The Hard Truth About Orgasms in Sports, with Domonique Foxworth

Summary

Podcast Summary: "The Hard Truth About Orgasms in Sports, with Domonique Foxworth"

Podcast: Pablo Torre Finds Out
Host: Pablo Torre, with guest Domonique Foxworth
Date: December 31, 2024
Episode Theme:
A candid, investigative, and often hilarious exploration of the myths, science, and psychology behind "post-nut clarity" (the sharp, clear-headed feeling some people report after orgasm) and its alleged effect on sports performance. Pablo and Domonique discuss cultural legends, scientific explanations, gender differences, and real stories from elite athletes—challenging old beliefs about abstinence before big games.

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Episode Overview

This episode tackles the curious idea that sexual activity—specifically, masturbation or sex before competition—can profoundly impact athletic performance. Using the story of MLB shortstop Orlando Cabrera’s pre-game ritual as a springboard, Pablo Torre and Domonique Foxworth dissect the folklore, science, and personal experiences surrounding "post-nut clarity" (“PNC”) and debate whether it’s a performance enhancer, a distraction, or just a funny footnote in the human experience.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Origin Story: Sex Music & Pre-Game Rituals

• [00:43 – 03:32] Pablo recounts getting “in trouble” for browsing “sexmusic.tumblr.com” on his partner’s laptop, sparking a funny debate about expectations versus reality set by sex music.
  • Domonique: “It’s possible that you got a blockbuster soundtrack but a made-for-TV movie... The music creates an expectation.” (01:44)
• The pair riff on music’s role in sexual and athletic performance, using metaphors like “you’re queuing up John Williams, but giving Charlie Chaplin.”

How the Topic Arose: Cabrera’s Infamous Habit

• [04:32 – 06:35] The discussion pivots to Orlando Cabrera, an MLB shortstop rumored to have masturbated before every game.
  • Pablo calls this “journalism.”
  • Domonique: Voices concern about spreading unconfirmed stories.

Locker Room Culture and Taboo

• [07:01 – 09:02] Domonique, a former NFL player, explains that while locker rooms are comfortable spaces, this level of pre-game ritual was never openly discussed among his teammates.
• They acknowledge an old sports belief that abstaining from sex leads to better performances, referencing classic boxing advice: “Women weaken legs.” (09:06)

Ancient Wisdom vs. Modern Science

• [10:00 – 12:03] Pablo interviews sources (including audio from trainers and athletes) on abstinence traditions in boxing and MMA.
  • Jake Paul’s coach reportedly notices his performance drop after sex.
  • Ronda Rousey, however, believes sex boosts her hormones and improves her performance:

    “With men, it...does temporarily lower your testosterone, but for women, it raises it. So it’s actually good for you before competition.” (11:52)

Where “Post-Nut Clarity” Fits In

• [13:59 – 15:48] They explore the actual term “post-nut clarity” (PNC), tracing its pop-culture origin (e.g., Call Her Daddy podcast, Drake’s lyrics).
  • Domonique: “It’s like reverse Hulk. Walk around feeling like the Hulk...but sometimes you need Bruce Banner to help guide you through tough decisions.” (14:11)
• Pablo’s research includes a rap lyric referencing PNC and even a Les Misérables-inspired analogy.

Biological Explanations

• [21:28 – 24:54] Pablo consults his father, a urologist, and relates two biological theories:
  1. Orgasms release neurotransmitters (dopamine, adrenaline) reducing stress and giving a sense of clarity.
  2. Orgasms temporarily reduce activity in the prefrontal cortex (executive function), which may explain the “fog to clarity” feeling after orgasm.
• Domonique sees the clarity as a rapid return to normalcy after being mentally “lost in the fog.”

Cultural Perspectives: “Kenja Taimu”

• [24:54 – 27:22] Pablo introduces the Japanese term “Kenja Taimu” (wisdom time) for post-coital clarity—though Domonique questions the etymology (“taimu” being a borrowed word).
  • The duo joke about whether ancient samurai referenced Kenja Taimu, finding the idea amusing and possibly apocryphal.

Does PNC Actually Improve Sports Performance?

• [27:33 – 33:13] The conversation shifts to whether PNC is a usable tool—e.g., should pilots or athletes seek “clarity” before high-stakes tasks?
  • Domonique is skeptical it confers a real advantage during games:

    “I don’t believe everyone needs to whack off in order to operate at their highest level...what you are feeling is the drastic drop from fog to clarity.” (28:36)

  • Pablo contends that even a few hours of calm, sharp thinking could matter before big plays.

The Duration and Meaning of Clarity

• [33:13 – 34:44] Domonique says PNC lasts only a few minutes for him, while Pablo argues it can influence his productivity for hours. They riff:
  • “My walk-around is a little cooler than your walk-around.”

Expert Opinions: Science and Gender

• [35:09 – 38:03]
  • Dr. Rena Malik, urologist, calls the “no sex before games” mantra unproven for testosterone but acknowledges stress relief and ritual can matter to athletes psychologically.
  • She points out the severe gender gap in relevant medical research, noting the clitoris is vastly understudied compared to the penis.
  • Dr. Malik says women likely experience PNC too—linked to focus-enhancing hormone release.

