Dr Zac Turner on whether long-haul flights ruin your libido

Doctor Zac Turner has revealed the surprising answer to the question a man asked before his honeymoon: “Will flying economy ruin my libido?”

Welcome to Ask Doctor Zac, a weekly column from news.com.au. This week, Dr Zac Turner talks about how to keep your libido intact for your honeymoon.

QUESTION: Hi Dr Zac, I’m about to get married! Eeek! My partner in crime and I have booked a honeymoon in Europe, and we couldn’t be more excited!

We’ve hit a small bump in the lead up to our honeymoon, however, as my ‘know it all’ aunty told me long-haul economy flights ruin your libido. She insisted we fly business class, so that we stay comfortable and exit the airport ready to ‘consummate the marriage.’ But business class is sooo expensive.

Is this true — or is it an old wive’s tail? Is our 24-hour flight going to turn us into nuns? What can we can do to keep our libido intact for our honeymoon? Troy, 28, Sydney

ANSWER: Hi Troy, great question. There was a study undertaken that compared the experience of travellers in business class and economy, and how they felt afterwards in the first few days of their holiday. Results from the study showed that those in business class were more energetic, happier, and had a higher libido following their flight.

Dr Zac Turner reveals how to ensure that flights do not ruin your libido. Picture: iStock

The factor that differentiated the two sets of factors was stress. Those in economy class had higher levels of anxiety during travel, and for obvious reasons, those in business were calmer.

Many people in the lead up to their long-haul flight will stress themselves about getting to the airport, customs, and if they will be comfortable on the plane. This causes a build-up of stress, which will lead them to feeling not so great when they touch down at their destination.

Fortunately you don’t have to fork out a fortune for business class because there are ways to survive cattle class without taking a hit to your mojo.

There’s a few reasons why we feel stressed when we travel. Firstly, we increase our anxiety levels when we build-up the experience of the long-haul flight. Secondly, aeroplanes have lower levels of oxygen to cut costs — so our bodies become uncomfortable operating with less oxygen in the air.

When these two factors combine, they set off our body’s flight or fight mechanism. During this, hormones like adrenaline, norepinephrine and epinephrine become released and they lower testosterone and that will immediately have an effect on libido and even sexual function.

Here are some ways to combat the stress of long-haul flights, so you can walk off the plane ‘ready to rumble’:

There are several ways to tackle the stress and anxiety associated with a flight. Picture: iStock

Keep your head in the game

Libido is 98 per cent mental and 2 per cent physical. I recommend you mitigate your decrease in libido with meditation and mantras. From the moment you purchase your plane tickets, repeat mantras in your head when you feel stressed about the upcoming flight. These can be phrases such as ‘I’m going to love my holiday.’ You should also meditate on the flight, and repeat the same mantras whilst imagining yourself relaxing on holiday. I promise you’ll pop-out of the plane as calm as anything. If you’re new to meditation — try reading my previous column on the subject.

Bring plenty of distractions

What’s your favourite activity that helps reduce your anxiety? For some people, video games and movies offer a visual distraction to pass the time. Others find comfort in quiet activities, such as books and puzzles. Whatever your distraction is, consider bringing it along for the ride. Enjoyable distractions can help keep away negative thoughts and give you something positive to focus on instead.

Ensure that you bring plenty of distractions to reduce your anxiety on a flight. Picture: iStock

Limit your alcohol intake during the flight

There’s nothing wrong with saying cheers with a glass of champagne to your new groom on a flight over to Europe, however, don’t overdo it. Alcohol will dehydrate your body significantly up in the air, and this will cause more stress. And you know what that means - say goodbye to your libido on arrival. If you have a drink, follow it up with two glasses of water.

Search for the positives in travelling

Exploring new experiences, cultures, and cuisines is a great way to widen your worldview. Before your trip, it may be helpful to write down all the positive experiences you hope to get from travelling. Keep this list with you as you travel and refer to it during moments of anxiety.

Troy, have the best time with your wife in Europe. Remember to stay happy and positive, and to not overthink your long-haul flight. Remember that the flight is part of your holiday, so have fun with it!

Limit the booze that you have on a flight as it can dehydrate your body. Picture: iStock

When you land, do this

Have you noticed when you fly for extended periods your legs swell up? That’s because there’s less oxygen in the air, your heightened anxiety, and your lack of movement. This causes the blood vessels in your legs to dilate, as the blood redistributes away from other parts of your body. This includes constricting of smooth muscle vessels in other parts of the body such as those that supply our sexual organs.

What this means is there’s less oxygen pumping around your body coupled with reduced ability to get where it needs to go. If you do the following, it can have the same effect for many as having a Viagra!

Mid-flight - find some room and do a couple of air squats to increase circulation.

And as soon you land have a hot shower followed by a cold shower. This will get the oxygenated blood pumping around your body again. It will also make your blood vessels kick into gear and tighten in your feet and open around your ‘bits’. Bonus points if you also go for a brisk walk and explore your new surroundings.

These are sure fire ways of boosting the oxygen in the blood back to its pre-flight level. And you know what that means.

Got a question: [e-mail]

Dr Zac Turner has a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Sydney. He is both a medical practitioner and a co-owner of telehealth service, Concierge Doctors. He was also a registered nurse and is also a qualified and experienced biomedical scientist along with being a PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering.