Sexual activity before exercise influences physiological response and sports performance in high-level trained men athletes

IF 2.7 3区医学 Q2 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

Physiology & Behavior Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-11 DOI:10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115203

Diego Fernández-Lázaro , Manuel Garrosa , Gema Santamaría , Enrique Roche , José María Izquierdo , Jesús Seco-Calvo , Juan Mielgo-Ayuso

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

The influence of sexual activity prior to exercise on athletic performance remains controversial. While pre-competition abstinence is commonly advised, scientific evidence on its physiological impact is limited and inconsistent.

Methods

A randomized crossover study was conducted in 21 well-trained male athletes (age 22 ± 1 y) to compare the acute effects of masturbation-induced orgasm versus sexual abstinence performed 30 min before testing. Each participant completed an incremental cycling test and an isometric handgrip strength test under both conditions. Blood samples were analyzed for muscle damage (CK, LDH, Mb), inflammatory (CRP, IL-6), and hormonal (testosterone, cortisol, LH) markers.

Results

Compared with abstinence, the post-masturbation condition resulted in a longer exercise duration (+3.2%, p< 0.01) and higher heart rate (p< 0.001), accompanied by a small increase in mean handgrip strength (p< 0.05). Lower plasma LDH levels (p< 0.001) indicated reduced muscle stress. Testosterone and cortisol concentrations were significantly higher (both p< 0.001), whereas inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6) showed no significant change.

Conclusions

Masturbation 30 min before exercise elicited mild sympathetic and hormonal activation without detrimental effects on performance or muscle damage. These findings suggest that pre-exercise sexual activity does not impair athletic capacity in trained men, challenging the long-standing myth of mandatory abstinence before competition.

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运动前性行为影响高水平男性运动员的生理反应和运动表现。

背景：运动前性行为对运动成绩的影响仍有争议。虽然赛前禁欲通常被建议，但其生理影响的科学证据有限且不一致。方法：对21名训练有素的男性运动员（22±1岁）进行随机交叉研究，比较在测试前30分钟进行自慰性高潮和性禁欲的急性效果。在两种情况下，每个参与者都完成了增量循环测试和等长握力测试。分析血液样本的肌肉损伤（CK、LDH、Mb）、炎症（CRP、IL-6）和激素（睾酮、皮质醇、LH）标志物。结果：与禁欲相比，自慰后运动时间延长（+3.2%,p < 0.01），心率提高（p < 0.001），平均握力略有增加（p < 0.05）。较低的血浆LDH水平（p < 0.001）表明肌肉应激减轻。睾酮和皮质醇浓度显著升高（均p < 0.001），而炎症标志物（CRP, IL-6）无显著变化。结论：运动前30分钟手淫引起轻度交感神经和激素激活，但对运动表现或肌肉损伤没有不利影响。这些发现表明，运动前的性行为不会损害受过训练的男性的运动能力，挑战了长期以来关于比赛前强制禁欲的神话。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Physiology & Behavior 医学-行为科学

CiteScore

5.70

自引率

3.40%

发文量

274

审稿时长

47 days

期刊介绍： Physiology & Behavior is aimed at the causal physiological mechanisms of behavior and its modulation by environmental factors. The journal invites original reports in the broad area of behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, in which at least one variable is physiological and the primary emphasis and theoretical context are behavioral. The range of subjects includes behavioral neuroendocrinology, psychoneuroimmunology, learning and memory, ingestion, social behavior, and studies related to the mechanisms of psychopathology. Contemporary reviews and theoretical articles are welcomed and the Editors invite such proposals from interested authors.