Athlete Experiences: Megan Rapinoe & Sue Bird

• [38:18 – 41:18] Pablo shares a quote from Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird, who report “sex before games” did not make a noticeable difference but stress-relief and comfort with the routine helped.
  • Megan: “I go to her hotel... finals—Sue got none, Maggie was tired, I was doing a pre nut clarity, and it worked. I won the World Cup and was the best player...”
  • Sue Bird notes women can experience emotional (sometimes tearful) PNC responses:

    “There have been instances where I’ve sensed more emotion, like tears or just, like, emotional moments...it’s all wrapped up in hormones.” (40:40)

Universality—and the Human Experience

• [42:03 – 43:15] Domonique takes a moment to appreciate the episode as an exploration of “what it means to be yourself” and reflects on how PNC may clear away distractions, letting people focus on what matters (parenting, relationships, writing emails, etc.).
• Pablo is “genuinely uncomfortable” with the candidness but acknowledges that the real story is about awareness, ritual, and the intricacies of human motivation.

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Domonique Foxworth:
  • “It’s possible that you got a blockbuster soundtrack but a made-for-TV movie. And it's possible that it makes it worse...” (01:44)
• Pablo Torre:
  • “Are you familiar with Les Mis? ... I believe he's singing about what it feels like to look at your browser window right after you've finished.” (17:22)
• Domonique:
  • “It’s like reverse Hulk...But you know what? Sometimes you need Bruce Banner.” (14:11)
• Dr. Rena Malik:
  • “There’s a lot of mantra ... no sex before a big game ... but ultimately in the data ... it has not shown to be truthful in terms of increasing your testosterone.” (35:43)
  • “Women are very understudied in terms of science ... If you look up the word penis ... 50,000 results. If you look up clitoris, you’re gonna get 2,000.” (37:11)
• Megan Rapinoe:
  • “I was doing a pre nut clarity and it worked. I won the World Cup and was the best player...” (38:18)
• Sue Bird:
  • “[On PNC after sex] ... I’ve sensed more emotion, like tears or emotional moments ... all wrapped up in hormones.” (40:40)
• Domonique:
  • “This is a thing that’s about, that pretends to be about this small, insignificant thing which is really about the human experience. Isn’t that what all great award-winning essays are about?” (42:54)

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Key Timestamps for Segments

• Pre-show banter and sex music: 00:43–03:32
• Rumors about Orlando Cabrera: 04:32–06:35
• Locker room candor & sports abstinence myths: 07:01–09:06
• Boxing, MMA, and gendered perspectives: 09:25–12:03
• Defining “post-nut clarity”: 13:59–15:48
• Biological mechanisms of PNC: 21:28–24:54
• Japanese “Kenja Taimu” & cultural skepticism: 24:54–27:22
• Athlete rituals and science—the verdict: 35:09–38:03
• Megan Rapinoe & Sue Bird’s experience: 38:18–41:18
• Summing up the universality: 42:03–43:15

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Tone and Language

• The episode is candid, self-effacing, deeply curious, and peppered with genuine humor. Both hosts use frank language and pop culture allusions (ranging from superhero metaphors to musical theater and hip-hop lyrics) to keep the conversation honest but accessible.
• The expert perspective brings a grounding, academic tone.

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Conclusion

Pablo Torre and Domonique Foxworth pull apart the “hard truth” of orgasms and sports: While cultural beliefs about abstinence and “clarity” abound, there’s little scientific evidence that sex or masturbation has a predictable effect—positive or negative—on athletic performance or decision-making. The reality: PNC is a subjective, variable feeling rooted in hormones and brain chemistry, but perhaps its most useful lesson is self-awareness—learning to recognize your internal states and act (or not act) accordingly.

Final Thought (Domonique, 43:16):
“I try to be the best friend that I can be. I try to be the best analyst I can be, try to be the best lover that I can be. And it’s something that you should, I mean, just be the best at everything. That’s all.”

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Transcript

[A]

Welcome to Pablo Torre Finds Out. I am Pablo Torre. And today we're going to find out what this sound is.

[B]

Hello? Hey, dad. Yeah, hey. Hey. I'm recording something for my podcast. Yeah. Do you know what post Nut Clarity is? Post what? Post nut Clarity.

[A]

Right after this ad.

[C]

You're listening to Giraffe Kings Network.

[A]

I got in trouble with Liz because when we were dating, I would borrow her laptop.

[D]

Uh oh.

[A]

And I would go to a website I've just revisited now for the first time since the last time I, I was shamed for this, which issex music tumblr.com.

[D]

Oh, what's wrong with that?

[A]

It turns out that in her mind this was very, I, I guess not very thoughtful and also just like creepy. Sex music.tumblr.com.

[B]

Ah.

[D]

I mean, maybe I don't know what's on this Tumblr, but I would just assume it's like a list of the best songs to like have sex too.

[A]

That's why I went, yeah, I feel like that's romantic.

[D]

Like you put some effort in.

[A]

I could have used you as my defense attorney.

[D]

What did you, what did you say?

[A]

I apologized and said I would never put this on again.

[D]

What, you know what the problem is? Nevermind.

[A]

What's the, what's I, I. What's the problem?

[D]

The music creates an expectation. And when you listening to songs about people putting it down in various ways, whether it's an upbeat song, whether it's a slow song, whether it's sensual, whether it's strong and delicate at the same time, like the music can tell you what we're looking for. And it's possible that you got a blockbuster soundtrack but a made for TV movie. And it's possible that it makes it worse where you're like, like you have.

[A]

Me queuing up John Williams and I'm out here doing like some, I don't know, some Hee Haw.

[D]

Yeah, I think you had, I think you queued up John Williams and maybe you was giving a little Action Jackson. Like you wasn't giving a real action movie. Like it was playing action music in the background, but you was giving a, A talkie. That's what it was. Just out here.

[A]

I was out here doing some Charlie Chaplin.

