We spent days researching this topic. It’s important to know whether it’s ok to masturbate before going to the gym, or if this is something that’s best left til you’ve showered off. Unfortunately, the results of our research look very inconclusive. There are countless articles, forums, and feeds about each individual lifter’s opinions on the topic.
When asking the question, does masturbation affect your workout, the answer seems to be a resounding… maybe, kinda, yeah no.
Continuing our longstanding obsession with the male hormone, there appears to be a belief across the world wide web that beating one off will somehow drain the testosterone right out of your bloodstream and into oblivion.
Higher t-levels are associated with better athletic performance, whether that’s increased muscle growth or high levels of aggression and intensity. Achieving orgasm, either on your own or with the help of another, will increase your prolactin levels, and temporarily decrease your dopamine. However, while both of these hormones are often associated with testosterone, they don’t decrease the hormone itself.
Having sex on a semi-consistent basis (whatever that means) has shown to increase testosterone levels. And while a study in the World Journal of Urology found that men had higher T levels after abstaining for three weeks, other studies have shown that t-levels peak after a week without ‘release’, and tend to drop dramatically after day 7.
For those that choose to ignore the science, there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence that shows a temporary drop in performance in the gym after a performance between the sheets.
Other hormones that affect your training
While there may not be a drop in testosterone after orgasm, plenty of other hormones are still in play that could affect your next gym session. The release of oxytocin and prolactin into your body after orgasm could significantly decrease your immediate desire to go to the gym and train at all.
Known as the “cuddle hormone” by the more cutesy scientists, oxytocin combined with prolactin will make you feel good and want to sleep after you jizz; not ideal when you need to go and pick up heavy things or sprint uphill on a treadmill.
Does masturbation affect your gym performance?
Short answer, yes it can. Slightly longer answer, not so much that you shouldn’t do it. Just don’t masturbate for about 3-4 hours before you head to the gym and you should be fine.
Maybe wait until afterwards. Plus, that way you get to take full advantage of the post-gym horn.
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