Washington: A new study has examined that men who exercise more have better erectile and sexual function, regardless of race.

The study conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is the first to link the benefits of exercise in relation to improved erectile and sexual function in a racially diverse group of patients.

Nearly 300 study participants self-reported their activity levels, which researchers then categorized as sedentary, mildly active, moderately active or highly active. The subjects also self-reported their sexual function, including the ability to have erections, orgasms, the quality and frequency of erections and overall sexual function.

Results found that men who reported more frequent exercise, a total of 18 metabolic equivalents, or METS, per week, had higher sexual function scores, regardless of race. MET hours reflect both the total time of exercise and the intensity of exercise. A total of 18 METS can be achieved by combining exercises with different intensities, but is the equivalent of two hours of strenuous exercise, such as running or swimming, 3.5 hours of moderate exercise, or six hours of light exercise.

Stephen Freedland, MD, co-author on the study and director of the Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle in the Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, cautions that exercise should be tailored for each individual.

Freedland added that when it came to exercise, there was no one-size-fits-all approach, however, they were confident that even some degree of exercise, even if less intense, was better than no exercise at all.

The study is published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.