From an evolutionary standpoint, sexuality is an intrinsic part of who we are. Our inherent urge to reproduce is constantly flowing through our veins and is vital to ensure the survival of our species as a whole. However, what was once a mechanism of conception is now more about recreation. Nowadays, sex is everywhere you turn. It’s in the way that we dress, the places we go and even the foods we eat. Sex has infiltrated nearly every aspect of our existence.

Studies have shown that sex is extremely beneficial to one's health because it activates a variety of neurotransmitters that impact not only the brain but aldo on several other organs in the body.  Overall health is determined by a lot of factors, and one very important bedrock factor is how well the autonomic nervous system is functioning.

The benefits of sex include: 

• Lower blood pressure
• Better immune system
• Better heart health, possibly including lower risk for heart disease
• Improved self-esteem
• Decreased depression and anxiety
• Increased libido
• Immediate, natural pain relief
• Better sleep
• Increased intimacy and closeness to a sexual partner
• Overall stress reduction, both physiologically and emotional 

The autonomic system has two branches. One branch, the sympathetic nervous system speeds up the heart rate, respiration, and access to energy while shutting down any slow maintenance functions such as digestion, urination, sexual arousal, heart rate relaxation, and general lubrication of the eyes, mouth, and erogenous zones. This system shall be referred to as REV in this article because it REVs the body up and ensures that the body is ready to go at any moment.   When a person is sexually aroused, REV floods the brain with a surge of neurochemicals – these are the chemical messengers that forge emotions, feelings of attachment and even love. Your overall pleasure depends on the release of these chemicals, which determine the intensity of your sexual climax.  

The other branch, the parasympathetic nervous system maintains basic functioning of the systems shut down by REV and specifically calms down REV in the moment and also across the whole day because the state of REV is energy-depleting and stressful on the overall health of the body. This system shall be referred to as RESTORE in the rest of this article because it inhibits, reverses and recovers precious physiological resources body fluids, and blood flow shut down by REV. But RESTORE does so much more than take over the nonessential mind-body functions put on hold during REV. RESTORE also aids the creative processes, including the transformation of recent experiences into long-term memories, engagement in complex thinking, creativity, and regulation of emotions, and provides a safe space for the mind to wander, dream, and create. When RESTORE becomes elevated, the body enters a space where it can recover from life’s stressors, replenish its resources, and get ready for the next challenge. On the other hand, a prolonged state of REV and not enough RESTORE, can end up in a state of autonomic imbalance that debilitates the entire system, causing the body to essentially become stuck in a stress response which can result in chronic  ailments such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, elevated resting heart rate, cardio-vascular and cancer.

When the body is stressed, tired, and unfit, the heart is forced to work harder to keep blood circulating, resulting in an increase in resting heart rate increases. Study after study has linked elevations in resting heart rate not only with a heightened risk of all the aforementioned diseases, but also with the chance of dying early. One study found that every ten beats-per-minute increase in resting heart rate increased people’s risk for death by about 20 percent!

The mountain of medical data draws a straight line from autonomic imbalance to an elevated, inflexible heart rate to chronic disease. BUT this is actually great news because both a healthy autonomic ratio and a strong, resilient heart rate are two things that you can control through your breathing, sleep, exercise, and eating. But here I’m just going to focus on SEX.

Sex is a major regulator of your REV/RESTORE ratio in the moment of that actual act and in the post-orgasm afterglow.

The pleasure principle Sexuality helps to fortify the bond between a man and a woman – and not just through intercourse alone. Sexuality is fused to each kiss, each touch and each embrace. Even a casual glance can be teeming with broiling lust. While emotions flood the brain in what seem like mere seconds, the process is actually quite complex. Initially, when we begin to feel an attraction towards someone of the opposite sex, our heart rate increases and blood levels of adrenaline and the “stress hormone” known as cortisol rise accordingly. This is then followed by the release of dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters that induce an intense rush of pleasure, similar to the stimulatory effects of cocaine and amphetamine.

Attachment on the other hand is different story. The human body is equipped with neurohormones, such as oxytocin and vasopressin. Oxytocin is a hormone released during orgasm and scientists believe that it is capable of deepening feelings of attachment. This is why relationship coaches will place such a high emphasis on couples engaging in sexual activity on a regular basis – the more often you’re having sex, the closer you and partner will become. Vasopressin is another hormone released during sex that also plays an important role in long-term commitment. Several studies have concluded that fear of commitment is due in part to a genetic variation in vasopressin receptors.

