Sex before sport could BOOST your athletic performance – Daily Mail

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Abstinence from sex before a major sporting competition has long been part of the training regime for many athletes.

However, a new study turns that idea on its head, suggested that having sex before sport can actually boost athletic performance. 

However, the benefits can only be seen if sex is avoided for two hours before the athletic activity.  

‘Abstaining from sexual activity before athletic competition is a controversial topic in the world of sport,’ said Laura Stefani, an assistant professor of sports medicine at the University of Florence, Italy, and lead author of this report.

‘We show no robust scientific evidence to indicate that sexual activity has a negative effect upon athletic results.’ 

‘In fact, unless it takes place less than two hours before, the evidence actually suggests sexual activity may have a beneficial effect on sports performance.’ 

Dr Stefani and her colleagues were disappointed by the lack of existing research on the subject. 

‘We clearly show that this topic has not been well investigated and only anecdotal stories have been reported,’ she said.

After sifting through hundreds of existing studies, the researchers whittled these down to nine of the most reliable papers. 

One of the studies concluded that the strength of female former athletes did not differ if they had sex the night before.   

Another noted a beneficial effect on marathon runners’ performance.  

The new study revealed that male athletes were more frequently investigated than females in existing research, with no comparison of the effects across genders.  

The researchers also say that cultural factors, along with the different mental and physical challenges relating to various sports had not been investigated thoroughly.

‘No particular importance has been laid on the psychological or physical effects of sexual activity on sports performance, or upon the different kinds of sports.’ 

The authors conclude that, though limited, the current evidence debunks the idea that abstinence before sport is beneficial.  

The research is published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology.