POLL | Would you abstain from sex before a big fight?

Big Zulu's decision to abstain from sex ahead of his fight against Brian Dings has sparked debate.

The Mali Eningi hit maker will step into the ring with Dings, who is known for his cameo as a bodyguard on Moja Love's reality show Uyajola 9/9, on April 23.

Speaking to TshisaLIVE about his preparations for the fight, Big Zulu revealed he was going to stop having sex and drink less.

“I respect the advice they have been giving me. They advised me not to sleep with women while training. One of the boxers I saw at the gym is going on seven months without sleeping with a woman, and you can see by the way he moves and the way he is aggressive when he fights that it has been long since he slept with a woman.”

While some agreed with the decision, others said sexual activities would not affect them on the canvas. Some said they were already abstaining.

Big Zulu said he noticed a difference when he had sex.

“I tend to be weak, my knees are weak, so I'm trying. Even when it comes to drinking, I try to stay away from that, perhaps I have just one drink.”

The issue of sex before sport has often been debated, with sports scientist Tim Noakes saying in 2011 that the Springboks must be allowed to have as much sex as they wanted ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

“The Aussies did it when they won the World Cup in 1991. The more normal the surroundings, the more likely they are to perform [on the field].”

Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng told the Sunday Times a few years later that studies on the relationship between sexual activity and athletic performance looked at the effects of sex on muscle strength, cardiovascular function, aerobic performance and lung capacity, co-ordination and handgrip strength.

“In 2011, the most significant research comparing sexually active people with those who practised abstinence took place at the University of Montreal. The study concluded that there were no substantial differences in terms of physiological variables: heart rate and blood pressure, sport-specific parameters (upper and lower limb strength, reaction time, hamstring flexibility), and biochemical variables (testosterone, cortisol, and glucose levels).

“Though abstinence is popular and continues to be considered important in sports, there is insufficient evidence to support the idea that engaging in sex ahead of an event will have a detrimental effect on one's performance in the event.”

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