During the initial stages of getting turned on, the RESTORE system warms up the body and mind for sex, as any fight or flight type thoughts or feelings can be a real buzzkill. While RESTORE is critical for arousal mechanisms like erections and clitoral engorgement, REV takes over as things heat up, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, sweat production, and pupil dilation (that “Come and get it” look) REV also handles the swelling of breasts, vaginal walls, and testicles; tightens the scrotum; and lubricates the tip of the penis. These actions all continue through REV’s final push toward orgasm.

The massive RESTORE rebound following all that exertion makes orgasms a gateway drug to deep bliss as RESTORE covers the entire body in a state of calm. The thinking brain, which made a big push during the lead-up to orgasm, takes a time-out, as it soaks in a warm bath of oxytocin, a hormone which promotes attachment and serotonin, a hormone that makes one feel good, relieving  insomnia, anxiety and exhaustion.

Think of orgasms as blow darts, whisking the body off on a nightly voyage to deep sleep. Whether you are with, or without a partner, REV runs every cell in the brain and body at max capacity, then after orgasm, RESTORE shuttles in the deep comedown and it’s lights out bringing on the sleep show.

The reason orgasms are such potent RESTORE instigators is because the vagus nerve, which is the primary information highway of RESTORE activity, is directly connected to the genitals, bypassing most of the spinal cord. This is why many people with spinal cord injuries can still have orgasms. 

Having robust sleep that thoroughly switches off REV is good for maintaining healthy functioning of the sexual organs.  Proerectile RESTORE pathways dominate approximately four to five times during sleep, producing nocturnal erections and labial, vaginal, and clitoral engorgement which serve as a “recharging” mechanism for the sex organs because they increase energy rich, oxygenated blood flow to those areas.

The afterglow associated with sex is different for women and men. After sex, women tend to feel more attached and often like to cuddle or spoon with their mate. Men, on the other hand, are known for finishing their business, rolling over and calling it a night. This contrast mainly exists because physical exertion during sex depletes the muscles of energy-producing glycogen, which leads to drowsiness. Since men typically have more muscle mass than women, men are more sensitive to the effects. Additionally, prolactin, a protein that affects dopamine levels, is released after ejaculation, and that can also cause lethargy.

Curiously, vaginal orgasms may beat clitoral ones when it comes to RESTORative gains, due to stronger connections between the vagus nerve and the vagina, as opposed to the clitoris. Much less is known about whether anal sex might lead to the same RESTORE perks, although vagal connections do reach the anus, suggesting that it is possible.

Along with improved REV/ RESTORE ratios, orgasms give your cardiovascular system a run for its money; help combat restless sleep; and just make you happy - and happy mood is associated with higher heart rate variability (HRV), a signature of strong RESTORE functioning. In simple terms, an orgasm is the body’s physiological response to sexual stimulation. The climactic response is prompted by the release of the neurohormones oxytocin and vasopressin. Brain scans have shown that, during orgasm, metabolic activity in the cerebral cortex decreases while activity in the limbic areas of the brain increases. The cerebral cortex governs the conscious layers of the brain, playing a role in attention, awareness, thought process and memory. On the other side, the limbic system controls the unconscious portion of the mind. This is why orgasms typically cause involuntary body movements and vocalizations. An orgasm has a similar effect on the brain to that of an addictive substance, in the sense that it consists of a euphoric high followed by a hangover-like low. It’s what scientists like to call homeostasis or a restoration of balance. What goes up must come down.

Good sex and HRV are a two-way street because a healthy REV/RESTORE ratio is crucial for a good sex life. Becoming aroused requires just the right amount of REV; too little or too much and you will experience trouble becoming and staying aroused. High HRV is associated with better overall sexual function, and people with higher HRV tend to be the ones having more sex. Having a rich and plentiful sex life well into your eighties and nineties has secondary benefits for your brain, as studies have shown that executive function is higher in people who are more sexually active later in life.

So much is known about brain activity patterns during orgasms because researchers get people to volunteer in pairs or on their own to have a brain scan in a brain scanner while involved in sexual activity. New information about hormone effects on causal steps related to sex hormones' nuclear receptor isoforms expressed by hypothalamic neurons continues to enrich our understanding of this neurophysiology.