Many men looking to last longer in bed try elixirs, supplements, and pseudoscientific techniques like pre-sex masturbation.
But a study suggests that a short period of regular exercise is very effective in treating premature ejaculation.
Researchers found that running for just 30 minutes five days a week could increase their time to climax by up to eight minutes.
According to scientists, exercise can treat premature ejaculation by strengthening the muscles around the genitals that help with erections and ejaculations.
Previous research has suggested that yoga can also extend men’s bedroom endurance.
Dr Lee Smith, public health expert at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, UK, who led the latest study, said: “There are clear indications that physical exercise, including running and the engagement of the pelvic floor muscles, is promising in several studies.
“Given that drugs often have side effects, it seems that after all the best medicine for preventing premature ejaculation may well be exercise, and this possibility requires larger studies and further investigation. “
The paper was a meta-analysis of 54 studies involving a total of 3,500 men.
Premature ejaculation occurs when someone ejaculates much earlier than desired, usually within two minutes of their partner entering.
On average, men normally last about seven minutes in bed.
Treatments include the drug dapoxetine, which is not yet approved in the United States. It works by inhibiting the release of feel-good hormones that trigger ejaculation.
Other drugs used off-label include local anesthetics and those commonly prescribed to treat depression.
In the study, the researchers searched the medical literature for studies examining remedies for premature ejaculation.
They identified 54 studies, the majority of which (19) were carried out in Europe.
The article then included a narrative summary of the main articles, highlighting that exercise can be as effective as drugs for premature ejaculation.
In a 2017 article, 105 men aged around 28 and suffering from premature ejaculation were recruited.
Of these, a third received dapoxetine, while a third engaged in moderate physical activity – running for 30 minutes five times a week – and a third did little exercise.
After a month, there was improvement in both the group using the drug and those who exercised. There was no significant difference between them, suggesting the exercise was equally effective.
They also highlighted a separate 2014 study of 78 men aged around 41 who suffered from premature ejaculation.
They were all asked to do pelvic floor exercises three times a day for a month to treat the condition.
The results showed that more than half (55%) had their premature ejaculation cured during this period.
Their time to ejaculate after penetrating a partner also went from two to ten minutes.
The study concludes: “Premature ejaculation has been managed with various non-pharmacological approaches (eg, behavioral and surgical approaches) that have been shown to be effective in relatively small randomized clinical trials.
“Large-scale randomized controlled trials are urgently needed to further guide clinicians in selecting the best option for different patient groups.”
The study was published in the journal Trends in Urology and Men’s Health.