Do Energy Drinks and Caffeine Cause Erectile Dysfunction?

Lots of men use sports or energy drinks to help them get through the demands of the day. According to Statista, 49% of men in the U.S. drink energy drinks several times per week while 27% drink these beverages almost daily. Another 17% of men drink them several times per month.

Because energy drinks contain a combination of stimulants like caffeine and energy boosters, these beverages can boost mental alertness and physical performance. But do energy drinks cause erectile dysfunction (ED)? Are you harming your sexual health if you down too many of these beverages?

And what about coffee intake and other caffeinated drinks? Does too much caffeine consumption from these beverages impact your erectile function?

Let’s explore those questions in this blog post.

What’s in Energy Drinks?

Typically, most energy drinks may contain:

• Amino acids like taurine, creatine, and L-carnitine

• B vitamins

• Caffeine. Most energy drinks contain 80 to 150 mg of caffeine per 8 ounces, the equivalent of 5 ounces of coffee (less than a cup) or two, 12-ounce cans of caffeinated soda.

• Sugar or another sweetener like high-fructose corn syrup. Some contain artificial sweeteners.

Other ingredients found in energy drinks can include:

• Ginseng, a botanical that reduces fatigue

• Guarana, a herbal source of caffeine. Its seeds contain more than double the caffeine found in coffee beans, so it can significantly boost your caffeine intake.

• Yerba Mate, another botanical linked to improved energy, as well as weight loss and promoting feelings of fullness after eating. Yerba mate also balances insulin levels. It contains some caffeine.

• Ginkgo biloba, which may enhance mental alertness.

• Glucuronolactone, an important component of nearly all connective tissues in the body. Makers of energy drinks claim it boosts memory and cognitive performance, but scientists need to conduct more research to uncover whether it measures up to the claims.

Known Causes of Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to have or maintain an erection. It is a common type of male sexual dysfunction. In the United States, an estimated 52% of men suffer from ED. From the age of 40 to 70, this number rises by 5% to 15%, although young men can also develop the disorder. Developing erectile dysfunction leads to a great deal of frustration and can seriously impact quality of life.

Many lifestyle factors and other causes can increase the risk of ED. The strongest risk factors include:

• Diabetes

• Too much alcohol consumption

• Heart disease

• Sedentary lifestyle

• Low testosterone

• Obesity

• Smoking

• Stress, depression, and performance anxiety

• High blood pressure

• Insomnia

• Psychological factors

• Mental health concerns

• Aging

• Chronic diseases

All of these factors can reduce blood supply to the penis, which causes up to 60% of ED cases. The question is: do we need to add energy drinks or coffee to the list of factors that cause ED?

Can Caffeine Cause ED?

More than 85% of adult Americans drink caffeinated beverages, primarily coffee, soda, tea, and energy drinks. Caffeine intake stimulates the central nervous system, leading to more energy and alertness. However, too much caffeine intake can lead to anxiousness or feeling jittery, depending upon the amount of caffeine consumed.

If you have caffeine sensitivity you may only be able to drink a little bit of coffee or caffeinated beverages before feeling the effects. If you're drinking too much caffeine, especially too close to bedtime, it could deprive you of sleep, which isn't good for satisfactory sexual intercourse.

On the other hand, some studies—but not all—show that moderate caffeine consumption improved sexual health.

In a survey of 3,724 men 20 years old or older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), men who drank the caffeine equivalent of two to three cups of coffee per day were less likely to have erectile dysfunction.

The link between reduced ED and drinking caffeinated beverages was the strongest in overweight and obese men and men with high blood pressure. In men with diabetes, the role of caffeine intake wasn't as noticeable and didn’t have any ED-related benefits.

Most of the adult males in this study received most of their caffeine consumption from coffee drinking or soda. A much smaller number drank caffeinated tea or energy and sports drinks.

Coffee Consumption and Sexual Health

However, drinking caffeinated coffee isn’t the same as downing energy drinks. A moderate amount of regular coffee consumption may have beneficial effects on sexual function that energy drinks don’t have.

Coffee is a major source of healthful plant compounds known as polyphenols and drinking it can increase your dietary flavonoid intake, which can increase your overall health.

Coffee also contains anti-inflammatory compounds, which are beneficial for sexual health as well as other health outcomes.

Long-term coffee intake can also increase testosterone levels, which are linked to sexual function. Men who regularly drink caffeinated coffee have higher testosterone levels compared with men who don’t drink it, which can be beneficial for sexual health. There is a significant association between higher testosterone and libido.

What’s more, drinking caffeinated coffee relaxes the blood vessels and cavernous smooth muscle of the penis, increasing penile blood flow in penile arteries and enhancing erectile function. Its ability to improve blood flow may lead to better erections.

Caffeine Intake and Erectile Function: Is the Jury Still Out?

Despite all these potential health benefits, not all studies on drinking caffeinated coffee found that it could reduce the prevalence of erectile dysfunction. Some research indicates it has no effect on erectile dysfunction either way.

