Should the athletes at the Olympics have sex?

The Olympic Village is known for its youthful and celebratory energy, but should that include having sex? Journalist Sara Moniuszko, at CBS National News, reached out to me to inquire whether sex for the Olympic athletes could be harmful or helpful.

My main argument was that there is no research pointing to the benefits of abstaining from sex, nor to the benefits of having sex. So the main factor to consider for most athletes will be how they feel about hooking up and hook-up culture.

Here’s a quoted segment from the article:

“Gunsaullus agrees everyone is affected differently mentally and emotionally by sex — and especially hooking up, since in comparison, sex with a long-term partner is more likely to be associated with comfort, connection, trust and safety, she said.

Sex at the Olympics - CBS News inquires about the potential harms or benefits

‘If (sex with a long-term partner is) part of your routine — connecting and feeling grounded and loved, like that's a great part of your Olympic performance potentially, but hooking up is a whole other crapshoot,’ she explained. For example, does it reduce or increase stress for you? Does it help or hinder your sleep? Does it improve or interfere with your focus?

‘There's a small percentage of people who thrive in hookup culture,’ she explained, pointing mostly to research on college campuses. ‘But (for a) majority of people, it's a real up or down.’”

To read the entire article, check out Sex at the Olympics at CBS National News.

~Dr. Jenn Gunsaullus — Sociologist, Intimacy Speaker, Relationship Coach, & Author