In the last couple of weeks, sex ruled not only the sports headlines, but the tabloid ones as well, with the sordid saga of Tiger Woods.
Sex in sports showed its power in a completely different manner’s appeal is driving the continued rise of Patrick. It's powerful enough to do that for someone who looks good but hasn't exactly earned her way. Conversely, sex is powerful enough to turn a Tiger into a cheetah, as the popular joke goes. Woods has played his way to the top of sport, becoming the richest athlete in the world by dominating a finicky game like golf in a way that's never been done before. His 14 major championships at age 33 solidify his greatness. But sex can topple a titan, even one who has earned every step of success.
There is a both outrageous and quality journalism going around. Some talk about sex appeal and some talk about the act itself. thing have been proven again by both cases: Sex does, indeed, sell, whether it's by the marketing machine of NASCAR or to the insatiable appetite of society for the dirty details of celebrities' personal lives.
Before this animalistic analysis shifts into second gear, it must be made perfectly clear that these are two totally different areas of the sex spectrum. lol
Berti Vogts, the German football manager in 1994, banned his players from sex before games. Linford Christie, the British sprinter, agreed with the notion, saying a romp the night before a race made his legs feel like lead.
Athletes have long perpetuated the theory that sex before competition zaps energy. Muhammad Ali, for one, reportedly wouldn't make love for six weeks before a fight.But scientists say there is no physiological evidence to suggest that sex before competition is bad. In fact, some studies suggest that pre-sports sex may actually aid athletes by raising their testosterone levels, for example.It is unclear, however, what psychological effects sex may have on an athlete's performance. Some scientists suggest that abstinence could help some athletes concentrate better.
"There are two possible ways sex before competition could affect performance," said Ian Shrier, a sports medicine specialist at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. "First, it could make you tired and weak the next day," Shrier said. "This has been disproved. "The second way is that it could affect your psychological state of mind. This has not been tested," he said.
The hormone of both sexual desire and aggression are from the body.
Still less is known about the psychological effects of sex on athletic performance.
Some experts say coaches may be favoring the abstinence theory simply because they want to make sure young athletes get enough sleep before a big game. Too much anxiety or too much aggression may result in poor performance. "If athletes are too anxious and restless the night before an event, then sex may be a relaxing distraction," Shrier wrote in his study. "If they are already relaxed or, like some athletes, have little interest in sex the night before a big competition, then a good night's sleep is all they need." The results will depend on individual preferences and routines, Shrier said, adding that consistency is key.
Does Good Sex Make Sports Heroes? Here are the two opposing perspectives from sports greats themselves. Muhammad Ali, believing it sapped an athlete's strength, wouldn't have sex for six weeks before a fight. The ancient Yankee philosopher, Casey Stengel, on the other hand, quotith: "I'm less worried about a player having sex the night before a game than him being out all night looking for it."
It’s an irresistible mix says the researchers. Sex and sports inseparable? The question brings to mind two historic sports heroes. Wilt Chamberlain claims he had sex with 20,000 different females or 1.37 women per day over a period of 40 years, from the age of 15. He further states because of such encounters he slept not a wink the night before he scored an astonishing 100 points in a National Basketball Association game.
"Babe" Ruth was equally notorious for countless liaisons, but sex did not seem to affect his legendary baseball records. However, it was Hank Aaron, a presumably straight-shooting, early-to-bedder, who broke Ruth's record of 714 regular season home runs. Could a well-rested, sexually-restrained Ruth have hit 800 or 1,000?
Must a sexually active athlete sacrifice success in the world of sports? For decades the answer was a definitive "yes." Sex, said many coaches and trainers, stunted athletes' potential and shortened their careers. This nostrum, probably based on an 18th-century notion about preserving vital body fluids, is fast losing support as a result of modern scientific study.
There seems to be no penalty in combining sex and athletics, according to sports medicine director John Troup, M.D. "Unless it becomes distracting, it might even help some people sleep," he says.
Most experts agree no evidence exists to support the old taboos.
"Moderate" sex before competition may indeed be beneficial, according to George Leonard, author of The Physiology of Sex. Leonard lauds the benefits of the "rapturous synergy of exercise and sex" and concludes, "Either sex or athletics is good for you, and in conjunction they're even better."
The loss of even one night's sleep is likely to result in fatigue, irritability and mood shifts. "At a certain level, the physical differences a competitor can feel are small, but there are no bounds to what can be done mentally," says Sue Hollaway, the first woman to compete in two Olympics during the same year (skiing and kayaking, 1976).
Research indicates sleep loss undermines creative thinking (spontaneity, flexibility and originality) and the ability to deal with unfamiliar situations.Physiology professor Bruce Martin agrees. "Humans can respond remarkably well when aroused," he says. "Sleep doesn't matter when athletes are fired up for competition."
Author Charles Garfield dissents. "No one lives in a constant state of arousal. More important is maintaining the energy to do good work consistently."
Time of day is a performance factor. The consensus? Consistency is the key..
Come to think of it, I’d like to do that research. Anyway, until some research is conducted, your guess is as good as mine as to whether sexual relations will hinder athletic performance. So until then …trial and error. Look at the bright side though, the trial and the error is going to hurt so g-o-o-d.
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