Sex before a race?

"If you want people to read your blog, write about sex". This is the advise I got from my friend who actually made me start this blog. And is just about the only reader - yet.  Faithful to the main theme of this site - endurance sports - I decided to take this opportunity to address the most important question an athlete can ask: "Is it good or bad to have sex the night before a race?"

I have heard both pros and cons. Those in favour of it claim that a little workout between the sheets the night before a race will help you approach the competition at hand in a rational way. You will be relaxed, calm, confident and less likely to let those shaky nerves ruin your game plan. Those who are against it claim that abstinence the last few days before a race will give you the necessary aggression to push yourself to the limit, raise the pain barrier and give your opponents a real fight all the way to the finish line. They also claim that if sex-starved, you will be less likely to succumb to any mind games the competition will throw at you.

My own research on this matter has been inconclusive, i.e., there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer.  I´m leaning towards the conclusion that it all depends - to a large degree - on the race at hand.  If it is a long distance race, where the pace is a bit slower but you nee to have a clear mind, good tactics, a solid game plan as well as a smooth, effective and energy-saving technique, sex might actually be a good idea (as long as you manage to restrain yourself a little bit, in order not to wear yourself out totally). If, on the other hand, it is a short distance race, where explosive power, pace and aggression are the keys to success, then abstinence is likely to help you develop the necessary mood for success.

Further research is necessary, though.