Masturbation Before Sex: Can it Help Men Last Longer in Bed?

9 min read
Masturbation Before Sex: Can it Help Men Last Longer in Bed?

There are lots of urban legends surrounding masturbation - the majority of which are false. We're happy to report that no, masturbating will not turn you blind, nor will it make your penis change in size. However, one popular claim about masturbation is that if you do it before having sex, you'll last longer before ejaculating.

Is there any truth to this claim? Yes, there is - but it's not as straightforward as many believe. It all depends on a combination of a few factors, including your age, your refractory period, and any existing sexual dysfunctions you may have.

In order to get to the bottom of this topic, we've put together this article in which we'll answer the question as plainly as we can before diving into some of the nuances. Masturbation before sex has a range of applications, all of which deserve an explanation - so read on to get clued in.

Can Masturbation Help You Last Longer?

Let's get this out of the way first - there is a lack of scientific evidence that masturbating before having sex can help you last longer in bed. However, there are a good number of anecdotal claims that it does work, especially when you have a look around the internet. So what is the truth?

Essentially, it may work for some people, and may not work (or may even make things worse) for other people.

Lots of men claim that masturbating sometime in the hours leading up to sex can help them last a little longer than usual when it comes to the main event, and this is true for them. The NHS in the UK even recommends it as a self-help technique for managing Premature Ejaculation (PE).

However, masturbating before sex is not a one-size-fits-all, practical long-term approach to increasing your sexual stamina, as it doesn't address any actual issues that may be causing PE or performance anxiety. The best way to consistently last longer in bed is to manage any issues that may be affecting your sexual performance - of which there can be many.

What factors can impact sexual stamina?

Both your mental health and physical health are huge factors that can wreak havoc on your sexual stamina. A wide range of psychological factors can cause PE, including sexual abuse, sexual experiences early in life, depression and anxiety, body image issues, and even just performance anxiety - worrying about ejaculating early can cause you to ejaculate early.

In terms of physical causes, there are quite a lot as well. Sexual dysfunctions can be caused by a whole host of health issues including obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, as well as lifestyle factors such as being inactive, or smoking, drinking, and drug abuse. Hormonal imbalances can have an effect too.

Both your mental health and physical health are huge factors that can wreak havoc on your sexual stamina.

Relationship troubles can also affect your sexual stamina. All of these problems can compound and cause more worry and more stress, which can then make it even harder to last longer in bed. Lifestyle choices that affect physical and mental health, as well as seeing a psychologist or couple's therapist can all contribute to helping improve your sexual health, improve performance, and prevent PE.

Will it affect your performance?

Whether or not masturbating before having sex will have a positive or negative effect on your performance depends on a concept that you've probably heard of before - the refractory period. Your refractory period is the time it takes for your body to recover post-orgasm before you're able to reach orgasm again. People assigned male at birth have the longest refractory period, but it does vary from person to person.

Studies have shown that after you have an orgasm, your body releases a bit more of the hormone prolactin, which seemingly shuts off your pleasure receptors until your refractory period is over - which is why people believe masturbating before sex can help desensitize them to sexual pleasure and sexual stimulation, thereby lasting longer.

The truth of the matter is, though, that the male refractory period doesn't usually last very long.

For younger men, it can sometimes only last a few minutes, which isn't useful if you're planning on masturbating a couple of hours before sex. You could masturbate immediately before having sex, but that's not always convenient.

Older men typically have a longer refractory period, ranging from a couple of hours to a couple of days. For these men, masturbating before sex can make it much harder to get in the mood as they're less responsive to pleasure, which can result in trouble achieving and maintaining an erection, which is the last thing you want.

What about masturbating with your partner?

Regardless of age and associated refractory periods, anecdotal evidence persists that masturbating before sex can help you last a little longer in bed. Before you rush off to the bathroom before seeing your partner though, why not consider making pre-sex masturbation part of the sexual encounter itself?

Regardless of age and associated refractory periods, anecdotal evidence persists that masturbating before sex can help you last a little longer in bed.

Masturbating with your partner before sex works great as a form of foreplay. It helps both of you get more turned on, which can help get you into a good headspace, reducing the risk of worrying about your performance. This may not improve your stamina too much, but it can help you from ejaculating early if your PE is anxiety-based. Aside from this, mutual masturbation is also just good fun!

8 Tips For Masturbating With Your Partner

  1. Plan it out beforehand. Explain what you'd like to do, and mention how it might help soothe your performance anxieties if you have them. Make sure you're both on the same page.

  2. Embrace the awkwardness. Chances are, you've both only ever masturbated by yourselves privately. Allowing someone else into that private experience will probably feel awkward at first, but the awkwardness will soon subside.

  3. Set the mood. Just because you aren't having penetrative sex (yet), that doesn't mean you shouldn't get some atmosphere going. Find somewhere comfortable, dim the lights, light some candles, play some music - whatever you'd usually do to create a sexy atmosphere applies here.

