Does abstaining from sex you better at sport?

Earlier this week, the New York Knicks won the NBA championship for the first time in 53 years.

Relentless training, incredible skill and some luck on the day no doubt played a role - but was there something else at play?

Team owner James Dolan has revealed that he urged the players to abstain from having sex. 

With the GAA championship now underway, is this something other athletes should consider?

On Moncrieff, Dr Brian Higgins of Galway Primary Care said abstaining from sex dates back to Ancient Greece. 

“This actually comes from Ancient Greek times, where the belief that abstinence from sex increased, was due to, that helped discipline and also conserved energy,” he said. 

“This has been studied - and the studies aren't brilliant - but it doesn't seem to be true.

“Conversely, there's a little bit of evidence for players being able to play for longer periods of time and have more duration if they do have sex than 24 hours before a game.” 

Dr Higgins added that the logic is easy to understand, even if the science suggests otherwise. 

“You can see how people would think it as well, ‘Maybe there’s a conservation of energy,’” he mused. 

“Also, I suppose, if you're playing a game that it requires somebody to be very aggressive, say like boxing, maybe the thought is if they have sex beforehand, they might be a little bit calmer.

“But I think what it comes down to really, when it comes to sports performance, it's very individual. 

“The most important thing is one is the mindset, the belief that you can win and the belief of what you're doing is going to work.

Main image: Cyclists. Picture by: Alamy.com.