Why Executives Struggle with Energy & ED
11 Nov 2025 · 14 min
Dr. Anne Truong explains why high-stress leadership kills sexual function. Chronic stress diverts blood flow and tanks testosterone, making ED common among executives. It's also an early warning sign for heart disease and metabolic problems.
Questions this episode answers
Over 7,000 men.
55% (the speaker says this represents a 24-point jump from 2023).
70%.
55%.
85%.
Chapters
This podcast is for you. The Modern Man I'm Dr. Anne Truong, your host. I'm an intimate health medical doctor and best selling author of the book Erectile Dysfunction Fix. I'll do a deep dive into sexual health and performance and how it affects men of all ages and backgrounds. So let's get started and be sure to visit my website@sexualhealthformenpodcast.com for more information and resources from the show. See you on the inside.
Foreign hello there Modern Man. I'm Dr. Anne Truang. I've treated over 7,000 men with ED. In today's episode we're going to talk about why executive and entrepreneurs have high rate of ED compared to non executive and entrepreneurs. Do you know that entrepreneurs and executive are significantly more likely to experience experience ED than the general population? In today's episode we're going to look at the shocking connection between the high stress career and sexual health and why your boardroom performance might be affecting your bedroom performance. If you're an entrepreneur, CEO or executive watching this, you might want to pay close attention because that's what I'm about to share. Could literally change your life and your business. We always talk about the sacrifices business owners make, the long hours, the stress, the sleepless night. But there's one health impact that nobody talks about yet. It affects millions of high achieving men worldwide. I see a lot of men that have their own business or executive that experience a day. Now let's talk about the shocking statistics. Let's look at some of the numbers here. Numbers don't lie. Men with ED have twice the absenteeism from work, meaning they're less productive at work. They experience 23% more workplace impairment compared to those that do not have ED. And overall they have 2.5 times more productivity loss than their non ED counterpart. So what's really shocking is while the general population has about a 5% rate of certain stress related disorders, research suggests that business leaders and entrepreneur shows three times higher for stress related condition. So what does this mean? There's a CEO mental health crisis. 55% of CEO experienced negative mental health issues in the past year alone. That's a 24 point jump from 2023. And that 70% of entrepreneurs report being impacted by mental health condition. So here's the kicker. Chronic stress directly lead to ED through multiple biological pathways. Let's look at the science behind this. So number one, the cortisol problem. So when you're constantly stressed. So let's be honest, if you're running a business, you are constantly stress. Your body pumps out cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones literally redirect blood flow away from your genital area to the muscle in preparing for you for fight or flight. This is a trained mechanism that we have ingrained in our body from millions of years ago. That when you have cortisol and adrenaline release, it means that we have to fight, fight against something or fight against the dinosaurs or run away to protect ourselves. So that's the last thing you want to do is have blood flow down to your penis. You want to have blood flow to your arms and your legs so that way you can run away from danger. It is just ingrained in us. You cannot fight it. It is just autonomic response. Guess what? You need proper blood flow down to the penis for normal erectile function. No blood flow, no erection. And stress number two, the testosterone crash. Here's something fascinating from the Harvard research. Successful executive actually have a very specific hormonal profile. High testosterone, low cortisol. What that means is that if you're successful, you tend to have higher testosterone and low stress or low cortisol. The problem is the chronic stress elevate cortisol which then suppresses testosterone production. While you're trying to be the business owner, stress is literally killing your testosterone. And here is a vicious cycle. Once ED starts, it creates performance anxiety which creates more stress, which make the ED worse. So it's like being trapped in the nightmare feedback loop. Now it gets worse. The typical entrepreneur lifestyle is likely a perfect storm for sexual dysfunction. 55% of founders suffer from insomnia, which means the testosterone production decreases because testosterone is made during when you sleep, Particularly when you're in deep sleep like rem that excessive work also keep cortisol high. Cortisol is a stress hormone. Cortisol, cortisol high. No erection, decreased blood flow. So 85% of entrepreneur report high stress level. And that many, not all. This is not a general sometimes will rely on alcohol to de stress or poor diet choices as coping mechanism because they don't have time to go grocery shopping and that they will neglect themselves. First, which is the first thing is sleep. Second is stress. And another thing we need to discuss about is the business impact. Now you might think okay, this is a personal problem. So here's why entrepreneurs should care about this. Remember those productivity stats that I mentioned earlier? The men with ED have two times higher absenteeism rate, more than double the workplace impairment and 25% total productivity loss compared to non ed men. So if you're leading a company Making critical decision and managing a team while dealing with the psychological burden of sexual dysfunction. You're literally operating on empty at a fraction of your potential. So there's something really crazy that studies show that leaders with the ideal hormone profile of high testosterone, low cortisol, manage more people and achieve more higher status position. So ED is often a sign that your hormones are completely out of whack now. Next early warning sign your health system alert. Here's the scariest part. ED is often the canary in a coal mine for your overall health. 