasms with barely any time in between, men don’t.
See, whether we’re engaged in some passionate lovemaking or some engaged solo play, we are driven by sexual thoughts and urges. Physically, this manifests in an erection for the period of time you’re engaging in any form of sexual activity.
Then, after we climax, orgasm, and ejaculate, we know that our penises go flaccid, and with it comes a temporary disinterest in sex. During the refractory period, it’s impossible to be sexually aroused, and neither will you spend this time thinking about the next sexual escapade or sex at all. Even when your partner attempts to stimulate you, you might not notice a physical response at all.
And that’s because of the refractory period – the period of time in between male orgasm and ejaculation where a man is physiologically unable to produce an erection. It’s also a period of time when the man is disinterested in sex.
The refractory period can last just minutes (if you’re lucky) to days (for some individuals), and this can vary wildly from person to person.
The Refractory Period: What Factors Influence It?
Male fertility and sexual health experts have a good grasp of how the male reproductive system works. This includes how the erection and arousal process happens, as well as the causes of sexual dysfunctions such as premature ejaculation, retrograde ejaculation, and, of course, erectile dysfunction.
That’s not quite the case when it comes to the male refractory period.
The truth is, experts aren’t completely sure yet as to why the refractory period occurs.
What they DO know, however, is that the refractory period isn’t linked to biological factors such as testosterone production, fertility, or sexual performance.
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So what factors cause the refractory period, then?
Age is one known factor that influences the post-orgasm recovery timeframe. Younger men, for instance, tend to need only several minutes to recover from the refractory period after orgasm and ejaculation, while older men may take up to 12 hours to a day before they’re ready to go again.
Cardiovascular health is another key factor that may affect the refractory period. After all, good erectile function is a product of good cardiovascular health, which allows greater blood volume to flow into penile erectile tissue to produce a healthy erection for sexual activity.
Sexual arousal is another factor – if you’re really raring for some sex, then you might just find yourself ready to get some and go again in a relatively shorter time than usual (unless you’re fatigued or just not interested in another round.)
These factors – including the general hormone-driven response that happens in the body post-orgasm – may all play a role in how long a person’s refractory period is.
Your mileage may vary, and the “average” length of time for the refractory period is different for every person. Therefore, there isn’t any single benchmark or average time to measure the refractory period for everyone.
What Can You Do To Shorten Your Refractory Period?
If you’ve done any sort of research on the topic, you might have come across a variety of bro-science-y theories and all sorts of products and supplements promising you the world.
We hate to break it to you, but many of these products and the theories on which they are based run more along the side of being hogwash than being backed by real, provable science. Now while some of these theories and products might have been effective (on an anecdotal basis), you might get mixed results – if any.
See, there aren’t just not enough studies out there based on scientific evidence on how to reduce the refractory period. Heck, even scientists don’t know why the refractory happens. How would some slapdash manufacturer know better than the experts?
But not all is lost. Research shows that a few approaches might work in helping shorten the refractory period, particularly when using erectile dysfunction (ED) medicines like sildenafil and tadalafil. Let’s examine how they can help you get some and go again in a relatively shorter time than usual.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) medications: can they shorten the refractory period?
Thus far, the only option that has shown any sort of promise in shortening the post-orgasmic recovery time frame is taking ED medicines.
Based on studies, PDE5 inhibitors used to treat ED like sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil (Cialis®), and other ED drugs belonging to its class may help shorten the refractory period.
Despite not being approved by the FDA for such use, several studies provide some indications that they can help.
In 2000, Human Reproduction journal published a study investigating the impacts of sildenafil on twenty men’s period of recovery after sex. A separate trial conducted on men suffering from premature ejaculation (PE) yielded similar discoveries. For this study, the subjects were either given sildenafil or a placebo, in an effort to observe if sildenafil could aid in reducing the intensity of their PE symptoms. Although sildenafil didn’t significantly advance ejaculatory latency, the men who took sildenafil recorded a post-ejaculation refractory time that was almost half the time of the men who took a placebo.
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Sounds good? Curb your enthusiasm: a 2005 study in the Journal of Urology, for instance, states that while sildenafil may help improve sexual performance, it didn’t appear to shorten post-orgasm recovery time after ejaculation.
Nevertheless, PDE5 inhibitor ED drugs have shown the most promise in shortening the refractory period in men, but as always, your mileage may vary. Consult your doctor to determine whether you can use ED drugs to shorten your refractory period.
The final word on the male refractory period (and how to shorten it)
It’s okay to feel disinterested in sex, not be able to go again for seconds, be incapable of producing an erection immediately after climaxing and ejaculating.
The refractory period is, after all, a natural biological process in men, which varies greatly depending on factors such as age, cardiovascular health, and sexual arousal. If you’re in your 20s to 30s, it might take you just several minutes to about half an hour before you’ve fully recovered from the refractory period for another round of sexual activity. If you’re in your 50s onwards, it might take your hours to a full day before you’re ready to go again.
And while there’s little information on how to shorten the refractory period, what we can say is that PDE5 inhibitor drugs such as sildenafil (Viagra®) and tadalafil (Cialis®), including vardenafil (Levitra®) and avanafil (Stendra®) have indicated that they may help shorten your post-orgasm recovery time. Fair enough – but always consult your healthcare provider before trying anything out on your own.
