Valentine’s Day is the day of love, whether it’s Dia del San Valentino or Liebe zum Valentinstag.

For one magical evening love is in the air, and if you’re born in November you probably know why.  

But sometimes things get in the way, be it a V-day IQ in the single digits or a big game Feb. 15.  

You know, the urban myth that says an athlete is supposed to refrain from sexual activity and harness all aggression into a beautiful symphony of adrenaline, testosterone and victory.  

Or so the theory goes for male athletes.

For decades there has been a pervading thought that sex before sport diminishes an athlete’s competitive drive.Muhammad Ali’s trainer, Angelo Dundee, used to do everything in his power to keep his fighters from pre-fight fornication.  

Immediately following the 1998 World Cup, Ronaldo, with a smile wider than the Mississippi River, said “Sex I will have now,” implying that he abstained for the duration of the month-long tournament.  

And then there are movies like He Got Game and Bull Durham to further perpetuate the legend.  

On South Hill, Ithaca senior Sonia Kedzierski knows the drill.She’s no athlete herself, but she’s dated them.  

“I’ve dated baseball and soccer players and in my experience they won’t have sex [a few days] before their games and they really stick to it,” she said.“This is why I don’t date athletes anymore.”

But senior Matt Nelligan of the lacrosse team says no way.  

“I’ve heard of it,” said the preseason honorable mention All-American.“But I don’t think sex has anything to do with your athletic performance.”And checking in at a robust 5-feet-6-inches who is Nelligan to be choosy?

But if some athletes do subscribe to the no-sex theory and some don’t, who is the authority that can definitively answer the age-old question?

Well that would be Ann Kolodji, a professor of human sexuality at Ithaca College. Kolodji and her 18 years of human sexuality study leave no room for interpretation.

“It’s an absolute myth,” she said. “Historical cultures may have viewed semen the same as blood, as a source of vitality, but that’s just not the case.”

And wait, there’s more.  

“Sex might even be viewed as a positive stress release before athletic competition depending on the individual,” she added.  

Maybe a little more information could have saved Kedzierski a relationship or two. Or Jesus Shuttlesworth could have had a little more fun.

At least you can enjoy yourself tonight with no strings attached. No matter what you’re doing tomorrow.