No banging before a big game

> Is sex really a big deal?

Carlos Bilan
Staff Writer

 

Fo some reason, there seems to be
an almost universal belief in the
world of sports that athletes must
abstain from sex before big games or
sporting events. The boxing legend
Muhammad Ali, who abstained from
sex for weeks before entering the ring,
is a notable example. Even during

the World Cup in 2014, many football
(soccer) coaches representing different
countries openly mentioned to
reporters that they were banning their
teams from having sex.

It does sound reasonable when
you think of possible reasons why
having sex before a big game could be
disadvantageous. If you're into rough
and rigorous sex, then it makes sense
that athletes should reserve their
energy the night before and save it for
a big game.

What about masturbation? It’s
apparently also advisable to abstain
from that as well. This belief stems
from the fear that testosterone levels
may be lowered after ejaculation.
Having a lot of testosterone is

 

considered positive in sports, because
you are more pumped up and
energetic.

Although not many acknowledge
the possible origin, the idea of
abstinence before a big sporting
event is actually linked to traditional
Chinese medicine and Ancient Greek
philosophy, which believed that a
man’s semen represents energy and

strength, respectively.

However, there’s a big problem
with all of this. There is really no
scientific evidence to support the
belief that having sex hinders athletic
performance. When looking at the
existing research, the results are
inconclusive. According to a review
by Ian Schier of “Does Sex the
Night Before Competition Decrease

From the bottom right to the top

> Royals basketball faces off against mismatches

Davie Wong
Sports Editor

 

It’s been a long time coming for the
Royals. After a winter break full of
mental rest and physical training, the
teams were back at it on the court this
week to restart the PACWEST season.
They faced off against the struggling
Bearcats on Thursday, who are still
looking for their first win.

The women got the action started.
Right from the start, the game was
slated in the Royals’ favour. Their
ability to lockdown the other team was
on point in the first half. The Royals
racked up 33 points, while limiting their
opponents to only 10.

The Bearcats had a better showing
in the second, putting up 20 points in
the last half of the game, but it wasn’t
enough as the Royals cruised to a 83-30
victory. Several Royals had huge games,
including Rachel Beauchamp, who
ended the night with 21 points; Ellen
Fallis, who finished with 11 points; and
Simran Bir, who rained 15 points down
on the Bearcats.

The men faced off right after, with
the Royals again taking the upper hand
right from the start. Fifty-one points
from the men gave them a hefty lead
by half time. The Bearcats fell nearly 30
points behind, and couldn't recover. The
Royals finished strongly in the second
half of the game as well. Final score was
86-57, Royals.

A hefty number of male players
had fantastic games on the scoresheet

i ai

as well. Five players scored points in the
double digits, including four starters,
but the best player on the court that
night had to be Reese Morris. Morris
had 10 points and 10 rebounds for his
first double-double of the season.

    

 

With another win under their
belt, the Royals went back to the
lower mainland to face off against
the PACWEST’s best in the league,
the Capilano Blues, For the women,
it was a chance to avenge their loss in

Image via thinkstock

 

Image via douglascollegeroyals.ca

Performance?” published in the
Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, the
results of a late night of sexscapades
depend on how a person perceives
sex. He also mentions that it will be
very difficult for researchers to control
the factors related to sexual behavior
because of the abundant number of
variables that must be considered.
Another problem is how this belief
does not include women in the bigger
picture. If the release of testosterone
seems to be the main concern, then is
it okay for women to have sex before
a competition since women only
produce relatively small quantities of
testosterone? There is no scientific
evidence to support this notion, either.
It can be concluded that
abstaining from sex before sports is
simply a superstition in the world of
sports. If you see sex as something out
of your usual routine or something that
will use a lot of your energy—there are
some people who aren't too vanilla—
then maybe you should get a good
night’s sleep. On the other hand, if you
think that having sex could make you
less nervous and help you relax before
the game, then just make sure you
don’t pull an all-nighter.

their season opener and to even up the
record, as the Blues were the only team
to defeat them in the first split of the
season.

Even though it was the Blues’ first
game back from the winter break, the
Capilano team seemed to have the
Royals’ number in the first quarter,
scoring 14 to the Royals’ 10. But the
Douglas squad locked down in the
second and only allowed six points
while scoring 12 of their own to take the
lead heading into halftime, leaving the
score 22-20.

The lead would only last partway
through the third, as the Blues came
back swinging after the break. The
game was a battle all the way until the
end, but at the last whistle, the lead still
belonged to the Blues. Despite fantastic
performances from Rachel Beauchamp
(17 points), Sarah Jorgenson (11 points),
and Simran Bir (10 points), the women’s
team fell to the Blues, 60-54.

The men took on the Blues that
night as well with hopes that theirs
would be a different fate. They took
destiny into their own hands with a
massive first quarter, racking up 24
points. They followed it up with a 13
point quarter leading into half time,
with an u point lead, at 37-27.

However, the second half saw the
Blues storm into action and steal both
the lead and the game away from the
Royals. Though Sheldon Derton (13
points), Malcolm Mensah (17 points),
and Reese Morris (16 points) all had
great games, the Blues would ultimately
win, 79-72.