Does Having Sex Really Affect Athletic Performance?
Is having sex ok before the big game?
‘Anti-sex’ beds at the Tokyo Olympics have been making headlines this week after it was suggested that the flimsy cardboard beds in the Olympic village prevented casual sex by collapsing under sudden movement or extra weight.
The official Olympics Twitter account was quick to set the record straight on these rumours. They stated the beds are not designed to stop intimacy but have been introduced to encourage sustainability.
While the ridiculous story about the ‘sexless beds’ was fake news, it did prompt people to ask another question. Does having sex actually affect performance in sports?
It’s been thought or suggested in the past that sex will affect an athlete’s performance while in competition.
Remember when boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr said he was abstaining from sex until after his big fight against Conor McGregor. And then there was the ‘sex ban’ at the 2016 Euros…
So, is there any truth to this idea that having sex can worsen or affect sporting performance?
Most studies suggest there is no negative impact on an athlete’s aerobic/strength performance when there are several hours between sex and the competition.’
A 2016 study, published in Frontiers in Physiology, found no link between sex and fitness performance. So the short and long of it is no- sex it up!
