The Sidelines : Benefit Noted in Pre-Game Sex

A psychology professor says having sex the night before a big game can improve an athlete’s performance--provided he or she does not get carried away.

University of British Columbia Prof. Susan Butt, Canada’s top-ranked female tennis player in the 1960s, said sex is a form of exercise and the same rules about overtraining apply as in sports.

“Depending on the athlete’s personality and physical makeup, sexual activity within reason might even enhance his or her performance,” she told Reuters in an interview.

“Too much exhausting activity wouldn’t be recommended for anybody,” said Butt, whose findings are published in a recent issue of Sports Medicine, a scientific journal published in New Zealand.

The findings were developed from a comprehensive review of the literature on the subject that includes references to more than 70 authors ranging from Sigmund Freud to Masters and Johnson.