[D]

You, Charlie Chaplin. When the music was suggesting that she was about to get taken.

[A]

I was, I was, I was.

[D]

You wasn't given.

[A]

I was just, I was just wiggling my nose for the camera and taking.

[D]

Your hat on and off foreign.

[A]

Do you want to explain how we.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Came up with the subject of Today's show.

[D]

Well, we didn't come up with the subject of today's show.

[A]

You.

[D]

Every conversation that you have in your life, and I've complained about this before, you're just mining your friends and people in your life for content.

[A]

I don't go into it necessarily with the full clarity that every conversation we have must be a show.

[D]

Every conversation that you and I have becomes a show. And if I can't be on it, you just get somebody else to talk about it. Like, you just. You milk me. And I am nervous when I'm talking to you. Like, oh, my gosh, whenever I talk to Pablo, whatever I say is gonna. Like, is he actually listening to me or is he taking notes?

[A]

I am definitely editing in my head while we're talking. Like, oh, that would be. That could be seasag for today's show.

[D]

So we hung out a couple weeks ago, and we were eating, and I feel like you're the one who sparked the thought in my mind. I don't know how we got to the story.

[A]

I remember exactly how we got to the beginning of this. Right, which is I asked if you remembered who Orlando Cabrera is.

[D]

Baseball guy. Stop.

[A]

Really good defensive shortstop. Orlando Cabrera. Won a World Series. Won two Gold Gloves.

[E]

Smashed up the middle. Orlando Cabrera. Great diving.

[A]

Stop.

[E]

From his knee. Throws him out. Oh, a sensational play by Orlando Cabrera. Boy, it certainly was. He realized he had to get rid of it in a hurry, so he gets rid of it from the seat of his pants.

[A]

Played for nine teams across 15 years in the major leagues. And beyond, being, like, a really good defensive Gold Glove shortstop, was also known for reading books, by the way.

[D]

What are you reading now? I just finished 100 Years of Solitude from Gabriel Garcia Marquez. He's a guy from Colombia.

[B]

Okay.

[D]

So, you know, I like to be reading stuff all the time.

[B]

Keeps your mind sharp.

[D]

Yeah, keeping the mind sharp, baby. I mean, it's your show. I, I, I'll let you grab a standard.

[A]

No, no, no, no, no. We're, we're, we're both driving this together. Dominique, you're not leaving me alone in potential shame. Because I am fascinated by how Orlando Cabrera keeps his mind sharp and his hands soft.

[D]

Only one person can leave, Pablo. See, that might have been part of your problem.

[A]

I keep on looking for a, a partner in crime. And Dominique, to his credit, was very interested in the revelation that I had found out about this shortstop, which is that first team Orlando Cabrera ever plays for is the Montreal Expos. And what I've Learned is this is multiple people now. This is journalism is that before every game Orlando Cabrera played. Orlando Cabrera used to walk into this modest storage room off the clubhouse, the Expos clubhouse inside Olympic Stadium in solitude actually Gabrielle Garcia Marquez style. And you know he would, you would, you would, you would make some moves from the seat of his pants.

[D]

Have you gotten Orlando Cabrera to verify this?

[A]

We are actively pursuing Orlando Cabrera.

[D]

Well, because I, I mean I feel like we should be. We don't have to talk about it because the conversation doesn't have to be about Orlando Cabrera. But that is how we got into it. But I would feel bad spreading this if it's not something that is actually something that he's okay with owning up to or has.

[A]

You know, I have a similar, similar inclination, a pang of potential guilt.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But what I am told is that this is not a question.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

So I want to, I want to, I want to ask you though, just as a, as a former athlete, right. If you knew that one of your teammates was, was, you know, just repeatedly calling for an ISO, you know, was, was perpetually celebrating Palm Sunday was another one, was just taking a self guided tour.

[D]

Okay.

[A]

You know, you empty, just having a one some to get empty. What would you think have. Did, did this ever happen in your experience playing in the NFL?

[D]

I don't know. I mean nothing that I knew of. I wouldn't have any. So the locker room is very intimate place. So like guys would be very comfortable talking about all types of things and doing all types of things that you wouldn't be comfortable with in other situations. When you go on road trips, particularly locker rooms are very small. Sometimes the stalls don't have doors on them and stuff. And like, yeah, people are comfortable doing the things that they have to do. No one's ever done been that damn comfortable. I, I don't know that anyone does it or does it like guys had sex night before games and stuff like that for, for sure and no one cared. But yeah, it's not, it never really came up. It's natural. It's a thing that everyone likes to do. I mentioned to Pablo that I had a running joke with one of my friends is that there should be. Before you make any major decisions, you should go ahead and get yourself to that state of mind where you are the clearest. And now for the men who are listening to this show, they know exactly what I'm talking about. I don't know if women feel the same way, but there's this feeling where you Just see the world more clearly. And historically in sports, we've always heard that you should not have sex close to a game like it. Or close to any competition. It's like an old boxing thing. It's.

[A]

Yes, it's an ancient tradition. It's in movies.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I mean you'll only have to go as far as Rocky to find the exact opposite of Cabrera ism. Let's call it. Women weaken legs. Yeah, but I really like this girl, you know.

[E]

But let her train you.

[A]

Okay? No more fooling around.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Women weak legs, huh? I believe that in boxing an interesting thing has been happening for centuries where even like I remember talking to like the best boxing trainer in the world, who is Freddie Roach. He's coached more world champions than anybody. I believe it was ahead of Mayweather, Pacquiao, that fight and abstinence. It's a genuine coaching philosophy that he has for his fighters. And he talked about just how much he asks of them when. When it regards their disciplines.

