2026-09-28T00:15:58Zhttps://riubu.ubu.es/oai/request

oai:riubu.ubu.es:10259/121302026-09-24T00:05:35Zcom_10259_11209com_10259_5086com_10259_2604col_10259_11210

Fernández Lázaro, Diego 16276ee1-055a-40d4-a68f-43a24bde4210 600 Garrosa, Manuel 8a3f4493-8ae8-4072-9069-729c6344e4ea 600 Santamaría, Gema 0203952d-0e8b-4fc0-9e92-4ff0b5b6466a 600 Roche, Enrique 767d4adb-b0f4-4e2d-8b81-a4f4bf5e2f7b 600 Izquierdo, José María 7fcbeca0-17ed-4ebc-a459-fcc25aaf56a2 Seco Calvo, Jesús e0753cdf-9ba7-42f9-b316-53b54cb4bbe4 600 Mielgo Ayuso, Juan 627 600 0000-0002-6554-4602 2026-09-23T09:35:18Z 2026-09-23T09:35:18Z 2026-01 0031-9384 https://hdl.handle.net/10259/12130 10.1016/J.PHYSBEH.2025.115203 Background: The influence of sexual activity prior to exercise on athletic performance remains controversial. While pre-competition abstinence is commonly advised, scientific evidence on its physiological impact is limited and inconsistent. Methods: A randomized crossover study was conducted in 21 well-trained male athletes (age 22 ± 1 y) to compare the acute effects of masturbation-induced orgasm versus sexual abstinence performed 30 min before testing. Each participant completed an incremental cycling test and an isometric handgrip strength test under both conditions. Blood samples were analyzed for muscle damage (CK, LDH, Mb), inflammatory (CRP, IL-6), and hormonal (testosterone, cortisol, LH) markers. Results: Compared with abstinence, the post-masturbation condition resulted in a longer exercise duration (+3.2%, p< 0.01) and higher heart rate (p< 0.001), accompanied by a small increase in mean handgrip strength (p< 0.05). Lower plasma LDH levels (p< 0.001) indicated reduced muscle stress. Testosterone and cortisol concentrations were significantly higher (both p< 0.001), whereas inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6) showed no significant change. Conclusions: 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. Application/pdf eng Elsevier Physiology &amp; Behavior. 2026, V. 307, art. 115203 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115203 Atribución 4.0 Internacional http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Exercise performance Testosterone Cortisol Muscle damage biomarkers Entrenamiento deportivo Coaching (Athletics) Sexual activity before exercise influences physiological response and sports performance in high-level trained men athletes info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Physiology & Behavior 307 115203 THUMBNAIL Fernandez-pb_2026.pdf.jpg Fernandez-pb_2026.pdf.jpg IM Thumbnail image/jpeg 4922 https://riubu.ubu.es/bitstream/10259/12130/4/Fernandez-pb_2026.pdf.jpg 9bdccbd430f6adead724ab2025bf9299 MD5 4 LICENSE license.txt license.txt text/plain; charset=utf-8 1362 https://riubu.ubu.es/bitstream/10259/12130/3/license.txt 5d013bfa6e473ff0db22cd82a4d71a70 MD5 3 CC-LICENSE license_rdf license_rdf application/rdf+xml; charset=utf-8 908 https://riubu.ubu.es/bitstream/10259/12130/2/license_rdf 0175ea4a2d4caec4bbcc37e300941108 MD5 2 ORIGINAL Fernandez-pb_2026.pdf Fernandez-pb_2026.pdf application/pdf 3057063 https://riubu.ubu.es/bitstream/10259/12130/1/Fernandez-pb_2026.pdf dfdb6356c0afcf285a508ff5f4a26d77 MD5 1 10259/12130 oai:riubu.ubu.es:10259/12130 2026-09-24 02:05:35.718 Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos bubrep@ubu.es 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