Article: Masturbating Before vs. After a Competition
Masturbating Before vs. After a Competition
Athletes are a superstitious lot. For instance, despite being debatably the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan would wear his college basketball shorts underneath his Chicago Bulls shorts, believing they would give him luck. Three-time Super Bowl quarterback Patrick Mahomes always wears red underwear every game, and highly decorated tennis player Naomi Osaka arranges her water bottles in a certain way.
There is another superstition that you may also have come across: that sex or masturbation is not good before competition. This seems to be the case particularly in fighting sports like boxing or MMA. This concept is so widespread that it is even expressed in films like Rocky with the famous “Women. Weaken. Legs!” line. Is this true, though? Is it better to wait until after a competition to rub one out, or is this just another masturbation myth that has been passed through the years?
Contents
The Myth
The myth behind sexual activity before a competition has lived on for decades. In boxing, the basis of the myth was that sexual activity would drain a fighter of their energy, thus increasing the risk of losing. More recent advocates of abstaining from masturbation before a competition might focus more on the testosterone aspect, claiming that jerking off lowers testosterone levels.
While a small study showed that this is technically true, it was not in the way people who are against masturbation claim. Yes, testosterone did decrease after ejaculation, but that is only because testosterone actually rose to higher levels before ejaculation; the decrease was testosterone returning to the original levels.
While short-term levels of testosterone seem unaffected by rubbing one out, it is worth noting that there is still not enough research on the long-term effects.
How Masturbation Could Help Performance
There is a wide range of benefits that can come from masturbation, and some of them could indirectly help your athletic performance. For example, studies have shown that poor sleep can affect athletic factors such as speed, muscular strength, cognitive performance, and decision-making; all very important for athletes who wish to reach elite levels.
You know what can help you get a good night's sleep? That’s right, masturbation. In one study, it was found that both men and women reported better sleep if they achieved an orgasm before going to bed. This may be due to higher levels of oxytocin and prolactin, two chemicals that play a role in sleep.
Not convinced? Ok then, how about stress? High-level sports are just as much of a mental game as physical, but stress can also tamper with your body in ways that could affect your performance, such as:
- Muscle Tension
- Poor sleep
- Reducing immune system effectiveness
- Poor ability to focus
Once again, masturbation is here to save the day. Some studies have found that masturbation reduces some of the stress and anxiety that people feel. This is done thanks to reducing cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress.
Masturbating Before vs. After a Competition
Like everything else in the world of physical activity, it really depends on what works best for you. Three-time world heavyweight boxing champ, Muhammad Ali, claimed that he wouldn’t have sex six weeks before a fight because he thought it gave him a mental edge. On the other hand, a two-time heavyweight boxing champ, Tyson Fury, claimed that jerking off seven times a day helped him win fights thanks to a boost in testosterone.
As you can see, different things work for different people. Experiment, see what works best for you, and stick with it. Who knows, maybe masturbating before a match with a male sex toy is just the thing you need to push to the next level.
Summary
Hopefully, this clears up any fears of ruining a potential sports career with a couple of masturbation sessions. Masturbation is a victim of a lot of myths about how it can ruin your life, which is simply not true. If you are curious about these myths and want to learn about the facts that disprove them, you can learn more here!
