THE EFFECTS OF IMMEDIATE, DELAYED, AND RESIDUAL SYMPATHETIC ACTIVATION ON SEXUAL AROUSAL IN WOMEN

In a recent experiment, Meston and Gorzalka (1995) [Behaviour, Researc h and Therapy, 33, 651-664] demonstrated a facilitatory effect of symp athetic activation, via acute exercise, on female sexual arousal. The present investigation was designed to examine the time course of this effect. Thirty-six sexually functional women participated in two exper imental sessions in which they viewed a neutral film followed by an er otic film. In one of these sessions, Ss were exposed to 20 min of inte nse exercise (stationary cycling) prior to viewing the films. Subjecti ve (self-report) and physiological (photoplethysmograph) sexual arousa l were measured at either 5 min, 15 min, or 30 min post-exercise. Acut e exercise marginally decreased vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA) and had no effect on vaginal blood volume (VBV) responses to an erotic film wh en measured 5 min post-exercise. At 15 min post-exercise, exercise sig nificantly increased VPA and marginally increased VBV responses. At 30 min post-exercise, both VPA and VBV responses to an erotic film were marginally increased. Acute exercise had no significant effect on subj ective perceptions of sexual arousal in any of the experimental condit ions.