Link: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_212a.html
I’m wondering why Cecil didn’t address the hormonal part of the question. Obviously an athlete can recover from the physical activity, but what about the changes in hormones? I’ve read, but cannot find a cite for it, that testosterone dips for a male after sex. Wouldn’t that hurt athletic performance?
My impression was that testosterone had more impact over the long term, meaning that higher levels lead to, for example, more muscle mass gain from training rather than better performance in some single event.
Dopamine and Prolactin relationships, however, have immediate and obvious effects on attitude and behavior.
well, according to the ads at the bottom of this page, it’ll only cost you $39.95 to restore whatever’s dipped by 457%. However, you might like to consult Oprah’s RealAge test first.
Especially interesting are the sections on Dopamine about movement and motivation.
There is no immediate correlation offered in wikipedia between orgasm and Dopamine or Prolactin levels. If the possible venality of my previous link concerns you, here is a somewhat more scientific site, but you’ll have to wade through it yourself.
Another wikipedia articles discusses Prolactin, but refers more to recent questions about whether multiple male orgasms can be acheived through hormone treatments.
Now, tell me that’s not going to affect your softball game!