  4. Find a position that suits you both. Ideally, you both want to be as comfortable as possible, especially if you've never tried mutual masturbation before. If you or your partner are a little shy about being seen masturbating, there's no need to make it stressful - try lying side by side so your view of each other is slightly restricted. As time goes on and you do it more often, you'll feel more open to other positions, just like with regular sex.

  5. Incorporate some sex toys. Lots of sex toys are designed with the explicit purpose of masturbation, so if you just have penetrative sex, you might miss out on using them. Mutual masturbation is a fantastic time to incorporate toys, whether they're new ones, or old ones that need a new lease on life.

  6. Take your time. Sometimes solo masturbation can be a bit of a race to the finish line, especially for those of us with penises. Now isn't the time for that though - you and your partner are trying to turn each other on and foster intimacy, which takes time. Slower masturbation is much more sensual and sexy than bashing one out at a record pace.

  7. Talk to each other. Talking through what you're doing can also ramp up arousal and intimacy. You don't necessarily have to talk super dirty (though feel free if that's what you're into), but even just explaining what you're doing and how good it feels can help expand your sexual communication and get on each other's wavelengths.

  8. Touch each other. Just because this is masturbation that doesn't mean you have to keep your hands to yourself. This is foreplay after all - focus on turning each other on, keep your communication open, and just see where that leads you. Mutual masturbation can be a great place to learn more about what turns your partner on, and for them to learn about what turns you on - once you've shown them what you like, it makes sense to let them have a go!
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    Pros of Masturbation Before Sex

    PROS
    EXPLANATION
    It can help you last longer

    As we keep mentioning, while there isn't any scientific evidence that masturbating before sex helps you last longer, if you ask around a bit, you'll get plenty of anecdotal evidence that for some men, it does make a difference.

    It'll depend a little on your age and refractory period (as well as any existing sexual dysfunctions) but a lot of men find success when they try it out.

    We'll reiterate though - masturbation before sex isn't a long-term solution to premature ejaculation. If only it were that simple!

    It might help with performance anxiety

    Masturbating before sex can soothe performance anxiety as it can take relieve some stress and tension, and take some pressure off of the main event.

    With the pressure off a little bit, you'll probably feel less stressed overall, and less likely to worry about your performance - which can have a knock-on effect, making you less likely to ejaculate too soon.

    It can boost your libido/arousal

    Whether or not you masturbate to completion, you can consider masturbating before sex on your own or with a partner, as a warmup.

    It can be a great method of getting in the mood for the real thing, especially if you try out mutual masturbation.

    Adding some adult content to the mix can also help get your juices flowing.

    It can bring you and your partner closer together

    We've already talked about mutual masturbation in this article, but it's really worth a try if you haven't already.

    Incorporating it into your foreplay can bring you and your partner closer together by creating even more intimacy.

    Throw in the benefits we've mentioned above and you'll both be feeling closer together, less sexually anxious, and more ready to get down to business.

    Cons of masturbation before sex

    CONS EXPLANATION
    It will decrease semen volume

    This one sounds obvious, but it's worth thinking about. If you've ever gone a couple of days without masturbating, you'll know that the first load you blow after some time off is a lot larger than those you blow if you masturbate once or twice every day.

    This is mainly a problem if you're really into cumming large volumes, as studies have shown that multiple ejaculations don't necessarily affect your fertility, even though it sounds as though they might.

    First orgasm is the strongest

    You'll probably know this if you've ever masturbated multiple times in a single day, but your first orgasm is usually always the strongest, especially if you're repeatedly ejaculating without taking much time between orgasms.

    The longer you leave it, the longer your body has to feel the absence of all the hormones released, and the release of sexual tension. You can combat this somewhat through techniques such as edging, however.

    It can affect erection quality

    This mainly depends on your refractory period, as well as whether or not you suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED).

    If you have a longer refractory period (which often coincides with getting older) you'll have to wait longer to orgasm, or even get hard, for a second time after you orgasm the first. This might get in the way of having sex after masturbating if you don't leave it long enough.

    If you struggle with ED, you'll be in a similar situation to guys with longer refractory periods. If you have trouble achieving and maintaining an erection the first time, you'll likely find it even more difficult after you orgasm once. Like with PE, ED can't be solved with simple tricks - you'll need to seek medical help.

    Summary

    Can masturbating before sex help you last longer in bed? Depending on how old you are, how long your refractory period is, your level of anxiety, and whether or not you suffer from premature ejaculation or erectile dysfunction, it just might. While this isn't as simple of an answer as some people may desire, it boils down to this - it'll help some men last longer, and it won't help others.

    Even if it doesn't help you last longer, though, masturbating before sex still has its purposes.

    It can be a great way to relieve some tension and increase your level of arousal before sexual intercourse, especially if you incorporate it into your and your partner's foreplay or give mutual masturbation a try. Overall, we'd say make a plan and give it a go - it won't hurt to try!

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