Spex...you are wondering what it is, aren't you...well...it's a term I made up by mixing two words : SPORT and SEX. What's about them? Well...they have several things in common. I'm not gonna discuss all of them. Just the one that might be interesting for athletes. Here we go...Sex Before Athletic Competition - Fact or Myth. As an athlete I have been wondering about it, so I did a little research on the topic. Here is what I found.
Athletes have long perpetuated the theory that sex before competition zaps energy. Muhammad Ali, for one, reportedly wouldn't make love for six weeks before a fight. Does sex have any affect on athletic performance? Absolutely not, says Dr. Tommy Boone, a professor of Exercise Psychology at The College of St. Scholastica. Back in 1995, Boone commissioned a study to prove just that. He ran two series of tests on 11 males after maximum physical exertion on a treadmill. One day the subjects had intercourse 12 hours before the test. Another day they didn't. And the results were nearly identical. However there are scientists who would argue that and 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. After three months without sex, which is not so uncommon for some athletes, testosterone dramatically drops to levels close to children's levels. Having sex increases testosterone levels, which causes an increase in strength, aggression and competitiveness," the Times reported the document as saying. "Conversely, not having sex for a few months causes a significant drop." Perhaps this helps explain the beliefs of Washington Capitols star Alexander Ovechkin, who said: "Sex really does help. Before and after." Or former Brazilian soccer star Romario, once a roommate of Dunga's, who told Brazil's Trip magazine, "When I do it before a game, I feel different. I feel lighter, my legs are more nimble. If I don't have sex on the day before a game, something will be missing."
What's more 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.
Here is what captured my attention as a high jumper, here comes my favorite part: There may be some difference here between the sexes. Israeli scientist Alexander Olshanietzky has said that women compete better after orgasm, especially high jumpers and runners. :))
Now...adding my own thoughts...according to my own experience I can not really pick a side. To be honest no bad or particular good effects on my athletic performance were noticed. Or maybe I just haven't really concentrated on that issue in detail. However my own athletic doctor suggests athletes to have a regular moderate sexual activity. Apparently it helps to keep the good healthy level of hormones that is so crucial for athletes and their performance.
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