Caffeine increases sex drive

Caffeine is classified as a mild central nervous system stimulant.

By Steve Oslica

Published Jan. 24, 2006

Let's talk about rat sex.

The sex drive of female rats might increase when they are exposed to moderate doses of caffeine, according to a study by psychologists at Southwestern University.

Fay Guarraci, the professor of psychology at Southwestern who conducted the study, said researchers had been interested in how drugs would interact with sexual motivation.

"Caffeine is one of the most widely used stimulant drugs in the world," Guarraci said.

MU pharmacology professor Steve Halenda said caffeine is classified as a mild central nervous system stimulant and that its main effect is on alertness. He said caffeine doesn't seem to have any significant known side effects.

The study, entitled "Coffee, Tea and Me," is the first to compare caffeine intake and sex drive in females.

Jeremy Brown, café manager at the Cherry Street Artisan, said it is common for people to come in for coffee because of the stimulating effects of the caffeine. He said the mornings are the busiest but that business people come in the afternoon and students come in at night for a pick-me-up when studying.

Senior Tasha Bjelic, who drank coffee in Ellis Library Monday evening, said she drinks coffee on a regular basis but not always with caffeine.

She said decaf coffee helps her feel calm and comforted and caffeinated coffee helps her wake up and stay focused.

When the female rats were exposed to moderate amounts of caffeine, it shortened the amount of time it took for them to return to male rats after a sexual encounter.

Although there are differences between rats and humans, Guarraci said she hopes scientists would be able to use the results to help people.

One problem is that the rats in the study had never been exposed to caffeine before.

Therefore, they hadn't built up any tolerance to it. With caffeine being such a widely used stimulant and with the amount of intake varying from person to person, the patient's tolerance for the drug could hamper any treatments for sexual dysfunction in humans exposed to caffeine.

Halenda said though people can build tolerance to the effects of the drug such as sleeplessness, people don't seem to build tolerance to the heightened alertness caffeine gives them.

Senior Maria Howell, another student drinking coffee in the library Monday night, said she did not think the study provided proof of a relation between caffeine and one's sex drive.

"I don't think it's related," she said.