It has long been thought in many sporting circles that sex before competition decreases performance, but a recent National Geographic article shines some light on this topic.
But scientists say there is no physiological evidence to suggest that sex before competition is bad. In fact, some studies suggest that pre-sports sex may actually aid athletes by raising their testosterone levels, for example.
It is unclear, however, what psychological effects sex may have on an athlete’s performance. Some scientists suggest that abstinence could help some athletes concentrate better.
The myth has long been that sexual frustration from abstinence leads to increased aggression and that sex decreases testosterone levels.
“This is a really wrong idea,” said Emmanuele A. Jannini of the University of L’Aquila in Italy. Jannini is a professor of endocrinology, the study of bodily secretions, and has studied effects of sex on athletic performance.
Jannini has found that sex in fact stimulates the production of testosterone, thus boosting aggression. “After three months without sex, which is not so uncommon for some athletes, testosterone dramatically drops to levels close to children’s levels,” he said.
The thought that sex before performance zaps an athlete’s energy or has a tiring effect also seems to be false. It seems that the sex just isn’t enough of a strenous exercise to have an effect on athletic performance. The positive effect that sex may have for women is most unique and interesting.
Sexual activity could actually help combat muscle pain or other sports injuries in women, according to Barry Komisaruk, a psychology professor at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey.
His studies have found that sexual stimulation in women produces a powerful pain-blocking effect. The effect, he says, can last for up to a day in the case of chronic pain such as muscle pain.
“At least one of the mechanisms by which [sex] blocks pain is that it blocks the release of [a neuropeptide called] substance P, which is a pain transmitter,” he said.
Komisaruk has also found that vaginal stimulation has a strong effect on muscle tension in the legs, increasing it in some women and decreasing it in others.
What is less sure is the psychological effects of sex before competition. Sports psychologists have long known that there is an optimal level of anxiety and alertness for peak performance (Inverted U-Hypthesis). How sex affects athletes psychologically is likely dependent on the individual and the sport.
Michael never took up running until after high-school when he signed up for a clinic to learn long distance technique. He had always been active and an athlete, involved in team sports such as hockey and baseball. In the last six months, he placed second in the 18-24 age group at the USA Ironman Triathalon in New York. This has earned a spot in Hawaii for the Ironman World Championships.
