What Alcohol Makes You Last Longer in Bed?
What alcohol makes you last longer in bed? Keep reading for the answer to this question and insight into how drinking affects your sex life.
If you’re looking for ways to improve sexual performance, you may have looked for tips to increase your sexual stamina. After all, you don’t typically hear about guys not wanting to last longer in bed.
Often referred to as liquid courage, many people use alcoholic drinks to feel more confident and get in the mood for sexual activity. But while an alcoholic beverage or two may make you feel sexier in the moment and like your sex drive is high, it might not be all it’s cracked up to be.
We’ll explore if there’s a best alcohol for sex and what alcohol makes you last longer in bed, as well as what to drink before sex to last longer.
Does Alcohol Make You Last Longer in Bed?
We’ll get straight to the point and answer the question: Does alcohol make you last longer in bed?
Unfortunately, alcohol does not make you last longer in bed — it may even impair sexual function, depending on how much you drink.
Sexual dysfunction such as erectile dysfunction (ED), premature ejaculation (PE) and lack of sex drive are more likely to happen in men with chronic alcohol use.
While drinking may often lead to sex, excessive alcohol consumption can impact sexual activity and even cause sexual dysfunction like erectile dysfunction — a not-so-fun phenomenon called “whiskey dick.”
The reason men so often experience temporary erectile dysfunction is that alcohol makes you dehydrated, triggering the release of a hormone called angiotensin. This hormone causes vasoconstriction — or a narrowing of your blood vessels — which leads to blood flow issues to your penis, making it even more challenging to stay hard during sex.
Consuming a few drinks may make you feel desensitized to sex and delay ejaculation, although these findings were from one small study of 24 men and women.
Alcohol consumption can also interfere with testicular function and male sex hormone production, resulting in erectile dysfunction and infertility.
Despite this, we know people still want to responsibly enjoy a night out or an occasional alcoholic beverage — and that’s totally fine.
But does one type of alcohol make you last longer in bed than another? If so, what alcohol makes you last longer in bed, specifically?
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The Best Alcohol to Drink Before Sex
We already answered, “Does alcohol make you last longer in bed?” (Unfortunately, it does not.) But you might still be wondering if there’s a best alcohol for sex or best alcohol for erectile dysfunction.
There’s currently no evidence that one type of alcohol over another causes or relieves temporary erectile dysfunction. Still, if you want to know what to drink to last longer in bed, there are some benefits of various drinks to consider.
Wine. A popular drink of choice on date nights, wining and dining may not necessarily make you last longer in bed — but it might be better than other types of alcohol. A study found that polyphenols (which are found in red wine) can decrease instances of erectile dysfunction. There may be other health benefits to red wine, too, such as positive effects on cardiovascular disease (risk of heart attack, for example), high blood pressure, certain types of cancer and type 2 diabetes — all of which can affect sexual activity.
Beer. A review of studies found that one to two beers a day may reduce men’s risk of heart disease. The “beer goggles” effect is real as well, although it doesn’t just apply to beer. A 2014 study found that those who consumed alcohol rated images of people more highly for attractiveness than a placebo group.
Tequila. Another popular alcoholic beverage, tequila has the same effects on sexual function as other types of alcohol — despite claims it’s what to drink to last longer in bed or that it’s the best alcohol for erectile dysfunction. However, compared to other liquors, tequila contains no carbohydrates or sugar and fewer calories.
Whiskey. The aforementioned “whiskey dick” isn’t only caused by whiskey. But whiskey is another alcoholic beverage that has no carbohydrates and sugar if you drink it neat or on ice.
Vodka. If vodka is your liquor of choice, at the very least, you’re consuming a drink with no carbs or sugar (if you drink it straight, that is). But you may want to limit yourself to one shot if you use vodka (or other alcohol) for performance anxiety.
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Try Premature Ejaculation Treatments Instead of Alcohol
If you’re wondering what alcohol makes you last longer in bed, there isn’t one. In fact, alcoholic beverages often do the opposite and may cause premature ejaculation and affect your sexual health by affecting blood flow to your penis, causing erectile dysfunction and resulting in other sexual issues.
However, if you’re looking for treatments for premature ejaculation or ED, there are plenty of science-backed options.
While there are currently no FDA-approved medications for premature ejaculation specifically, a type of antidepressant called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often used off-label. These can include sertraline, escitalopram and fluoxetine.
Topical sprays and creams can also be used to alter the sensitivity of your penis and manage premature ejaculation. They contain topical anesthetics such as lidocaine or prilocaine — like our Delay Spray for Men — and are designed to use before sex.
Behavioral therapy is used to identify unhealthy or harmful behaviors and then take meaningful steps to change them. Research has found that psychotherapy (in combination with medication) can be more effective for treating PE than medication alone.
There are also ways to increase your sexual stamina, which we cover in our guide on how to last longer in bed.
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What to Drink to Last Longer in Bed: Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for what to drink before sex to last longer or are wondering what alcohol makes you last longer in bed, we have to give it to you straight — alcohol doesn’t improve sexual stamina or performance.
Though certain types of alcohol may have slight health benefits over others, there isn’t enough research on the topic. There is, however, plenty of research on the effects of alcohol on sexual function, with many men more likely to experience sexual dysfunction like erectile dysfunction, delayed or premature ejaculation and difficulty reaching orgasm.
There are other ways to last longer in bed, and although alcohol might make you feel sexier temporarily, it’s easy to overdo it with drinking, which may lead to negative effects — sexually or otherwise.
The easiest way to prevent issues during sexual intercourse is to drink alcohol responsibly. If you have persistent ED that occurs with or without alcohol, you can get ED help online from a licensed healthcare provider.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment or medication.