Bad news for gym bros: Lower sex drive linked to intense workouts - study

In news that will come as a relief to couch potatoes the world over, a new study suggests that men who frequent the gym have less sex than their apparently lazier counterparts.

A new study from the University of North Carolina has found that men reach a ‘tipping point’ after which they are too tired or just not in the mood to have sex.

Researchers in Chapel Hill surveyed 1,100 men asking them a variety of questions about their sex lives and exercise regime.

The respondents were then categorized into groups that engaged in light, moderate or intense workouts and further subdivided according to how they rated their own libibos.

The study found that men who exercised less had a more voracious sexual appetite than those who worked out intensely.

"Exposure to higher levels of chronic intense and greater durations of endurance training on a regular basis are significantly associated with a decreased libido scores in men," the study, published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise said.

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Lead researcher Anthony Hackney believes that the study’s conclusions could help redefine questions around fertility, redirecting some questions towards men in future.

"Fertility specialists will often ask a woman about whether and how much she exercises. Based on our data, we think they should also be asking the man," he said.