Fasting Before Sex Should Compete?

Since the days of ancient Greek athletes have held fast to the concept of fasting sex before competing. This idea originated from a myth that states will reduce the levels of sex hormone testosterone so feared athletes are less aggressive when facing an opponent.
Sexual activity can reduce testosterone levels

Great philosopher Plato was the first person who raises this myth when writing about the Olympic champion Ikkos of Tarentum. According to the literature, Ikkos preparing for the Olympic games to 84 in the year 444 BC, by eating large portions of wild boar, goat cheese and meat, and avoid sexual activity. He worries that intercourse will reduce its strength.

According to an article published in Newsweek, the Romans did not agree with the idea that the Greek people. Year 77 AD Pliny the Elder, the Roman writer, wrote that the spirit which began to be kindled again sluggish with sexual intercourse. Since then, the concept of sex will reduce the performance of the athletes is becoming obsolete.

In early 1900, the legendary boxer Rocky Marciano fasting states have sex for a month before the game. Marciano was heavyweight boxer, who retired with a record has never been defeated.

In the mid-20th century, Muhammad Ali also admitted he had sex two months before the fast to the ring. Boxing legend says absent from the sex makes it more calm and not easily defeated. Ali is a boxing legend with a winning record that has not been broken 56 times with 37 knockouts from 61 matches.

Following in the footsteps of the senior, recently boxer Manny Pacquiao also said he was forced to "separate beds" with his wife prepare for the big game. He had met his wife in particular the visit and of course he did not hold back with sexual activity.

Not proven

For centuries the athletes adhere to this standard are fast making love for the sake of his best performances when competing. Not just boxers, athletes from other sports like American football Footbaal and follow them.

Ian Shrier, a sports medicine from McGill University says there are two reasons why the athletes are willing to stay away from sex before a game. First, sex is considered able to make athletes run out of energy and fatigue while playing. This myth was not proven.

Second, sexual activity the night before competing influences one's perspective. It is not yet known the truth of this second reason. "Sexual activity before the actual competition does not affect the strength, balance, endurance or speed of reaction of an athlete," says Shrier.

ESPN sports television channel had done research on this matter. They tested the athletes wrestling men and women to determine cardiovascular endurance and upper body strength and lower use sensors designed by the United States Boxing Association.

The wrestlers were asked to refrain from having sex a day before doing a series of tests. Then a day later they were allowed berintim-intimate with her partner and then retest. The results showed physically, testosterone levels of men and women wrestlers remain high even though they've had sex.

Tommy Boone, sports psychologist also said there is no scientific basis to support the myth of sex absences will improve performance. In the 1995 study of 11 athletes who perform a treadmill test, there was no difference in performance in athletes who missed having sex 12 hours prior to testing with athletes who have sex.

"There are physical changes when having sex, ie, heart rate increased from 70 bpm to 130 bpm. But compared with exertion when the game ball, the energy released during sex will not affect much, less than 25 percent," said the author of Sex Before Athletic Competition: Myth or Fact is.

The scientists also found that too long absent sex can actually decrease testosterone levels. After all calories are released when having sex is equivalent to up two flights of stairs so it is considered no effect.

Experts also say that it takes an athlete before a game is getting enough rest and avoid stress in order to focus on action to be faced. So if sex makes someone an athlete can sleep soundly, then why should be avoided?