[B]

For 10 days. When I was a fighter, it was six weeks.

[A]

Okay, but the thing is, I said.

[B]

No sex for 10 days. It'll be just for discipline. All right.

[A]

And like the new age guys, right? Like the influencers. What's crazy about the influencer boxers like Jake Paul is that they, you'd think like, ah, they're not obeying these folkways. They've done the same thing. Like Jake Paul's coach. I was doing my research for this and I have been, it's extensive. I pull Google Doc, they say how much worse Jake Paul is after he has sex before sparring. My coach BJ will be like, did you have sex last night? You can tell without me even saying anything.

[E]

He's just slower. He's not as good, he's not as quick, he's not as fierce, he's not as aggressive. It's just, it's obvious to a guy who's been around boxing for, you know, I'm 42, I've been around boxing for, you know, 33 years. So I see it very quickly. And ancient warriors, they deprive themselves and they sacrifice certain things before they go to battle.

[A]

I don't know the exact demographics of the Pablo Torre finds out audience. I do know that it's not all dudes. And I do want to acknowledge how. How unbelievably dudish my curiosity was at the start. And so I do feel like it's worth noting that in repudiation of this ancient tradition of warriors in battle is someone like Ronda Rousey you know, MMA fighter was a huge deal at one point. I want to point out that she believes this.

[E]

Traditionally, in sports, there is a theory.

[D]

That you don't have sex leading up to a contest. Football, basketball, baseball.

[E]

Save your energy.

[D]

You buy into that? Well, my godfather is a doctor, and he told me that with men, it.

[C]

Does temporarily lower your testosterone, but for.

[D]

Women, it raises it. And so it's actually good for you before competition. And so I was like, good to know. Plus, you're so stressed out and there's a lot of anxiety, you know, leading up to a fight.

[A]

So, you know, it helps. I find it helps the fact that there's this active debate about, like, is this a competitive advantage? Dominique is where this becomes a sports story to me. All of this to me is about performance and performance enhancement. Yeah.

[D]

I mean, it makes sense to me for us to try to figure out the best ways. And there's nothing, I think, that we feel, that controls us more than, like, how you behave in those times and how it impacts the way that you think and operate.

[A]

Right. I mean, we can ostensibly control ourselves. Like we began.

[D]

Is there another, like, bodily functions, the wrong.

[A]

Looking for another? Masturbation euphemism?

[D]

No, no, no. I'm definitely. I've had more than enough of that. I hate that about this episode. But I do think that I am looking for another, like, human experience that feels more like, all encompassing. Like, even eating doesn't feel like that. And that seems very core. Like there's nothing else. I think that you feel like your whole body is like, sort of like drugs. Like it's nothing else that feels like your whole body is involved. So, like, yeah, it's going to affect the way that you do anything.

[A]

Yeah, I think that's the point. Right. So, like, underneath all of this, and yes, I'm going to very awkwardly navigate Grope through the fog of this conversation.

[D]

No more puns.

[A]

I want to make a case for this concept. So we're walking around and we're thinking about Orlando Cabrera, and we both have that instinct, I think, to try and understand as opposed to humiliate someone.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And so the case for him led us to this concept. And the concept is one that both of us knew immediately. It's something we've talked about previously, if we're being frank with our audience. But do you remember where you first heard the term? Because I actually don't remember where I first saw it originate.

[D]

You want me to say post nut clarity.

[A]

I just wanted to get us both on the record.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Like post nut clarity is a. It feels like a phenomenon because there is nothing else quite like it.

[D]

It's like reverse Hulk and it's like it's different for a different man, I think probably. But you walk around much of your life feeling like the Hulk. But you know what? Sometimes you need Bruce Banner. You need the mild mannered scientist to come out and help guide you through some tough decisions and situations. And I think some men can relate that the worst decisions that you have made have been because you were acting like the Hulk. And not every situation requires Hulk smash. Some situations require Bruce think.

[A]

I want to get to the origins of this because post not clarity is one of those terms that's just been sort of like hanging out in the back of our heads, so to speak. And conventionally it got attributed to. I don't listen to this podcast. I wonder if you've ever heard of it. Call her daddy.

[D]

Yeah, I've heard of it.

[A]

The post not clarity.

[C]

The post we've talked about clarity. The post nut clarity is a real thing.

[D]

It's after a guy comes and his.

[C]

Entire life flashes before his eyes. Everything becomes crystal clear, 2020 vision. And he is just like, wow.

[A]

And Drake.

[D]

Drake the rapper.

[A]

When Drake is rapping post nut clarity, I came to my senses. This is him, I believe, coming to grips with the man that he just was. Lil Wayne is in that category too. He basically says the same thing.

[D]

I like the philosophers that you are consulting on this.

[A]

That's right.

[D]

Drake and Weezy, the whole Cash Money crew. What does baby got to say? Slim? What does Slim say about. About this? I don't know. Juvie.

[A]

Unfortunately. What I have here is, is a different rapper named Uno Deuce. One who wrote an entire song dedicated to this concept.

[D]

And I got nut on my chest. Embarrassing. I said, what? Please don't stare at me. That's that post nut clarity. Think about world hunger and organized with religion. Also good parenting.

[A]

Wow. There's more of that. For the record.

[D]

I mean, I'm disappointed that you did prep me and I couldn't listen to that beforehand. Cuz like he went so many different places.

[A]

Yes. And landed at good parenting.

[D]

Right. Which is like.

