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A new study on newlywed couples reveals that partners experience an "afterglow" up to two days after an intimate encounter. This afterglow is now being linked as a factor that can help build a quality relationship in the long run.

In a recent study, experts tried to theorize how couple bonds and sex plays a crucial role in the bonding between couples. With the aim to discover if short-term boosts to sexual satisfaction can enhance the relationship of couples over the long term. Two longitudinal studies were examined to test this hypothesis, the Science Daily reported.

One study focused on 96 newlywed couples, while the second one with 118 newlyweds. All the couples from both studies were given at least 3 days of a 14-day daily dairy to be used on a larger part of the study. All of them were asked to report independently whether they had sex with their partners during that day.  Whether they had an intimate connection or not, they were also required to rate how they are satisfied with their sex life, with their partners, their relationship, and their marriage every day. A 7-point scale was used with 7 as extremely happy.

Both studies completed measured at the beginning of the study and had follow-up sessions about 4 to 6 months later. Results of the study showed that on average participants had intimate encounters four times during the 14-day period, although the answers vary across participants. It also showed that sexual satisfaction and how couples bond among the test subjects was observed to be highest on the same day of the intimate encounter as well as two days after, the Telegraph UK elaborates.

This association was the same regardless of the participant's gender or age or the frequency of their sexual interactions. Personality traits and length of relationship also did not show any edge over the satisfaction rates expressed by the participants in both studies. Overall results of the study also suggest that sex and how couples bond are linked with a couple's relationship quality over time, which is dependent on the lingering effects of their intimate interactions.