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Boosting Male Fertility Through Lifestyle Change

An image of a man holding a question mark in front of his pelvisInfertility has become a rapidly-occurring problem for couples. This can either be an issue with the man, the woman, or both. Research has shown boosting male fertility can be a viable solution to this problem. Often, both researchers and practitioners are finding that males have some issues with their sperm that should be corrected in order to take care of infertility. In fact, about 40-50% of the time, failure of the couple to get pregnant can be traced back to the male partner.

Low sperm count, abnormalities in the sperm, and low testosterone levels are some of the more common issues in males that lead to difficulty getting pregnant. Recurrent miscarriages also may be due to some of these issues in the male.

Thus, boosting male fertility becomes the focus of many efforts to help couples get pregnant.

Lifestyle Factors Affecting Male Fertility

A growing body of evidence shows a lack of exercise, obesity, smoking and marijuana use, and poor nutrition is correlated with decreased motility of sperm, sperm concentration, and morphology.

Not only do these lifestyle factors affect male fertility, but they may also contribute to problems with long-term health and development of babies. Alterations in sperm due to these factors can be transferred to babies and lead to the development of birth defects, cancer, behavioral difficulties, and overall long-term health risks.

This result has been found in both animal and human models examining obese subjects and those exposed to marijuana. Thus, men must be made aware that their lifestyle choices can not only affect their ability to initiate pregnancy but also can be dangerous to the long-term health of their child.

Obesity

One lifestyle factor which has proven to be a major issue in lowered male fertility rates is obesity. There are a number of ways male obesity affects fertility.

With obesity comes increased fat accumulation in the scrotum. This increases the temperature in the testicles which detrimentally affects sperm parameters and thus fertility.

Sperm production is also lowered in obese men due to changes in sex hormones and binding proteins for these sex hormones.

In addition, obesity has been correlated with genetic changes in sperm that affect three factors involved in miscarriage: fertilization, development of the embryo, and DNA fragmentation.

Alcohol, Caffeine, and Soda

An image of men toasting with glasses of liquorLimiting intake of these three substances has been shown to positively affect the efforts directed toward boosting male fertility. More than two cups of caffeinated coffee per day has been considered excessive. This has a negative effect on sperm parameters and may be a reason couples have difficulty getting pregnant.

One serving per day of alcohol is considered safe regarding fertility. This serving can be one 12 ounce beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor. More than this negatively affects the quality of sperm and fertility.

According to research, it is best to avoid sugary caffeinated sodas completely.

Other Factors Affecting Male Fertility

The old advice to avoid wearing tight underwear or tight pants still holds true. Tight clothing such as this increases the testicular temperature and negatively affects sperm parameters. Research has backed this continuing advice.

A factor that appears to have some detrimental effect on male fertility is the use of cell phones and the internet. Research that was found for this article shows a correlation, but not a causative effect.

One systematic review and meta-analysis reviewed articles examining the effects of radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation on sperm development and function. Results from this review showed the use of cell phones negatively affected sperm quality.

A Chinese study showed talking on cell phones may negatively affect sperm count, sperm volume, and semen volume.

Spending time in hot tubs can also negatively affect fertility due to the increased heat on the testicles. Exposure to heavy metals, which is an increasing risk in todayā€™s world, negatively affects fertility.

Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS)

An image of a man stressed out in front of a laptopOne physical condition that may not be considered by most conventional medical professionals but which can affect fertility is adrenal fatigue. This condition occurs when the adrenal glands, which are the main stress control system of your body, become overwhelmed by chronic and severe stress. Stress from any source can lead to this condition if it becomes chronic. Once the adrenals are overwhelmed, they can no longer produce sufficient cortisol, the major stress-fighting hormone of your body. This sets into motion the progression of non-specific but debilitating symptoms making up Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS).

Functional medicine looks at the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response model to understand how stress affects your body. The NEM model says there are six circuits that help your body deal with stress. Each of these circuits contains systems and organs that all interact in the effort of handling stress. The hormone circuit is the one dealing with testosterone and other hormones and their interaction. The thyroid, reproductive organs, and adrenals are involved in this circuit.