[A]

Which is where increasingly I am regretfully reporting that I also land.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

You sort of like stop and you are hit with not just the tasks that you have to do on your to do list, but also like the things that really matter to you in the clarity.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And you're like, oh, I need a. I should probably make some changes in my life. This sort of stew. Of self consciousness. Right. If not shame, but just self. Immediate sudden onset. What feels like self awareness. Right. Because for me, it's not Drake. It's not. It's not Lil Wayne. It's not Uno deuce. One feels like Les Miserables.

[B]

What?

[A]

Are you familiar with Les Mis?

[D]

Oh, my gosh.

[A]

Lots of. I'm just saying. Lots of people think. Lots of people think that in Les Miserables, Jean Valjean is singing about, like, the Paris uprising of 1832. I believe he's singing about what it feels like to look at your browser window right after you've finished.

[D]

Can I ever face myself again?

[A]

How can I ever face myself again is a feeling that I have felt post nut.

[D]

Oh, gosh. I think I got to the bottom of this whole thing where we started with the. With the playlist. This might be an off camera conversation. I don't. Because.

[A]

What? You don't think musicals made their way into Most people's sex music.tumblr.com rotation?

[D]

Maybe people wasn't looking for Les Miserables. Maybe people was looking.

[A]

I don't follow.

[B]

Okay.

[D]

It's possible that people, you know, wanted somebody who was listening to stuff about guns and drugs.

[A]

So you clearly haven't seen Les Miserables then, because there are a lot of guns.

[B]

It's.

[D]

Stop it, Pablo. Stop it. You know what I mean? Yes. In everything that I do, I hope it's clear that I've never seen Les Miserables, particularly that I would like it to be known. I want to leave having that be. I don't want it to come up like the whole date, whatever we're doing, I don't want Les Miserables to come up. But immediately after, while I'm in Clarity, I want her to be like, oh, I bet this mother ain't never seen Le Miserable.

[A]

Post nut. Clarity is a sports story.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And I'm trying to. I mean, I. I want to.

[D]

This is a sports show.

[A]

Absolutely. Everyone knows that. Many are saying this is a sports show. I wanted to give some science to this, though.

[D]

Of course you did. Les Miserable.

[A]

Well, I feel like we need to be a little bit academic about this.

[D]

Yeah, I feel like we do. Also, it gives us cover for all the others.

[A]

Absolutely. So my dad is a urologist.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

People may not know that if you've not heard of me. Talk about my dad as LeBron James of Filipino urologists. That is what I consider him.

[B]

Wow.

[D]

What did he bring to the game?

[A]

He was big on player empowerment.

[D]

Okay, good, good.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Well, shout out.

[A]

Shout out to the Other Pablo Torre. So when I asked him, I called him up and I was like. And again, this is not easy for me to do because.

[D]

Really, Even your own father? Yeah, especially really.

[A]

I just to give a sense of how Catholic my family is, me talking to my dad, who is literally a urologist.

[D]

Yeah, that's blowing.

[A]

My mind is uncomfortable when it comes to the things that you'd expect a urologist to be truly un unconcerned with.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

On the level of shame, my dad is totally cool. Like, no problems talking about, but it.

[D]

Was you who are uncomfortable.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Hello? Hey, dad. Yeah, hey. Hey. I'm recording something for my podcast. Yeah. Do you know what post nut clarity is? Post what? Post nut clarity. Post. Net N E T. No. Post nut clarity. I don't understand the word. Yeah, that's what I. That's what I. That's what I heard. What? That's. All right. Okay. All right. All good like that. Love you. Bye.

[A]

So what I learned, though, is important because the post not clarity phenomenon is seemingly rooted in two theories about how the human body works. One of them, I think might be intuitive, is simply that an orgasm reduces stress because good hormones get released.

[D]

Sounds right.

[A]

You know, dopamine, adrenaline, like, this is a parallel to, like, runners high, which I don't run. I don't experience that, but I'm told it's cool.

[D]

No, it's. Yeah, I've experienced both, and they seem different, though, but I guess there is some clarity. Clarity in both. I think that some people say they think in the shower. I feel like there's a heart rate where I feel like my brain works better, and I have fresher ideas in that space. And that could be similar to removing the fog of Reverse Hulk.

[A]

Well, I love. I love a walk.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

I mean, this. This episode was born.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

On. On a walk that we had that gets me and my. And my blood flowing. But the second theory is about actual blood flow, and this one is the one where I'm like, oh, okay, there's. There's something really happening here because it's about the prefrontal cortex, Dominique.

[D]

So it's just they. They use big words and you bought it because actually, the hormones, they sound. That sounds real, too.

[A]

There are lots of syllables across all of these theories.

[D]

Oh, more syllables, the more true it feels.

[A]

But here's the thing about the prefrontal cortex.

[D]

Say brain names.

[A]

Well, it's the part of the brain that regulates executive function. Okay. The executive, so to speak, in this. In this imagery, who Is controlling impulses, social behaviors, thoughts. And when we masturbate, our blood evacuates the prefrontal cortex. I imagine this with, like, alarms going off, you know, like it's like the Death Star or something. Sirens or claxons are blaring. Blood evacuates the executive chambers, like the bridge of the Star Destroyer or whatever. And this is also speaking to why I am bad to talk about sex. I'm going to Star wars metaphors. It goes down towards the genitals. Executive function evacuated, blood heading to the genitals. It results in a slowdown in activity in the prefrontal cortex. And so when we are done, the blood returns. And that is clarity.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Our rational brain starts just humming again.

