Does drinking water help erectile dysfunction? Not directly: no study has shown that drinking more water improves erections. Australian health sources do not list water among the treatments for erectile dysfunction, or dehydration among its causes. Water is still the best everyday drink, and choosing it over alcohol or sugary drinks helps in ways that do matter for erections.
Is there any evidence that water helps erections?
No. A PubMed search on 26 September 2026 found no trial of drinking water, or of fluid intake, as a treatment for erection problems. Water is not among the ED treatments or causes named by healthdirect, Healthy Male or Australian Prescriber. The one study we found that measured body fluid and erections points the other way: in 39 men on haemodialysis, whose kidneys cannot clear extra water, those carrying too much fluid had much lower erection scores (Hassan et al., 2018). That tells you nothing about healthy men, except that more is not automatically better.
Can being dehydrated affect erections?
It has not been shown to. Mild to moderate dehydration makes you thirsty, gives you a dry mouth, dark urine and a headache, and can make you dizzy or light-headed, particularly when standing up; severe dehydration can bring a fast heart rate, low blood pressure, tiredness and confusion, and needs urgent care (healthdirect — Dehydration). Erection problems are not on that list. The dehydration question has its own page: can dehydration or lack of water cause erectile dysfunction?
How much water should a man drink?
About 2.6 litres of fluids a day, as a general guide. healthdirect says there is no strict amount, but males need "about 10 cups (2.6 litres or 2600mL) of fluids every day", more on hot days and when exercising, and about a fifth of what you need comes from food. Pale yellow or straw-coloured urine means you are probably well hydrated; darker yellow means you need more (healthdirect — Drinking water and your health).
Can drinking too much water be a problem?
Rarely. healthdirect calls it "very difficult to drink too much water", but it can lead to hyponatraemia, a dangerous drop in blood sodium, for example in people who drink too much during a marathon. People with chronic kidney disease, heart failure or liver disease may not get rid of extra water as well, and should ask their doctor how much to drink (healthdirect — Drinking water and your health). Those are also the men in whom extra fluid went with worse erections in the dialysis study above.
Which drinks do affect erections?
Alcohol, most clearly: "Drinking alcohol can temporarily impair the ability to get an erection", says the Australian Viagra leaflet, and alcohol is among the causes of ED that healthdirect lists (Viagra CMI; healthdirect). More in can alcohol cause erectile dysfunction? Sugary drinks work more slowly: fruit juice, cordial and soft drinks "can make you put on weight" (healthdirect — Drinking water and your health), and obesity contributes to ED. Tea and coffee count towards your fluids, though their caffeine "can make you lose more water in your urine"; what caffeine does to erections is in does caffeine cause erectile dysfunction? and can energy drinks cause erectile dysfunction?
Should you take ED tablets with water?
Yes. The Australian Viagra leaflet says to "Swallow the tablet whole with a full glass of water" (Viagra CMI). It may take longer to work if you take it with a heavy meal. Dissolving a tablet is covered in can I dissolve Viagra in water?
What does help erections?
healthdirect's prevention list is short: stop smoking, exercise more, lose weight and eat healthy food (healthdirect). What exercise can do is in can exercise improve erectile dysfunction? Erection problems that keep happening can be an early sign of heart disease, so they are worth a GP visit (healthdirect).
The short answer
Drinking water does not treat erectile dysfunction, and dehydration is not a recognised cause of it. Drink about 2.6 litres of fluids a day, mostly water, and more in the heat. Cutting back on alcohol and sugary drinks, moving more and not smoking are what healthdirect recommends. More in our guide to lifestyle and erectile dysfunction.