In AFS the adrenals become weakened due to overload of demand for cortisol. With these weakened adrenals, there is less cortisol being produced. A low level of cortisol affects many of the hormones in the body including testosterone. The lower the level of cortisol, the lower the level of testosterone.

Initially in AFS, the increase in production of cortisol caused by increasing demand from your body to fight against stress leads to lower production of other hormones, including testosterone. As AFS gets more severe, the production of cortisol decreases as mentioned above.

With cortisol levels decreasing, another hormone, pregnenolone, often called the precursor of all other hormones, is called on to produce cortisol. This leads to the declining production of other hormones, including testosterone.

This shows the link between your adrenals, AFS, and the production of testosterone.

Boosting Male Fertility Naturally

Boosting male fertility naturally is very preferable to using prescribed testosterone boosters. Risks involved in taking testosterone replacement medications include premature hair loss, acne, oily skin, increased risk of blood clots, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, and anxiety or panic attacks.

Research regarding men with prostate cancer using testosterone replacement medications in boosting male fertility are somewhat uncertain. Some of the research says men with this condition should avoid this replacement medication. Other research suggests it may be safe with significant control of conditions.

Weight Loss

One of the most important factors in boosting male fertility naturally is losing weight, particularly if you are considered obese. Research shows an improvement quickly in semen parameters when you lose weight. The more weight you lose, the greater the improvement.

Antioxidants

Increasing your consumption of antioxidants is also important in boosting male fertility naturally. Damage to sperm occurs in the presence of oxidative stress such as is seen in obesity, smoking, pollution, and toxins.

Sperm cells donā€™t contain cytoplasm which leaves them relatively defenseless against oxidative stress. They must rely on antioxidants as found in vitamin C, vitamin B, folic acid, zinc, selenium, and other minerals and foods. Many of these antioxidants are found in the seminal fluid normally and work to prevent damage to sperm.

Five daily servings of fruits and vegetables that vary in color are the target for increasing your consumption of antioxidants. Tuna, halibut, dark meat poultry, oysters, and sardines are good sources for these antioxidants, also.

Omega-3

Another good addition to your diet when boosting male fertility is to increase consumption of omega-3s. Salmon, trout, herring, and sardines are good sources of omega-3s. Omega-3s are important in building the sperm cell membrane.

Exercise

An image of a man and woman jogging with headphones around their necksExercise in moderation and of the right kind is another good option for boosting male fertility. Aerobic exercise in moderate-intensity is research-backed to improve fertility. Resistance training has also been shown to improve male markers of fertility and the rate of pregnancy.

More exercise is not necessarily better. Excessive participation in either of the mentioned types of exercise has been shown to decrease sperm production and quality. In particular, any kind of exercise that increases testicular temperature can be detrimental to fertility.

Research shows moderate-intensity continuous training to be the best choice for boosting male fertility. The key is moderation and avoiding exercise that increases testicular temperature.

Conclusion

Boosting male fertility is an important factor in combating the increasing problem of infertility among couples. It has become clear that issues in this area are at least as important as issues in females when couples have trouble becoming pregnant.

Some of the factors involved in male infertility include obesity, consumption of alcohol, poor nutrition, use of drugs, use of cell phones which exposes men to electromagnetic radiation, and spending time in hot tubs.

All of these are lifestyle choices. Therefore, other choices can be made which are optimal for boosting male fertility.

Some of the better choices include increasing consumption of antioxidants, Omega 3s, increasing the right kind of exercise, and limiting consumption of caffeine and alcohol.

 
© Copyright 2020 Michael Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.


Dr. Lam's Key Question

Before now when couples had trouble getting pregnant, the woman was typically the source of intervention. Recent research has shown males to be the reason for these troubles in as many as 50% of cases. Obesity, alcohol and drug use, lack of exercise, and poor nutrition are possible reasons.

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