Doctors say coffee could be the key to better sex

It can lead to a more powerful orgasm 

Drinking coffee before having sex could lead to a better orgasm. Image: Unsplash

Looking to turn up the heat in the bedroom? People on TikTok say you should have a few shots of espresso before hitting the mattress, and a doctor is in agreement. 

Most people rely on their morning coffee to wake them up and get their brains firing for the day ahead, but experts say your daily brew could actually be the missing ingredient in the bedroom. 

Yep, you heard us right. Apparently drinking coffee right before sex can increase the strength of an orgasm by 50 per cent – and a doctor is on board. 

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Last week, two TikTok creators claimed drinking coffee right before sex could transform the experience, saying having shots of espresso before jumping into bed gave them a “wild” time. 

Dr Karan Rajan, a doctor in the UK who goes by @dr.karanr on TikTok, responded to the videos and hypothesised the claims are actually pretty robust.

He explained that caffeine in low doses can have “mainly a vasoconstrictor effect”, meaning it narrows the blood vessels. However, when consumed in higher volumes, it can have the opposite impact – vasodilating – which means it “widens the blood vessels and improves blood flow.”

Caffeine can cause veins to dilate, increasing blood flow. Image: Unsplash

So how does that impact sex? Basically, the wider your blood vessels, the greater the blood flow – including to the genitals. 

“The better your circulation, the more flow to your erectile tissue,” he said. “Thus, the more likely you are to reach states of arousal that sets the stage for a great [orgasm].”

But it’s more than just the vascular reactions. Since caffeine is a stimulant, Rajan says that by consuming coffee before sex it can also increase focus, heart rate and how alert you are – which can make people more “active” participants. 

And as they say, enthusiasm goes a long way. 

People in the comments section were quick to offer their own two cents on the matter, with many citing their own experiences as proof of the caffeine-coitus correlation. 

“Been doing this for a while,” one person wrote, while another said “My grandma can confirm,” which feels like a strange thing to know about your family member. 

One other commenter simply wrote “Not only do I feel like a study with humans would be easy to do, but I’d also like to volunteer to get paid to do this.” Fair call.

Coffee can also make you a more active participant during sex. Image: Unsplash

So what are Dr Rajan sources? In his now-viral video, he referenced a 2005 study in the journal Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior that showed a relationship “between caffeine and sex” amongst animals.

“Female rats who were administered caffeine engaged in more hanky panky,” he said of the study, adding, “There’s no real research into whether that can extend into the genitalia of humans.”

Aside from “hanky panky” being a phrase we’d rather never hear again, it’s promising research, albeit a little dated. And if it works for rats, who’s to say our animalian brains might not have the same reaction? 

At the end of the day, Dr Rajan suggests trying it out for yourself. “It does seem like a fairly benign experiment, so do whatever you need to float your erogenous boat,” he encouraged.

However we suggest the best time to try this one out might be in the morning – lest you plan to be up all night anyway. 

Originally published as Doctors say coffee could be the key to better sex