Key result
Exercise interventions improve sexual activity and function in patients with prostate cancer.
Why the study?
There was a lack of systematic evidence clarifying the overall effects of exercise interventions on sexual activity and sexual dysfunction in patients with prostate cancer, as well as the relative contributions of different exercise prescription parameters.
Do exercise interventions improve sexual activity and sexual dysfunction in patients with prostate cancer?
Meta-Analysis (n=558)
Do exercise interventions improve sexual activity and sexual dysfunction in patients with prostate cancer?
Exercise interventions significantly improve sexual activity and sexual function in patients with prostate cancer.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports exercise to improve sexual outcomes in prostate cancer; confirms benefits in high-certainty meta-analysis of 10 RCTs.
INTRODUCTION: At present, there is a lack of systematic evidence clarifying the overall effects of exercise interventions on sexual activity and sexual dysfunction in patients with prostate cancer, as well as the relative contributions of different exercise prescription parameters. OBJECTIVES: To systematically evaluate the effects of exercise interventions on sexual activity and sexual dysfunction in patients with prostate cancer. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of exercise interventions on sexual activity and sexual dysfunction in patients with prostate cancer were systematically identified through searches of PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, and Embase from inception to June 20, 2025. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool, and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale was used as a supplementary measure of methodological quality. Meta-analysis, sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, and publication bias assessment were conducted using Stata software, and the certainty of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE approach. RESULTS: Ten randomized controlled trials involving 558 patients were included. The mean PEDro score was 7, indicating generally acceptable methodological quality, while RoB 2 suggested that most studies had some risk of bias. According to GRADE, the certainty of evidence was high for sexual activity and moderate for sexual function. Meta-analysis showed that exercise significantly improved sexual activity (SMD = 0.38, 95% CI 0.19-0.57, P < .001) and sexual function (SMD = 0.32, 95% CI 0.07-0.56, P = .01). Subgroup analyses showed that these effects may vary according to treatment modality and exercise prescription. CONCLUSION: Exercise interventions improve sexual activity and sexual function in patients with prostate cancer, with a dose-response relationship observed for sexual activity and intensity- and duration-related effects for sexual function. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: This systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD420251089117).
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Wen et al. (2026) conducted a meta-analysis in Prostate cancer (n=558). Exercise interventions vs. Control was evaluated on Sexual activity (SMD 0.38, 95% CI 0.19-0.57, p=< .001). Exercise interventions significantly improved sexual activity (SMD 0.38; 95% CI 0.19-0.57; P<0.001) and sexual function (SMD 0.32; 95% CI 0.07-0.56; P=0.01) in patients with prostate cancer.
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