The ancient Greeks believed athletes should avoid sex before sport, but modern Olympians and scientists are torn over the merits of in-competition coitus and whether abstinence enhances performance.
For years, coaches and athletes have practised abstinence the night or even weeks before a big event, although all bets are off when the medal ceremony is over - 150,000 condoms are handed out to the 10,500 athletes competing at the London Games.
Boxer Muhammad Ali reportedly went without sex for six weeks before a big fight, and during the 1998 soccer World Cup, the then English coach Glenn Hoddle famously forbade his squad from having sex during the month-long event.
American Marty Liquori, the world's top 5,000-metre runner four decades ago, was once quoted as saying: "Sex makes you happy. Happy people don't run a 3: 47 mile."
Experts say the longstanding "no sex before sport" myth has yet to be explored fully, however. Most research has been based on the physiological impact and, so far, having sex has not been found to reduce physical strength, power or endurance.
A review of scientific studies on the issue published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine suggested sex the night before competition has no effect on physiological test results.
Martin Milton, an expert in psychotherapeutic and counselling psychology at the University of Surrey, said the effect of sex would depend very much on who's doing it, how often, for how long and in what way.
"If it's 'up all night swinging from the rafters'-type sex we're talking about, then obviously the athlete is not going to be getting enough sleep or rest and their mind isn't on the job," he said in an interview. "So that might well be more the issue than whether or not being involved in a short period of sex might be detrimental to someone's performance."
At the London 2012 Games, while there might not be much sex being had, it's certainly being talked about.
Even London Mayor Boris Johnson is getting in on the act, telling reporters last week he wants the Olympics to "inspire a generation" not "create a generation."
