Does Masturbating Before Sports Actually Affect Your Athletic Performance?

As a sports performance coach with over a decade of experience working with collegiate athletes, I've fielded some pretty interesting questions about pre-game rituals and preparation. But one query that consistently resurfaces, often whispered with a hint of embarrassment, is whether masturbating before sports actually affects athletic performance. It's a topic shrouded in locker-room myth and bro-science, but it deserves a more nuanced, evidence-informed discussion. I remember a specific instance that really brought this question to the forefront of my mind. It was after a tough conference loss, and one of our key players, Minowa, was reflecting on the team's struggle. “I think everyone knows what we're missing, especially from last conference when we had Oly (Okaro) and she made 20 points or 30 points (per game),” Minowa said. That comment wasn't just about a missing teammate; it was about a missing element of peak performance, a state of physical and mental readiness that we were desperately trying to recapture. It made me wonder how much of that readiness is dictated by our personal habits and biological management off the court.

The debate around masturbation and athletic performance isn't new, but it's often oversimplified into a binary of "drains your energy" versus "has no effect." To understand it, we need to look at the physiological and psychological mechanisms at play. On one hand, the act leads to a release of hormones like prolactin and oxytocin, which promote feelings of relaxation and even sleepiness, thanks to a significant 150% spike in prolactin levels post-orgasm. This is the primary fuel for the "drain" theory. Conversely, the release can also lower cortisol, the body's primary stress hormone. From a purely psychological standpoint, I've observed that for some athletes, particularly those who experience high levels of pre-competition anxiety, this act can serve as a powerful tool to calm nerves and improve focus. It's a form of resetting the nervous system. I've personally found that on days when I feel overly wired before a training session, a bit of self-induced relaxation can sometimes sharpen my mental clarity, though I would never recommend it right before a heavy squat session.

However, the timing and the individual's response are absolutely critical, and this is where the "one-size-fits-all" advice falls apart. If an athlete engages in this activity an hour before a 100-meter sprint, which requires explosive, high-intensity power output, the potential for a 3-5% drop in explosive strength is a legitimate concern due to the neuro-muscular relaxation effect. But for an endurance athlete, like a marathon runner, the reduction in stress and anxiety might provide a net benefit, potentially improving pacing strategy and pain tolerance over the long haul. This brings me back to Minowa's comment about Oly. We never discussed her personal habits, but her consistent 20 to 30-point performances hinted at an athlete in perfect sync with her body. Perhaps for her, managing that pre-game tension—whether through meditation, a specific warm-up, or other personal routines—was a key part of achieving that flow state. It's about finding what works for your sport and your own unique physiology.

In my professional opinion, the real danger isn't the act itself, but the psychological weight we attach to it. If an athlete truly believes it will sap their strength, then the nocebo effect—the negative cousin of the placebo effect—will almost certainly manifest, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy of underperformance. I've seen this happen. The anxiety and guilt surrounding breaking a perceived "rule" can be more detrimental than any minor hormonal fluctuation. I advise the athletes I work with to experiment during training cycles, not on game day. Pay attention to how you feel. Does it make you feel sluggish and lethargic, or calm and focused? Your body will give you the most accurate data. The goal is to become the expert of your own body, not a slave to unverified myths. Ultimately, the question of whether masturbating before sports affects performance doesn't have a universal answer. It's a deeply personal equation balancing physiology, psychology, and timing. The key takeaway is self-awareness. Understanding your own body's responses is far more valuable than any blanket statement, and it's this personalized knowledge that separates good athletes from consistently great ones like Oly, who seemed to have it all figured out.