Using the FITT Principle to Examine the Relationship between Exercise and Sexual Performance Indicators

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between exercise and sexual performance indicators among healthy adults. The sample consisted of 509 participants ranging in ages from 1874whocompleted a 30-item questionnaire on exercise frequency, intensity, time, and type and sexual performance indicators. Exercise was measured using the FITT principle of frequency, intensity, time, and type. Sexual performance indicators were identified as frequency of sexual arousal, ability to be easily aroused, number of orgasms in a single sexual episode, ease of orgasm, frequency of sexual intercourse, and sexual arousal then loss of interest. Spearman’s rho correlations demonstrated numerous significant relationships between the exercise FITT principle and the sexual performance indicators. Analysis of the FITT principle revealed that aerobic frequency was positively correlated with more of the sexual performance indicators compared to any of the other variables associated with frequency, intensity, time, or type of exercise; while intensity of strength training had the strongest positive correlation with three of the sexual performance indicators.