Peolactin isn't the culprit after all...

[LoneX]

So what is the reason males have to wait before round two?

“Our results indicate that prolactin is very unlikely to be the cause”, says Lima.
“Now we can move on and try to find out what’s really happening”, she concludes.

https://www.fchampalimaud.org/news/w...-what-we-think

[mathguy]

So what is the reason males have to wait before round two?

“Our results indicate that prolactin is very unlikely to be the cause”, says Lima.
“Now we can move on and try to find out what’s really happening”, she concludes.

https://www.fchampalimaud.org/news/w...-what-we-think

Hi LoneX. Interesting topic for sure!

That study was also available for the past year on preprint servers up for review: BioRxiv 2020 PERP Study Prolactin

I don't necessarily find fault with the study itself. I find fault with some of the overall methodology and design used to arrive at the, "there is no direct link or correlation to prolactin", conclusion.

That said, yea, we still don't know with absolute certainty what causes the post ejaculatory refractory period (PERP) in males... but we are getting close. A major problem IMO with that study is they used mice (2 species). It would be nice to have an example closer to our primate family. Male mice are known to ejaculate 7-8 times before any PERP kicks in; so it's not a great comparison due to that obvious physiological difference.

Another big issue is that PERP is likely a complex interaction of hormones & neurotransmitters; not *just* prolactin. Current theory actually holds that oxytocin is far more responsible, but, yes, along with prolactin surges, serotonin, and dopamine.

So, I still think it's likely a combination of these hormones, along with the neurotransmitters, causing a feedback loop such that nerves cannot respond to or create an action potential.

A major theory there as to "why" would it be that way for men (?) is that throughout our evolution it made the most sense b/c it allows the body to begin replenishing sperm cells. If we were to engage in sex unabated fertility levels would decline as we evolved. The better "design" from an evolutionary biology perspective was to cause men to get exhausted, sleepy, uninterested in sex, unable to respond to sexual stimuli for a period of time, all while the body replenishes sperm.

[atxhills]

It's natures way of allowing us some time for a cigarette and some "pillow talk".

[mathguy]

It's natures way of allowing us some time for a cigarette and some "pillow talk".

Even though you're being somewhat facetious & joking it's actually not a bad postulate at all.

Another piece of the theory is that the "pillow talk" caused by oxytocin, which can surge for both men & women post coitus, allows for the bonding that will be needed in monogamous familial units. So, yea, that's possibly an important aspect of our evolutionary development too.

[risn2theoccasion2]

For me it is not Prolactin , it's Youthlactin.

[SecretE]

Even into my (now) 40's, if I'm way into a woman, while not instantaneous like a teenager, my refractory period can be still almost non-existent...even after a long build to an orgasm. While I wouldn't doubt there is a physiological/hormonal component, my personal experience tells me it is way more psychological/mental than first thought.