One study found that four or more cups per day of decaffeinated coffee led to a 37% increased risk of erectile dysfunction. However, take this finding with a grain of salt because the study population was too small to draw any definite conclusions. Only 0.9% of the men drank four or more cups of decaffeinated coffee daily. The study authors could think of no plausible biological reasons why decaffeinated coffee would increase erectile dysfunction.

Drinking too much caffeinated coffee—more than four or five cups per day—can also cause problems. Too many cups of Joe can lead to anxiety, sleep problems, headaches, and heart palpitations, which don’t exactly put you in the mood for a fun time in bed.

How Energy Drinks Affect Erectile Function

Some men think that energy drinks act as sexual enhancers. The drinks ramp up your energy, so it seems logical they could theoretically give you more endurance in the bedroom. But don’t count on that happening because there’s no evidence that energy drinks can reduce erectile dysfunction. They may have the opposite effect if you drink too many.

Drinking a lot of energy drinks may harm cardiovascular health and cause you to gain weight, which can increase your risk of ED. Several studies have found that drinking energy drinks is linked to increased heart rate and arterial blood pressure. People who drank too many energy drinks experienced irregular heart rhythm, and some teenagers who guzzled down these beverages experienced heart attacks.

Energy Drinks and Sugar Intake

Energy drinks also typically contain a lot of sugar—anywhere from 21 grams to 34 grams per ounce. Drinking a lot of these drinks puts you at risk of gaining too much weight, increasing your body mass index, and developing type 2 diabetes, two risk factors for erectile dysfunction.

Some studies also have shown energy drinks may cause a spike in blood glucose levels. This spike can lead to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes that also are linked to an increased incidence of erectile dysfunction. Metabolic syndrome risk factors include:

• High triglycerides and/or cholesterol

• High blood sugar

• A buildup of abdominal fat

• Hypertension.

Caffeine intake teams up with the sugar in energy drinks to create a dangerous duo that can raise blood sugar. High caffeine intake impacts the way your body metabolizes the blood-sugar-regulating hormone known as insulin.

What’s more, the large amount of sugar in energy drinks may have a bad effect on beneficial intestinal bacteria. Altering the intestinal bacteria can increase the risk of obesity and developing metabolic syndrome.

Avoid or Reduce Energy Drink Intake

Men with erectile dysfunction may want to talk with their healthcare providers about the possible role of caffeine intake on erectile dysfunction and on overall health. Based on this conversation, you can choose to stop drinking energy drinks altogether or at least reduce your intake. Some guys like to consume energy drinks sweetened with stevia, a natural sugar alternative that doesn’t raise blood sugar.

Frequently Asked Questions About Energy Drinks, Caffeine Intake, and ED

Many men drink energy drinks to stay at the top of their game at work or while exercising. But are they safe and can they affect erectile function? Here are some answers to common questions about energy drinks so that you can start a dialogue with your doctor about whether it’s a good idea to give them up.

How many energy drinks are safe to drink in one day?

Drinking too many energy drinks in a day can expose you to large amounts of caffeine intake. Large amounts of caffeine consumption can damage the heart. One 28-year-old man who drank eight cans of an energy drink in a day went into cardiac arrest. According to a small study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, drinking 32 ounces of an energy drink in a day is linked to changes in the heart’s electrical activity and rises in blood pressure compared with other drinks that have an equal amount of caffeine.

Drinking too many energy drinks can also lead to caffeine intoxication, which can result in sleep loss, trouble breathing, chest pains, convulsions, and irregular or fast heartbeat. For these reasons, the Mayo Clinic recommends drinking no more than one can of an energy drink daily.

Do energy drinks really work?

Energy drinks do accomplish their goal of making you more alert and giving you more stamina. This is largely due to the caffeine intake you're getting from these beverages. Research shows energy drinks live up to their name by increasing physical performance and reaction time. The downside is these drinks are often loaded with sugar and may damage your health over time. A conversation with your healthcare provider can reveal whether the benefits are worth the risks.

How much caffeine is in energy drinks?

Most energy drinks contain 80 to 150 mg of caffeine per 8 ounces, the equivalent of 5 ounces of coffee or two, 12-ounce cans of caffeinated soda.

Will energy drinks cause erectile dysfunction?

Drinking a lot of energy drinks is linked to an increased risk of heart problems and diabetes, two health conditions associated with erectile dysfunction. Downing a lot of energy drinks also means you’re consuming a lot of sugar, which may lead to weight gain and ultimately erectile dysfunction.

What is the effect of coffee intake on erectile dysfunction?

Drinking a moderate amount of coffee can have beneficial effects on erectile function and can positively impact men's sexual health. It can increase your intake of beneficial polyphenols, elevate testosterone levels, and improve blood supply to the penis. However, the effect of caffeine intake on erectile function can depend on how much you drink. It's best to avoid excessive amounts of caffeine from drinking too much coffee. Try to limit yourself to no more than two or so cups a day.