Does Sex Blunt Athletes’ Edge?

Sex has gotten attention at the Olympics. Organizers are handing out 150,000 condoms to the more than 10,000 competitors at the games. For many decades, coaches have advised athletes to avoid sexual activity prior to competition. But the science to support that recommendation is a bit weak. The Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine published a review of studies a decade ago examining the relationship between sex and physiological performance. In most of the studies, no difference could be detected. That is to say, strength, flexibility and endurance were the same whether or not subjects had engaged in sexual activity the night before. No one knows whether people who abstain have a psychological edge in competition. Whether or not pre-competition sex is a problem, the mayor of London has suggested that the Olympics should “inspire a generation,” not “create a generation.”
[Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, Oct. 2000]