When falling in love and engaging in sexual activity, the female body undergoes various physiological changes:
1. Increased heart rate and blood pressure
2. Release of oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin, promoting bonding and pleasure
3. Elevated levels of estrogen and testosterone
4. Dilated pupils
5. Flushed skin due to increased blood flow
6. Heightened sensitivity to touch
7. Vaginal lubrication
8. Swelling of the vulva and clitoris
9. Breast enlargement and nipple erection
10. Uterine contractions during orgasm
11. Temporary suppression of immune function
12. Increased pain tolerance
13. Changes in appetite and sleep patterns
14. Improved mood and reduced stress levels
15. Enhanced skin complexion due to increased blood circulation
16. Potential weight fluctuations
17. Altered voice pitch when speaking to romantic partner
18. Increased body temperature
19. Heightened sense of smell
20. Improved cognitive function and creativity
These changes vary in intensity and duration among individuals and can be influenced by factors such as relationship stage, hormonal cycles, and overall health.
Love and sex change women’s bodies: they change it right, during orgasm and right after, if you are in a stable relationship, if you are in love, after casual sex or after the lightning strike. But what exactly happens after an orgasm or during falling in love?
Sex hormones and their effects
Sex has a beneficial effect on the body and mood, even if it is occasional and loveless. On the purely chemical and physiological side, the brain-not coincidentally considered the first sexual organ-commands the production of certain hormones that bring a great sense of well-being and relaxation.
Here are the hormones involved in this state of euphoria and satisfaction:
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- dopamine: one of the happiness hormones, responsible for the feeling of gratification and fulfillment;
- endorphins: a natural painkiller of the body, with antidepressant and mood-stimulating effects;
- oxytocin is the hormone of love, cuddles, hugs, physical contact and empathy. It decreases stress, anxiety, promotes sensitivity to others’ emotions, care and protection;
- testosterone, is the arousal hormone, which ignites desire. On testosterone depend physical craving, receptivity to sexual stimuli and mental arousal, genital physical response and orgasm.
These hormones are not exclusive to sexuality, but are also produced during childbirth, breastfeeding, falling in love, with laughter, or physical sports activity, and they really determine a state of peace, great satisfaction and beauty. Dopamine, for example, is also produced in response to certain foods such as coffee, chocolate or nicotine, and can create a kind of addiction.
How the body is transformed during orgasm
The body, during pleasure and orgasm, undergoes some intense transformations, more or less perceptible. Orgasm leads to a strong muscle contraction widespread, as well as sweating, tachycardia, increased blood pressure, tachypnea, redness skin. This metamorphosis begins as early as the preliminaries, when the vagina becomes lubricated, as the clitoris dilates due to the influx of blood, it shrinks and the labia minora become darker and darker. The heart beats faster and faster.
A few seconds before orgasm, the vagina becomes smaller, the clitoris withdraws, and the whole area is flooded with blood. During orgasm, the pelvic muscles and vagina contract intensely, more so than in the male orgasm. Then, a little at a time, the clitoris regains its natural size. Also on a physical level, orgasm awakens all and five senses; especially touch and smell. During sex, the release of nitric oxide, blood flow and oxygen throughout the body also increase, and for this the skin appears brighter and smoother.
The post Orgasm
After the pleasure and after almost losing consciousness, the body relaxes, as it does on few other occasions. Orgasm is totalizing, so much so that the French use the definition of “petite mort”, sweet death. They refer to total abandonment, helplessness, the total loss of lucidity. In the immediate aftermath, oxytocin production precisely facilitates relaxation and anxiety reduction and improves sleep quality.
The explanation is scientific, and always traceable to hormones: during sex, blood pressure is lowered, and levels of cortisol, the hormone associated with stressful situations, drop. All this letting go, however, seems to be followed by a time of great intellectual productivity: dopamine production improves the memory, concentration and learning ability.
This state of well-being that is created and experienced after pleasure from intercourse or masturbation has a name: afterglow. According to a study conducted by Florida State University researchers led by Andrea Meltzer and published in Psychological Science, it is an “aura of well-being that strengthens the couple bond makes people feel satisfied with life and lasts 48 hours“.
Falling in love strengthens the immune system
When a person is in love, he or she looks better and feels better. This was also confirmed in research published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology by a team of scholars from Tulane University in New Orleans and California University in Los Angeles. The study involved 47 women who were analyzed for two years. In particular, the scientists focused on analyzing immune fluctuations during periods when the women were falling in love. The result? When they had strong feelings for someone the immune system would be activated, whereas when they were alone and no longer in love the immune responses returned to normal. In fact, love causes an increase in heart rate, but also in neutrophils and type I interferon, which are activated when the body needs to fight off a virus or flu. What is this transformation due to? For scientists, it would be a reaction due to the organism preparing for the pregnancy, and to welcome in strength a new life.
The power of lightning strike
In an article published on the San Donato Group website in July 2024, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato Clinical Neuropsychology experts Dr. Enrico G. Bertoldo, Dr. Valentina Fiolo and Dr. Silvana Pagliuca explained what lightning strike is and what it activates in our brains. “While some people skeptically consider lightning strike as a simple romantic illusion (…), scientific studies suggest that there may be more to it than that. This phenomenon involves a combination of elements, including physical appearance, emotional energy and personal compatibility.”
The brain has a chemical reaction immediate and increases the presence of substances such as dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and adrenaline in our central nervous system. “These neurotransmitters are responsible in creating a state of euphoria, pleasure and connection with the other person. Studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have shown that the area of the brain involved in lightning strike is theamygdala, which regulates emotions, emotional learning and memory. When we encounter someone who strikes us ‘like lightning,’ the amygdala is activated, releasing neurotransmitters and activating the brain’s reward system, thus creating a feeling of pleasure and immediate attraction“. What does one feel? As in sex: Accelerated pulse, flushing and sweating!
Bibliographic sources.
Quantifying the Sexual Afterglow: The Lingering Benefits of Sex and Their Implications for Pair-Bonded Relationships – Florida State University edited by Maltzer, Makhanova, Hicks, French, McNulty, and Bradbury
