Sexual activity before exercise influences physiological response and sports performance in high-level trained men athletes
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.
Authors
- Manuel Garrosa
- Enrique Roche (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5128-1672)
- Diego Fernández‐Lázaro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6522-8896)
- José María Izquierdo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7248-7298)
- Gema Santamaría (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6521-2053)
- Juan Mielgo‐Ayuso (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6554-4602)
- Jesús Seco‐Calvo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7818-9777)
Institutions
- Universidad de Valladolid (ES)
- Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (ES)
- Universidad de Burgos (ES)
- Universidad de León (ES)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physiology & Behavior
- Published
- 2025-12-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115203
- Primary Topic
- Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Universidad de Valladolid
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III
- European Regional Development Fund