At the London Olympic Games, 150,000 condoms were given to the 10,500 athletes competing. Sure, sex is good for your fitness levels, and can help athletes de-stress before the world watches them compete, but couldn’t sex damage their performance? Don’t men, in particular, need all the testosterone they can get before the big event? According to researchers of a 14-study review, sex the night before competition has no effect on physiological test results. However, wellness experts have suggested that more research is needed on the topic of sexual activity and athletic performance.
For one study, the researchers gave 14 married male former athletes a maximum-effort grip strength test the morning after coitus. The men were given the same test following at least 6 days of abstinence, and the results showed that sex the previous night had not affected the men’s strength or endurance. When University of Colorado researchers did a follow up with 10 fit, married men, ages 18-45 years old, sexual activity had no impact on grip strength, balance, lateral movement, reaction time, aerobic power or VO2max (treadmill test).
The reviewers commented, ‘There is an optimal level of alertness/anxiety before a competition, and a poor performance will result from either being too anxious or not alert enough. If athletes are too anxious and restless the night before an event, then sex may be a relaxing distraction. If they are already relaxed or, like some athletes, have little interest in sex the night before a big competition, then a good night’s sleep is all they need. This theory predicts that the results will be dependent on individual preferences and routines. The night before an important race is not a good time for drastic changes in routine. Consistency is the key.’
According to Martin Milton, an expert in psychotherapeutic and counselling psychology at the University of Surrey, the effect of sex is rather subjective; depending very much on who’s doing it, how often, for how long and in what way. ‘If it’s “up all night swinging from the rafters” type sex we’re talking about, then obviously the athlete is not going to be getting enough sleep or rest and their mind isn’t on the job,’ he said. ‘So that might well be more the issue than whether or not being involved in a short period of sex might be detrimental to someone’s performance.’
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