[D]

It's just like you are. Which. This makes sense. I think we hyperbolize this a bit, but it's like I'm in this state most of the time. Then you get aroused, and you. And that's when you actually turn into the Hulk and you don't think clearly. And then the comedown from that is just you are returning to your normal state so quickly that you're like, oh, who was that guy? Where, like, the. The build up to that is slower. Like, you look up and you didn't see yourself become the Hulk, but you became the Hulk. And then all of a sudden, in a split second, you're back to normal, which that probably makes more sense than anything.

[A]

And I think it is the speed of that. That part feels magical, right?

[D]

It does.

[A]

The fact that it's almost. It's. I mean, literally instantaneous.

[D]

Because I think the. The belief is that you're clearer than you ever are in those moments after. Yes, but you're not. You're arguing, which I think I agree with, is, no, you're not clearer than you ever are. You just return from fog to clarity in such a rapid motion that you now. Yeah, well, you appreciate the difference.

[A]

Well, I think it's profound. It's. It's a profound thing that it is not just like an American thought that post nut. Clarity happens. The Japanese, my favorite. One of my favorite details about this. The Japanese have a word for this. It's kenja. Taimu. Taimu sounds like time. Timeu is time. Kenja, as in kenja taimu. Kenja means wise man or philosopher. So philosophy time, you nut. And it's philosophy time and that. And. And it's defined. I mean, truly post coital clarity, period after orgasm, when a man is free from sexual desire and can think clearly.

[D]

So you believe the Japanese and that you can Reach some heightened level of clarity that you can't reach any other time.

[A]

I believe that we are most enlightened post nut. Because you're isolating, you're removing.

[D]

I think, I think you people.

[A]

I mean, are we talking pejoratively about horniness, about testosterone in that sexualized way? Yeah, that's really what the clarity is indicating.

[D]

But I mean, I think that we would all agree that I guess eating, aside from eating, for most animals, procreation is like the strong, strongest impulse. If you remove that from your brain, is your brain freer to think clearly? Yeah, that seems reasonable. This is a complete tangent, but Japanese is not like a Latin based language you're talking about.

[A]

You're stuck on that taimu thing.

[D]

Yeah, Taimu felt like completely inconsistent. It feels like you did some pseudo research you're doing. I don't trust taimu. Really? That's how they say time.

[A]

It did occur to me. I was like, is this is time? I mean, I feel like Japanese. Hold on.

[D]

Yeah, I feel like we need to pause to get to the bottom because is time move. I mean, Japanese is not. Am I right? Am I wrong?

[A]

I.

[D]

The same like western languages that we like. They're all based on like, you know what, you know, pseudo Japanese.

[A]

It's kind of like. It is one of those English ified.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Sort of like how in Spanish blue jeans are los blue jeans. I think there's some of that happening.

[D]

Okay, cool, cool.

[A]

So I'm not sure if. Yeah, ancient samurai we're calling post nut Clarity Kenja Taimu.

[B]

Okay, cool.

[A]

Well, like feudal Japan.

[D]

I liked it anyway.

[A]

It's honestly a good question.

[D]

It is philosophy time. This sounds like a whole nother episode. This is why you want to have me on all the time.

[A]

Well, but, but your suggestion as to like how people can benefit from this.

[D]

Are we helping people?

[A]

Now the question of what does clarity, what does this clarity? What is pnc? What does that do for us in our. In our jobs, in our various decisions?

[D]

I think that the benefit from this is understanding that PNF exists. Like, I think that's the. That's the fog.

[A]

Yeah, that's the pre nut fog.

[D]

Yeah. You can't do anything about the way that you. You work, but you can be aware of it and you can make others aware of it to the degree that it matters in your behavior. Right.

[A]

Well, look, and I want to be clear about this too. I think that's fair that, you know, I'm not saying that people should be jacking off at work. They should not be doing that.

[D]

Yes, you are absolutely saying that they should not be doing that.

[A]

However, if there was a way to make decisions in full clarity, I think I'd want my, I don't know, my pilot to be a post nut pilot.

[D]

So now I get why you refuse to accept my theory. It's important that your theory be true so that you can get these jack off stations all around, all around the world just so you can go in and think clearly. Because I don't believe that everyone needs to whack off in order to operate at their highest level. I don't believe in Kenja Taimu. I don't think that you are in some enlightened state, higher enlightenment. I think that what you are feeling is the drastic drop from fog to clarity. And I think when you are, you might. I would believe that you might be at risk for getting foggier if you are not in that state. But I don't think that you are now clearer. So like a lot of this portion of this has just been kind of half joking about like post nut clarity. And it's a sensation that I think guys are familiar with. But I think it's probably, it seems to me a bit nonsensical to think that while you're out there playing baseball or playing any sport that whatever you did an hour prior or two hours prior has you in some state of mind that is even calmer or better.

[A]

Well, I believe that Kenja Taimu is, is. Is something worth chasing if you are flying a plane, if you are writing an email, if you are buying clothes, if you are walking up to the plate with the game on the line as Orlando Cabrera has repeatedly done.

[E]

Wong is ready. The pitch on Cabrera. He lines one in the gap and left center field. The vantage score. Finley scores and Cabrera bangs in two. The Angels lead for the first time in the division series. It's now 4:2. Oh, what a clutch hit right there. Cabrera hits it deep in final left. Orlando Cabrera's tonight's Red Sox hero.

[D]

Walk off.

[A]

Home run.

