Sex and Football - Does sex affect player performance?

For many years there has been this whole myth about players should not have sex 1-2 days before a match as this will affect testosterone levels within in the body resulting in affected performance.. but is this really true?

Well the answer is no. This is just a suspicion which many sports still abide to as they 'believe' that no sex before a match helps performance when in fact no scientific evidence has been produced to back up this point. As World Soccer magazine states, "It's not the sex the night before, it's the staying up all night looking for it" which is also seen as another suspicion.

In truth it wasn't until the arrival of the psychologist Freud and his psychological and psychiatric disciplines in the late 19th century that the view of sex as a harmful activity was first thrown into the spotlight. Scientists are now studying sexual activity related to sports and with a lot of tests being carried out on a range of athletes from footballers to olympic runners there is yet to be any concrete evidence which supports the theory of sex before a match affects performance. A sports medicine scientist from McGill university in Canada, has carried out various tests and states that "The idea of sex can make an athlete tired and weak the next day has been disproved"

The chemistry has also been studied and it is found that far from the act of depriving the body from vital fluids it can actually increase the volume of testosterone within the blood.

Moments of Euphoria
It is not only testosterone however which affects performance as there are endorphins which are substances secreted into the brain during different types of physical activity including sex. They are said to be the cause of a "runner's high" which is when any athlete is able to continue running beyond their normal performance level and so is also seen as an enhancing effect.

Dr Francesca Romana Tiberi, an italian sexual practices expert says on the matter of sex affecting performance "Sex can work to reduce anxiety, both on a physical level and psychologically. sensible sexual activity helps the athlete counter pre-competition stress and helps the athlete appoach their sporting commitment in a more relaxed, calm manor"

So, as you can see there is no conclusive evidence to back up the suspicion that sex affects performance however tiredness does so you don't want to be up all night waiting for it.

'Make Goals, Not Love.' - World Soccer