newjerseynewsroom.com

BY CHRISTINE VALDEZ

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Stretching and warming up have been tips that athletes have used in the past to get ready for competition, but now it doesn’t seem to be that way.

The latest myth surrounding the world of sports is that sex can be a power booster for athletes prior to sporting event. At the Tecnologico de Monterry, Juan Carlos Medina, general coordinator of the sports department believes that sex can have benefits for athletes.

“It helps you feel relaxed and sexually, mentally and physically satisfied,” said Medina to CNN Mexico. “This contributes to reduce the athlete’s anxiety levels before an important match.”

Antonio Miguel, head of medical services at the Club Universidad Nacional Pumas, a Mexican soccer club believes that sex helps district the mind from any mental fatigue and helps district an athlete from the competition.

During the London 2012 Olympic games, the International Olympic Committee distributed 150,00 condoms to athletes according to CNN. Several athletes have spoken about athletes having sexual encounters in the Olympic village.

In an interview with ESPN Magazine U.S women’s soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo told the magazine that there’s plenty of sexual encounters in the Olympic village that people have been out in the open about it.

“There’s a lot of sex going on,” said Hope to ESPN Magazine.“With a once-in-a-lifetime experience, you want to build memories, whether it’s sexual, partying or on the field. I’ve seen people having sex right out in the  open. On the grass, between buildings, people are getting down and dirty.”

Even U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte told ESPN Magazine that about 75 percent of the athletes hook up at the games.

Over the years sex was believed to weaken an athlete’s performance. Medina also mentions that in the late 50’s and 60’s people believed that sex have an impact on performance and that coaches would give athletes nitrate salt, a substance that was used to prevent erections, so athletes would not inhibit sexual desires.

“At the end of the 50’s and beginning of the 60’s people thought that sex diminished the players’ performance,” said Miguel to CNN Mexico.

Although the views about sex before a competition have changed, there is no scientific evidence that it boosts an athlete’s performance.