Sexual activity before a fight has long been forbidden in combat sports, as explained by trainer Mickey Goldmill (RIP) in the documentary Rocky.

Two nubile autograph seekers approach Rocky in the gym.

“Get outta here!” shouts Goldmill. “Don’t you ever interrupt me while I’m conductin’ business… Move your little chicken asses out.”

“You lay off that pet-shop dame… Women weaken legs.”

Rocky resists.

“Yeah, but I really like this girl,” he explains.

The trainer is unmoved.

“Then let her train ya!” he shouts.

The fighter relents.

“OK,” he agrees. “No more foolin’ around… OK, now hit (the heavy bag).”

The fighter has one last question.

“Women weaken legs, huh?” he asks.

However, a new generation of science-driven fighters as exemplified by Ronda Rousey no longer holds the same old superstitions. ‘Rowdy’ appeared on the Jim Rome Show.

“My Godfather is a doctor,” she explained. “And he told me that with men, it does temporarily lower your testosterone. But for women it raises it! And so it’s actually good for you before competition.

“I was like – good to know! Plus you’re so stressed out. There’s a lot of anxiety leading up to a fight. It helps. I find it helps.”

Regardless of which side of the debate you are on, there is little debate about the opinion of former New York Yankees manager Casey Stengel.

It’s not the sex that wrecks these guys,” he said. “It’s staying up all night looking for it.

There have been some small studies on the physiological effect of sex on athletic performance; they illuminated little.

However, the driving factor may be what the athlete believes.

In sports, people have all kinds of theories, even if it’s not medically substantiated. For instance: compression gear for speed and titanium necklaces for performance, said sports medicine physician Dr. Jordan Metzel.. We don’t have scientific evidence to back those claims, but if players think abstaining from sex helps them, it may give them a psychological edge.

And if you think it helps, it may help. What do you think?