We all know that our sex drive can start to change as we get older. Naturally, libido and age are closely linked.
While it’s obvious in our teens that our hormones (and therefore sex drive) can experience a spike, it isn’t necessarily a straight downward slope as we age.
In terms of hitting a peak, it’s (kinda) common knowledge that a woman’s sex drive peaks much later than a man’s. According to research, the female sex drive tends to increase as fertility declines, dipping after menopause.
However, it’s important to note that everyone is different. Your unique sex drive can be determined by a variety of factors, including brain function, hormones and even believes and attitudes towards sex. Aside from that, your health, stress levels and long-term hormonal changes can all play a part even more.
In the rest of this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at how your sex drive changes over time, as well as the expectations of libido at different points in our lives.
Age and libido
The dips and spikes of libido with age can differ hugely between men and women, there’s no doubt about it. For women, female hormones, birth control, pregnancy and menopause all play a role in their sex drive. These factors alone can cause their sex drive to fluctuate.
For us men, however, the primary factors include our testosterone levels and overall health. While we talk about testosterone as a “male hormone”, women do actually have a small amount of it too.
Testosterone and sex drive
We all know that as we age, our testosterone levels start to decline. While this isn’t typically a huge drop overnight, this gradual decline can affect our sex drive. This is totally normal. But, of course, there are some things you can do.
Before opting for testosterone therapy, it’s important to review your overall health (which could be affecting your T-levels), and look at ways to give them a natural boost. More on that later!
Also Read: 3 best exercises for ED
However, since testosterone plays an important role, it’s crucial we pay attention to this primary male hormone and the way it affects our sex drive. But before we look at what affects your T, let’s take a quick look at sex drive, testosterone and age.
Your 20s
Your testosterone levels are usually at an all-time high in your 20s, which means that your sex drive is as well. In fact, your T levels tend to peak at around 18, with a slow decline after this point. It’s not a noticeable decline from the age of 18, though – don’t worry.
Generally, your T-levels will be high enough throughout your 20s to support a healthy sex drive. Interestingly, for women, fertility starts to decline in the late 20s, causing an uptick in sex drive.
But if your testosterone levels have started to decline by this point, how do your 30s look?
30s
As your testosterone starts to slowly decline, a dip in your sex drive may become more noticeable, but this isn’t always the case.
In fact, for some women, this is when their sex drive peaks.
40s
With studies showing that the decline of testosterone may speed up to around 1% per year until the age of 40, it’s not uncommon for a dip in libido to be more noticeable in your 40s.
This is when you may start to notice a little less desire for sex, as well as less rigid erections. There is also potential for erectile dysfunction to creep in. Of course, in your 40s, this is totally normal.
Remember, what one guy may experience can be totally different from your own experience. Plus, we all have a range of things that can affect our individual sex drive, such as stress.
50s
When it comes to your 50s, both sexes experience a decline in sexual interest, and in how often they are having sex. For men, these physical changes may include:
- Lower quality erections
- Reduced ejaculate volume
- Less orgasmic pleasure
- Lower overall sexual function / erectile dysfunction
But why can your sex drive change so drastically in your 50s? Well, much of this is to do with your overall health. Deterioration in health can not only affect you physically in the bedroom, but also your mental wellbeing, therefore affecting your sex drive and sexual function.
60s+
After the age of 60, there are unsurprisingly other health factors to consider, which can be detrimental to your libido. Anything that affects your overall health can contribute to a decline in sexual activity and drive.
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However, that doesn’t necessarily that you will (or should expect to) stop having sex as you get older. So much so, that studies have suggested that many couples in their 60s continue to lead active, satisfying sex lives.
So, what is it that can potentially impact your sex life in your 60s?
- Erectile dysfunction
- Fatigue
- Pain
- Stress
- Body image concerns
While of course the consequences of ageing can’t always be avoided, leading a healthy and active lifestyle can certainly benefit your mental health and libido.
What can you do to increase your sex drive?
Of course, we have to expect some natural changes to our libido as we get older, but that doesn’t mean that things have to come to a complete standstill.
So, if you’re suffering from a low sex drive, there is a number of things you can do to give it a boost. The majority are linked to lifestyle changes – but let’s take a closer look:
Increase activity levels
When it comes to sex drive, health and age, there is a huge link between the three. For example, if you’re carrying a little extra weight, this could be the cause of erectile dysfunction or any erection-related struggles in the bedroom, as well as your libido.
Increasing your activity levels will not only benefit your weight, but also your stamina, mental well-being and self-esteem. Even a small increase in physical activity can boost your sex drive, according to research.
In fact, if weight is your concern, research has shown that men with a higher BMI are 30% more likely to suffer from ED. With around 40% of those having trouble with sex drive, and 50% struggling to perform in bed.
So, if you believe that your sex drive and sexual performance is weight related (which in turn can affect your testosterone levels and erections), increasing your activity levels will certainly help.
Adding exercise into your routine may help with the following:
- Your energy levels and stamina
- Weight loss
- Heart health
- Mood and mental health
- Reduced chronic pain
- Managing chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes
Boost your libido with food
Did you know that some foods can potentially give your sex drive a boost? Many of them do this by improving blood circulation, supporting erectile function.
Also Read: Ten ways to give yourself (and her) a boost
Here are a few foods to look out for to give your sex drive a boost:
- Raw oysters
- Avocados
- Spinach
- Garlic, onions, shallots, and leeks
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Watermelon
- Sweet potatoes
This also means, of course, that there are some foods to look out for that can damage your drive and sexual function. Where possible, these are best avoided or kept to a minimum:
- Alcohol
- Soy and soy-based products
- Mint and menthol
- Saturated fats (fatty beef, porn, cheese and butter)
- Trans fats (processed fried, battered foods and some baked goods)
- Licorice root
Avoiding food that has been processed can benefit your overall health, as well as your mood, energy levels and weight – in turn, having a positive impact on your sex drive.
What else can you do for a healthy libido?
- Manage your stress levels
- Improve your quality of sleep
- Work on communication with your partner
- Take Male Extra
Conclusion
And there we have it! As you can see, a healthy libido can differ from one guy to the next, which makes your sex drive unique to you.
Of course, there are often factors that are out of our control, such as ageing. But there are certain things you can do to improve your lifestyle, therefore having a positive impact on your sex drive, health and wellbeing.
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