There has been a long-standing myth that professional athletes should avoid sexual activity before a big game as it could hinder their performance. Well, some Italian researchers put this myth to the test. Not only did they find that sex before a game doesn’t hurt athlete performance, but the research suggests it may actually improve it.
The researchers reviewed nine studies that looked at the impact of sexual activity on sports performance.
Lead author Laura Stefani said, “Abstaining from sexual activity before athletic competition is a controversial topic in the world of sport. We show no robust scientific evidence to indicate that sexual activity has a negative effect upon athletic results.”
Stefani concluded, “We clearly show that this topic has not been well investigated and only anecdotal stories have been reported. 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.”
The researchers concluded that athletes do not need to feel guilty for giving into their temptations before the game day.