Keep on knocking: Humans may stay smarter in older age by having sex

When you were in your teens, the thought of older people having sex might have seemed absolutely repulsive — the very idea that two people as adorable (and old!) as your grandparents could turn the lights down low was enough to pledge full abstinence after 50. Thankfully, as we actually age (both as individuals and as a population), not only does this notion get challenged, we realize there's much more length to our love lives than ever before. As the aging population outnumbers today's youth, not only are people living longer, but the quality of life is always improving and with it, our sexual appetite. But if you needed even more encouragement to stay young at heart in the bedroom, new research suggests sexual activity may increase your mental stimulation of older adults.

A study recently published by Coventry University and Oxford University has linked increased sexual activity in older adults with higher brain function. The study looked at 28 men and 45 women aged 50-83, while attempting to delve deeper into similarly trending research that was done last year. The study had each participant fill out a survey, divulging the average frequency of their sexual activity over the past year (never, monthly or weekly) along with other general wellness questions. The participants then took the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-III (ACE-III) — a standardized test which measures attention, memory, fluency, language and visuospatial abilities - often used to detect dementia in older adults. The attention portion is tested with simple awareness, like naming today's date, and problem solving; the memory section asks for specific recollections throughout the test; the fluency portion asked participants to list as many words as they can that start with the same letter in a minute as well as naming as many animals as they can; the language portion graded participants on their ability to follow exact instructions, write sentences about themselves, repeat words and identify objects, while the visuospatial section asked participants to draw shapes, identify graphics, count dots and draw the face of a clock.

Researchers found that, overall, participants who reported a weekly frequency of sexual activity performed better on the test than those that did not. Furthermore, in the categories of fluency and visuospatial ability, respondents performed noticeably better the higher their frequency of sexual activity was, particularly in fluency. While this seems to correlate more frequent sexual activity with better brain performance in certain respects, researchers found no noticeable trend between sexual activity and the categories of attention, memory and language.

Though the trend supports and expands on previous research into the field, it is by no means conclusive. Just because there is a correlation between sexual activity and brain performance in older adults, does not yet mean there is a concrete cause and effect. For example, higher sexual activity could mean that particular person is more social and it could be that being social aids in better mental performance. Researchers have indicated they now want to narrow in on the cause and effect, by examining chemicals that are released during sex (like dopamine and oxytocin) and the particular effect they have on the brain. It might also be fruitful to delve into how the types of sexual activity affect the minds of older adults. For example, we know that masturbation is beneficial yet different from sex with a partner in many regards and this may be one of them.

While there's obviously more work to be done, what this study does do is continue to chip away at the stigma around sex as we age. We already know the benefits of sex for your mood and body, so with the potential to boost your brain as well, there's no reason your autumn years shouldn't get a little hotter.

RJ Skinner is an actor, writer and pro wrestler, so he rants and raves in various states of undress. Follow him on IG @rjcity and if you're feeling crafty, behold The Cynical Crafter.