A Study Of 800+ Men Found This Unexpected Effect Of Work Stress
You finally shut your laptop after a long day, but your brain is still at work. Maybe you're replaying a tense conversation with your boss, thinking about tomorrow's deadline, or wondering whether you're doing enough to get that promotion.
When that kind of pressure becomes your norm, it can start to feel like background noise. But your body may not see it that way.
In a recent study of more than 800 men, researchers looked at how different aspects of workplace stress relate to men's physical health, including sexual function.
About the study
Researchers recruited 826 full-time working men between the ages of 22 and 40.
All were in stable relationships and had worked full-time for at least a year. Men with conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or hormone disorders were excluded because these can also contribute to erectile dysfunction (ED).
The researchers assessed five parts of workplace stress: working hours, how much control men had over decisions, support from supervisors, relationships with coworkers, and pressure around getting promoted.
They also assessed erectile function with a standard questionnaire and measured hormone levels through blood tests.
Based on their scores, the researchers divided the men into two groups: a low-work-stress group and a high-work-stress group.
They then compared the groups' erectile function and hormone levels to see whether men experiencing more workplace stress also showed differences in sexual health.
Higher workplace stress was linked to more erectile dysfunction
The difference between the groups was substantial. Erectile dysfunction affected 54.37% of men in the high-stress group, compared with a much smaller share in the low-stress group. Men in the high-stress group also had about 10 times higher odds of ED.
Working longer hours and feeling more pressure around career advancement appeared to be the biggest contributors to poorer erectile function.
The work environment mattered, too. Men who reported more support from their supervisors, greater freedom to make decisions, and better relationships with coworkers tended to have better erectile function. Supervisor support had the strongest protective association.
That doesn't mean a stressful job automatically causes ED. The study was observational, so it can identify a relationship between workplace stress and sexual function but can't prove that stress directly caused the changes.
Stress may be affecting hormones, too
The researchers found a possible clue in the men's hormone levels.
Those in the high-stress group had higher levels of cortisol, a hormone involved in the body's stress response, and lower levels of testosterone.
The timing was also notable. Cortisol levels increased first, followed by a drop in testosterone two to four weeks later. Changes in erectile function followed another four to six weeks after that.
Altogether, the researchers estimated a window of roughly six to 10 weeks between changes in stress-related hormones and changes in sexual function.
That timeline doesn't prove that stress triggered the hormonal changes or ED, but it gives researchers a possible explanation for how ongoing workplace pressure could eventually affect sexual health.
A few ways to take some pressure off
If work has been particularly intense lately, the study points to a few parts of your workday that may be worth looking at.
- Take a closer look at your hours: If you're regularly working 55-plus hours a week, consider where you can set boundaries, delegate, or push back on unrealistic deadlines.
- Build more support into your workday: A supportive manager and positive relationships with coworkers were associated with better outcomes, so having people you can rely on at work may matter more than it seems.
- Look for opportunities to have more control: Even small decisions about how you approach a project can give you more autonomy and may make a demanding workload feel more manageable.
- Talk through career pressure: If getting ahead has become a constant source of anxiety, a conversation with a manager or mentor about expectations and timelines could help make those pressures more realistic.
If you're experiencing ongoing erectile difficulties, it's also worth talking with a health care professional rather than assuming stress is the only explanation. ED can have many causes, including underlying health conditions.
The takeaway
Workplace stress may have implications that go beyond feeling burned out at the end of the day.
This study points to the value of a work environment where you have support, some control, and room to breathe.