[E]

Red Sykes winning in the 12. Cabrera leading off the bottom of the 10th. And he drives one deep down the left field line. God, if it stays fair. It's a home run and the Reds win the ball game. Now the set of the pitch. Cabrera with a drive, deep center field. It's over Jackson's head and the Indians win again. He's got a touch. First base. There he goes. It's their 12th straight win at home and for the second night in a row. They win and walk off fashion as Orlando Cabrera gets mobbed at first.

[D]

Well, he's the guy you wanted at the plate.

[E]

That's the guy I would like to have at the plate. I've seen him too many.

[A]

You're damn right.

[D]

So I. This is not my show, so I don't care that you tie it up. Your honor and. Nope, you stop.

[A]

Your honor.

[D]

You stop. You can edit it out if you want to, but I demand my time. This is not my show, so I do not care.

[A]

Reclaim. Reclaim your time.

[D]

I do not care if you tie it up in a nice, pretty bow the way that you want it to be. I know that that was meant to, like, prove your case, but I was looking at the scoreboard on those clips.

[A]

Yeah, just a series of game winners.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Some of them were in the 10th inning, like.

[A]

Yes. That's the most impressive part of it. He's a clutch time. What time?

[D]

I know, but assuming it was before the game, I'm assuming that it's not just before he walks out on the field. So 30 minutes, hour before the game. That man's refractory period can't be that bad. Like, what. What are we talking about? I guess you could argue that it puts him in the proper state of mind for the beginning of the game, and he can do some sort of mental exercises to stay in that game. Stay in that state of mind for the entire game, but.

[A]

So you're saying the seventh inning stretch should be something else also?

[D]

Stop it. This is horse. I might have been able to go along with you. You know where you made your mistake. You taimoo ed me. That's what I. If. If you would have kept it with real Japanese words, I might have believed it, because nothing like an ancient Japanese proverb to get people to believe that something is real. But you hit me with a taimu. I was like, what is taimu?

[A]

Your Honor, my perpetually masturbating client is awesome. I just think it's funny that when I went back to look at, like, Orlando Cabrera, I was like, oh, okay. He's like, not. He's not like a great offensive player. Didn't hit more than 300 for his career.

[D]

Not.

[A]

Not really that close. But when the game was on the line, it was Orlando Cabrera, taimu.

[D]

So how long does post nut clarity last for you? Ooh, pnc. I don't. I'm pnc.

[A]

I know. I feel. I feel. I feel gross, but I don't though.

[D]

You're pretending to feel gross.

[A]

I Know you as the son of a urologist. I can report that it probably lasts anywhere between like five minutes and a couple hours. Dude. I mean, the capacity. It just feels like you can go and do work.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

This is. Maybe I have a different experience to you.

[A]

Okay, what's yours?

[D]

The clarity is the moments after the few minutes after. And then I feel normal again. Yeah, it's not like that immediate like cold water, like, oh, wake up. That's what I got. That is a few minutes after. And then I feel like myself again.

[A]

The biggest difference between, between us on this clearly is that your self, pnc.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And yourself pre. They feel more recognizable to each other than, than, I think a lot of the Internet and me.

[D]

Yeah, I think my walk around is a little. A little cooler than your walk around. I think generally I got a cooler walk around. My Hulk and Bruce are closer to each other on the map. So like, you like smart Hulk or dumb Bruce?

[A]

Yeah, my Bruce, my Bruce loves. He loves just like, you know, writing emails.

[D]

I didn't know where you were going with that.

[A]

Me neither.

[D]

Yeah, I like where we ended up. Good old classic Pablo jump pass.

[A]

Okay, so at this point, I did want to point out that I actually did write an email to an expert who is not my dad, or a dude for that matter, an expert named Dr. Rena Malik.

[F]

I am a urologist and pelvic surgeon. So for people who don't know, a urologist is a surgeon and medical doctor of the genitourinary tract. So that includes the kidneys, the tubes, the drains, the kidneys, the bladder and the genitals for both men and women.

[A]

And the good News is that Dr. Malik has absolutely heard about all of these pre game rituals before.

[F]

There's a lot of mantra of like, no sex before a big game. Right? Like, like you got to. You got to avoid sex because it's going to increase your testosterone, make you more aggressive and all that. But ultimately in the data, and again, this is not well studied, but in small studies it has not shown to be truthful in terms of increasing your testosterone. Now, could it be that you're a little sexually frustrated when you go play game and that makes you more aggressive? Sure, it could be. And some people do find that advantage. But people like having the routine, Right. If they're someone who has daily sex and you're now taking that out of their routine, that can cause actually worse performance in a game or athletic feat. I think especially this, like, don't have sex before the game day. Like, it can be really Stressful for some people and like it is actually harmful. Like if you're, if you're like, oh God, coach told me not to and I'm like super anxious and stressed and revved up and like it's not helping me because I go to the game and all I'm thinking about is like, you know, how I'm so uncomfortable in my own skin.

[A]

Which is a great defense of our guy Orlando Cabrera, for the record. And Ronda Rousey too, by the way, who Dominique and I mentioned before, who has none of the typical hang ups about pre fight sex. But when I asked Dr. Malik about how women like Ronda Rousey in specific fit into this story, which he immediately told me about was a larger issue.

[F]

Women are very understudied in terms of science, right? So like if you look up the word penis in the scientific, the PubMed, which is where you look up scientific articles, you're going to get 50,000 results. If you look up clitoris, you're gonna get 2,000. So it's significantly understudied, which yeah, sounds.

[A]

Like a significant problem. And so as to the question of whether women also experience post nut Clarity, I asked Dr. Malik for her informed opinion.

