
The Myth of Athletic Perfomance and Sex
September 27, 2012
Have you ever heard the myth that athletes shouldn’t have sex before a game or a match?
Being an athlete, I was astonished to find out that some coaches of Olympians used to tell their athletes not to have sex before an event, since they thought it might negatively affect the athlete’s performance in a game.
To me, this is a completely crazy idea; even crazier is the idea that people bought into it until as recently as the 1950s and 60s. There was no scientific evidence to back it up, and people were still convinced it was true. This was because they did not understand sexual functioning. Maybe if they had had good sex ed, this myth would have never existed. Of course there are other myths like this today, which is why we still need comprehensive sex ed.
Without sex ed, I would have never known that sex does not have a negative impact on athletic performance. As long as athletic competitors get enough sleep, avoid alcohol and cigarettes and stay hydrated they should have a great performance.