Does sex affect your ability to build muscle?

You may have heard of coaches telling boxers to refrain from sex for up to 6 months before a fight as it can increase their aggression and recovery for the fight and may even improve overall performance with testosterone flooding the body.

Then there are powerlifter who when trying to build strength or compete who want that aggression and the power so they try to limit it.

There is a case for sex and depletion of energy yet I would always say look at your priorities, your lifestyle and your goal. Limiting sex isn’t going to make you stronger if your workout is rubbish and intensity is low. If you are looking at trying to slim down or keeping lean then sex is fantastic for keeping your body in shape as it’s a cardiovascular activity and it works the core, the glutes and the hips. Sex is also fantastic for your health and wellbeing as it releases the happy hormones decreasing stress and cortisol. Sex also helps you to feel intimate and to connect, so if you’re in a loving relationship or a sexual one and you both want sex daily and want to slim, just do it. If sports performance and strength is important to you, you can limit it to help with your performance but again it’s a case of priorities.