Winter Olympians rejoice! Pre-exercise sex can BOOST performance

"Contrary to popular belief, scientists from the University of Valladolid have found that pre-exercise sex can actually boost performance. In their study, the team analysed the performance of male athletes 30 minutes after masturbating, and compared it to their performance after a week of abstinence. Surprisingly, they found that the athletes were able to exercise for longer, and were even stronger following sexual activity. According to the researchers, sex might act like a 'natural warm-up' for the nervous system."

"'Masturbation 30 min before exercise elicited mild sympathetic and hormonal activation without detrimental effects on performance or muscle damage,' the team explained. 'These findings suggest that pre-exercise sexual activity does not impair athletic capacity in trained men, challenging the long-standing myth of mandatory abstinence before competition.' From boxing to football, athletes across several sports are actively encouraged to avoid sex before competition, amid the belief that it will hinder their performance."

"In their new study, the team enlisted 21 male athletes aged 18-25, who compete at a high level in sports including basketball, long-distance running, and judo. The athletes visited the lab on two occasions, one week apart. Thirty minutes before their first visit, the athletes were asked to masturbate. On the second visit, they were asked to abstain from all sexual activity for a full seven days."

Scientists from the University of Valladolid tested 21 male athletes aged 18–25 who compete in sports such as basketball, long-distance running, and judo. Athletes completed exercise sessions 30 minutes after masturbation and again after seven days of sexual abstinence. Measurements included grip strength, endurance on a stationary bike, and blood levels of testosterone and cortisol. Results showed longer exercise duration and increased strength following sexual activity, alongside mild sympathetic and hormonal activation. No detrimental effects on performance or muscle damage were observed, challenging mandatory pre-competition abstinence assumptions.

Read at Mail Online