For a very long time, it was the unwritten rule in the locker room: the night before competing, no sex 🤫
Coaches and athletes repeated it, convinced that this helped them concentrate better, conserve energy and arrive stronger. No one had really tested it. The myth endured because of the lack of studies and that “locker-room wisdom” passed from mouth to mouth.
A study led by Diego Fernández-Lázaro, of Universidad de Valladolid, has now put the idea to the test with 21 high-level male athletes, aged between 18 and 25, from basketball, athletics and judo. The conclusion: prior sexual activity does not harm performance. In fact, according to the report, those who engaged in sexual activity 30 minutes before exercise achieved 3,2% greater endurance.
