Whether or not we are athletes we have all heard this “rule”, “no sex before a competition”, this theory has been around for ages, for instance Greek philosopher Plato wrote in 444 BC that “Olympic competitors before races should avoid sexual intimacy” and this continues to apply today in pretty much every sport; for boxers and MMA fighters for example sex is not an option for at least a month or month and a half before a big fight, that’s why they go to training camps away from their homes, usually even in different countries.

Why? Well, in the movie Rocky, Rocky’s trainer Mickey tell him “Women weaken legs” … is this true? there are several scientific and non-scientific reasons behind this, but mostly the belief that abstaining from sex for several weeks will make athletes more aggressive, while having sex will weaken their performance, others think it has more to do with energy and testosterone levels, while others see sex as a distraction. The controversy has always existed, some trainers and athletes believe it and stand by it, while others say this is just a “myth” and even claim it helps them relax.

However, a new study published by “Frontiers in Physiology” says “there is no robust scientific evidence to indicate that sexual activity has a negative effect upon athletic results”. The research included going over hundreds of studies that examined the impact of sex on athletic performance. Of the nine more relevant studies, researchers found that none of them had systematically addressed the question of whether sex really affects sport performance.

“Unless it takes place less than two hours before, evidence suggests sexual activity may have a beneficial effect on sports performance” said lead researcher Laura Stefani from the University of Florence in Italy.

The study also points out that there’s been more research done on male athletes than female athletes, and there are no comparisons of the effects across genders. Actually former female MMA champion Ronda Rousey said in an interview with Showtime in 2012 “For girls, it raises your testosterone, so I try to have as much sex as possible before I fight“.

Some trainers have stated that part of the reason they maintain the rule of no sex before an important sporting event has to do w0ith wanting to avoid athletes staying out late or not getting enough rest.

Whatever the case may be, it appears that there is no scientific evidence connecting sex with better or worse athletic performance, and perhaps this is something that affects every individual in different ways, working in favor or against them depending on each particular case.