Performance anxiety is not easy to deal with. Experiencing anxiety during sex can lead to various sexual issues, such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, and painful intercourse.
The most common issue performance anxiety leads to is erectile dysfunction. Many men who lose confidence in their erections are looking for quick fixes to help them perform again.
One of these promising quick cures is L-arginine. In this article, we’ll learn what L-arginine is, and if, and how it can help with performance anxiety and erectile dysfunction.
What is L-arginine?
L-arginine is an amino acid that helps create proteins in the body. It is naturally found in animal proteins such red meat, fish, poultry, and diary.
L-arginine also converts in the body into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps blood vessels to expand and therefore increases blood flow. Since healthy blood flow is important for erections, some assume that taking l-arginine can help with erectile function.
Can taking L-arginine help with performance anxiety?
L-arginine is an amino acid that helps create proteins in the body. It is naturally found in animal proteins such as red meat, fish, poultry, and dairy.
There were a few studies that examined the efficacy of L-arginine for the treatment of general anxiety.
This 2007 study, for example, showed that supplementing L-lysine and L-arginine can reduce stress in people with high anxiety traits. But it’s important to note that the study examined people with low dietary intake of L-lysine.
The general medical consensus is that L-arginine is not a supplement that should be used to treat performance anxiety.
Can taking L-arginine help with erectile dysfunction?
It might. A 2019 meta-analysis published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine showed that L-arginine supplements could be effective for mild to moderate ED.
It’s important to remember that L-arginine supplements are still not a mainstream treatment for erectile dysfunction, despite the results of this meta-analysis.
Also, since L-arginine supplements can have serious side effects, it is important to consult your doctor before taking any health supplements.
What about performance anxiety induced ED?
The purpose of taking L-arginine is to improve blood flow to the penis, but since performance anxiety causes erectile issues unrelated to blood flow, it may not help, even if blood flow is improved.
When you become anxious during sex, the anxiety blocks arousal. This means that your brain will not signal your penis to become erect. So, when performance anxiety is severe, better potential blood flow will not help erectile dysfunction.
That is why ED medications such as Viagra do not always work for men who suffer from performance anxiety.
How can you treat performance anxiety?
One of the most promising treatments for performance anxiety is mindfulness meditation.
A recent 2018 study showed that 9 out of 10 who men practiced mindfulness meditation for four weeks to overcome anxiety-induced erectile dysfunction.