[F]

I think ultimately, yes, they probably do. And I think certainly there's a number of release of hormones after any sort of climax and that can be including things that will help you focus. So I think it really varies person to person. But I would venture to say yes, that they probably do have post intercourse or masturbation clarity.

[A]

In the spirit of journalistic inquiry, Dominique, I had to make a call to some other athletes in our focus group who know a little bit something about, you know, being great.

[C]

But yeah, so I go to her hotel. You guys are in for the night. Big game tomorrow, finals. Sue got none. Sue got. Sue got none. Maggie was tired. I was doing a pre nut clarity and it worked. And it worked. I won the World cup and I was the best player player and scored the most goals and took Trump down. Oh, boom. That's I'm just. And equal pay. And equal pay.

[A]

This is Megan Rapinoe. If you didn't recognize that voice sitting next to her fiance Sue Bird, two of the greatest athletes in the world.

[C]

I think there is something to the stress relief like I've even heard, especially with women like during their menstrual cycle, masturbating is like a, can be like a pain reliever. I think it does regulate you and put you more in touch with your sort of like own body or whatever. It's Kind of like, can be grounding in terms of, like, is it going to give you sort of clarity or not? I never really. I've never heard of that. I never heard of that. Yeah. Like, I've, you know, had sex for games. Haven't had sex before.

[D]

Games.

[C]

Masturbated. Not like. I just feel like it's like, whatever.

[D]

They have great sex, I'm sure. So they're just so, like, comfortable with each other.

[A]

Yeah, they're just so much cooler than me.

[D]

Yeah. They're so comfortable with each other and comfortable with this conversation. I see my people when I recognize my people, when I see my people.

[A]

What good sex havers?

[D]

Just people who are confident and comfortable. It would be ridiculous for us to think that their experience was completely different from ours, but it seems like there's something to it for them. Even though she was kind of. It felt like Megan was dismissing it.

[B]

Right.

[D]

To some degree. She then went on to kind of explain clearing of mental space and. And understanding that it does something to you.

[A]

Well, the something, though, where it rises to the threshold of, like, this is a. A clarity, a phenomenon, as opposed to just like. Well, now I'm thinking about something else. That's where I wanted to. Again, focus group in this case of two, sample size of two. But I wanted to get into, like, okay, how different is it in terms of what men feel versus what women feel with, you know, Sue?

[C]

I feel like women, definitely. They're. I'm going on a little bit of a limb. Women in their pnc. I don't know if it's clarity. There is not generally. That's not how I want to say this, but there has been instances where I've sensed more emotion, like tears or just, like, emotional moments in that moment. But again, it's all wrapped up in hormones. I've never. Yeah, yeah, I was gonna say I've never experienced that with a guy. No guy's ever cried after.

[D]

Men and women are so incompatible in some ways because what she's describing is kind of the opposite.

[A]

Right.

[D]

You know, like, I mean, I guess to some degree, when you're with someone who you really want to be with, you're like. It's more of a content, but it's not, like, emotionally moved to tears. Like, it's not like, oh, my gosh, I love you so much. It's more like, all right, yeah, that was great, wasn't it?

[A]

Accessing feelings. Right. It's interesting. Like, the clarity is a very clinical idea.

[D]

Maybe it's a stretch, but, like, it does also feel, feel like a clarity. They've cleaned the windshield or they've removed the fog and they just see something different or they see something different than what we would see or, you know, it's like it's now clear to see what is most important to you, which is where we kind of started. Why you were saying part of what you, you think about is like being a good parent.

[A]

Right.

[D]

It's like this is a time where everything is kind of clear in my mind and I can see the things that are most important. And that's like, for you, it's parenting and writing emails, apparently. But for them, it's their emotional connection, which, like, as, as gross as part of this episode has been. Like, it's, it's beautiful. Yes, it's beautiful for them and for anybody who feels that.

[A]

I don't know if people listening to this understand how genuinely uncomfortable I have been at times during this episode. It started with the most earnest of curiosities as to like Orlando Cabrera, good or bad at his job because he does this thing. And then it became a reflection on what it means to be yourself as, as sex is concerned and masturbating is concerned.

[D]

And generally, I mean, I think this is called good profile or essay writing, Pablo. Like, this is, this is a thing that's about, that pretends to be about this small, insignificant thing which is really about like the human experience. Isn't that what all great award winning essays are about? You just made an award winning podcast, Pablo. Be proud of it.

[A]

Yes.

[D]

And also, like, you're getting paid for it and you also have edit power. So if you're uncomfortable with how this went, imagine how I am. I did this for free. And who knows what parts of this you're gonna show? So I, I don't know, I'm. I'm trusting you. This is called being a friend. I try to be the best friend that I can be. I try to be the best analyst I can be, try to be the best lover that I can be. And it's something that you should, I mean, just be the best at everything. That's all.

[A]

What I found out today, Dominique, is that you really do care about my pleasure.

[D]

You couldn't get out of here with it. Like, you pretend like you are uncomfortable with all this stuff, but you're really just gross and you like to be gross. Like, I actually, I'm not uncomfortable with the conversation, but I'm actually a little bit concerned with how it's going to turn out. You don't give a. You're pretending like you are so that I feel comfortable, but you don't give a.

[A]

Can we hear Uno deuce one Again?

[D]

No. Please don't stare at me. That's that post nut clarity. Think about world hunger and organized religion. Also good parenting.

[A]

Dominique Foxworth, one of the the best parents and friends that I know and have. Thank you for going on this odyssey into the human experience.

[D]

You're welcome.

[A]

This has been Pablo Torre Finds Out a Meadowlark Media production and I'll talk to you next time.

[B]

Sam.