|
|
|
|
This is from Reuters News Service and should
make all you weekend warriors and other jocks happy: Contrary to popular wisdom that athletes should abstain from sex before a big event, Italian researchers said sex could enhance their performance by making them more aggressive. ‘‘The key is a player’s level of testosterone, the hormone related to both sex and aggression. Testosterone levels are known to be higher in men who are sexually active,’’ the British journal New Scientist said Nov. 24, 1999. New research by Emmanuele Jannini, of L’Aquila University in Italy, showed that testosterone levels rise after sex. `‘It’s an adaptive mechanism. If a man has sexual intercourse, testosterone causes him to desire the next sexual intercourse.’’ David Handelsman, a specialist in reproductive medicine at Australia’s Sydney University, described the research as thought provoking. "This is the first clear evidence in the vexed relationship between male sexuality and testosterone,’’ he said. The researchers said the decision about whether or not an athlete should have sex before an event should be based on whether the sport required aggression. "It’s a matter of the character of the athlete. If he needs to be more aggressive it’s better to have sex,’’ Jannini added.
|