67% of men with ED could face a heart attack in 7 to 10 years. So eating is frequently the first symptoms of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. So if you're experiencing ED and you're an entrepreneur and executive, your body is literally trying to tell you something critical about your cardiovascular health or your heart health. So what are solutions that actually work? Address the root cause. You know I'm a big proponent of addressing the root cause and and not patting the problem. Number one, stress management. Stress management program has shown to improve ED better than medication alone like Viagra or Cialis. Consider meditation. There are various meditation apps. Consider exercise and even psychological counseling to decrease your stress. Set boundaries around your work hours. Take breaks or on vacation where you could de unplug for like a week or so so you can reset and be in tip top shape. Number two, hormone optimization. Get your testosterone level and cortisol level checked. Testosterone can be checked by a blood work and cortisol level is best checked if through saliva. And you can actually have this done in the lab or your doctor can order it. If you go to most lab facilities such as LabCorp or Quest, they actually can do this studies for you without even a doctor's order. However, you need to work with a doctor to how to interpret it in your clinical situation. And also if you want to get testosterone hormone replacement therapy. So many executives are now using testosterone optimization as the performant tool for increased productivity and for work. Also you got to consider changes in your lifestyle like prioritize sleep. This is when testosterone gets produced. Regular exercise, like 30 minutes, four to five times a week. Don't overdo it. Limit alcohol to about 14 drinks a week. Improve your diet. I recommend eating a Mediterranean diet. Consider supplements like vitamin D, zinc and magnesium which help relax muscle. Zinc help increase testosterone. Vitamin D is essential for sexual function. So when you get blood work at the lab, you should get a CBC, a chemistry 14, testosterone, total free testosterone, prolactin, vitamin D, zinc level, magnesium level as well as prolactin level. Number four, consider going to see a doctor about this early than later because what you don't want to do is to take a medication which packed the problem which really you're digging yourself a bigger hole than when you first started with. So let's break the stigma. Most successful entrepreneurs I know treat their sexual health like their business KPI. They optimize it, measure it and invest in it. So when your testosterone level is optimized and your stress level is low or low cortisol level, then you can solve problem easier, better than your competitors who are suffering in silence. And you can literally have a competitive edge. Better hormones equal better decision making, better leadership presence and better stress management. In fact, some Silicon Valley executives are attending testosterone party and biohacking event focused on male optimization. They've realized that sexual health is business health. So here what I want you to do right now. Get your blood tested for total testosterone free testosterone, saliva cortisol test and your overall health markers. Audit your lifestyle, how's your sleep, your stress level, your diet and your exercise. And then invest in your health like you would invest in your business. So if you like to get my daily peak energy tip, go to this link right here. It is the URL daily peakenergy.com to get the guide on how to optimize your hormones and your energy for the day so you can be more productive through the day for your business. But necessarily if you get this, if you own a business, even if you are working for somebody, it will optimize your energy and productivity for the day to be the best that you can be in and out of the bedroom. So I hope you find this episode interesting and I would love it if you can subscribe and get notification and share it with somebody you think will benefit from this. And just know that ED is a warning sign for your general health and that you should not suffer in silence. And there are solution for Ed. And the first thing is start early, don't wait too long and do not take the medication because in the long run you're going to end up in bigger trouble than you first started out with. So having said that, I'll see you in the next episode. Modern Man. Okay, Modern man, you are not alone. And you don't have to suffer anymore. ED can feel isolating, frustrating and even defeating. The endless guessing, the. The quiet shame, the weight of not feeling like yourself. It's exhausting. But here's the truth. You are not broken. You are not alone. You don't have to figure this out alone anymore. The Get Wood Now Boost program is your step by step path to sexual confidence and restoration. No more suffering in silence, no more trial and error. Just real solution, real result and the confidence you deserve. It's time to take back your power on your term. Let's get this journey started together. Check out the course@getwoodnow.com I'll see you there.
Thanks for listening to the Sexual Health for Men podcast. If you love this episode then please take a screenshot on your phone and post it on Facebook, Instagram or wherever you post. And be sure to tag me and let me know why you like this episode and what you like to hear in the future that will help me know what's great for you. And I would love to give you the most incredible free gift design to help you improve performance quickly. Go to my website@sexualhealthformenpodcast.com to get the book the Five Common Costly Mistakes Men Make When Facing Ed. I would appreciate if you subscribe, leave a review on Apple Podcast or wherever you listen and just know that you can have sexual vitality for life.
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Until next time.
