Sperm health is as important as taking care of your mental or physical health. But do you know exercise and staying fit can help you improve your sperm health? Here are the top 5 reasons to exercise for sperm health.
- Increased testosterone secretion
A third of all men who face infertility exhibit poor semen quality. Though intravenous fertilization is possible, the risks of miscarriage and birth defects are higher.
But exercises can overcome these challenges. All forms of exercise are good not only for your overall health but also for reproduction.
Testosterone production is vital for male fertility. And this male sex hormone is responsible for sperm health as we know it.
Unless you have sufficient testosterone, you can never produce the sperm quality and quantity necessary for procreation.
What then are sperm characteristics? These are components affecting the sperm’s shape, quantity, concentration, and movement to the eggs.
Exercises dilate the vessels leading to the reproductive organs. In so doing, they boost the nutrients necessary to make more semen. Further, this process also provides the ideal scrotal temperature.
A study to check the impact of exercise found that moderate-intensity continuous exercise is very effective.
As per the Men’s T Clinic, engaging in exercise, particularly intense and heavy strength training, can lead to a surge in testosterone levels. This elevation in testosterone may endure for a brief period, ranging from 15 minutes up to an hour. Interestingly, men tend to experience a more substantial and extended increase in testosterone when they perform strength training in the evening compared to the morning.
- Reduced inflammation
Physical activities are ideal in eliminating inflammation and oxidation. Yet these are natural occurrences that happen in the body.
Inflammation is our body’s response mechanism to infections, irritation, and injuries. In low doses, you don’t even notice them.
But when you are exposed to huge doses of an inflammatory response, other negative effects occur.
These include oxidation and undesirable immune response that can affect the reproduction tracts. It also distorts the endocrine system, further impacting your sperm health. Specifically, the inflammation affects gonad.
But what’s gonad, and how does it relate to sperm health? The gonadotropin-releasing hormone triggers pituitary glands to communicate with your testicles.
This hormone influences the secretion of luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones. These are also called LH and FSH, respectively. It’s the LH and FSH that account for testosterone production, as described above.
But the gonad is extremely sensitive to inflammation. Any irritation throws this delicate sperm-producing process into disarray.
Luckily, medium intensity continuous training supports the gonad’s exposure to inflammation and antioxidants. As such, exercises support sperm health.
- Improves breathing
Physical activity demands more oxygen. You also expel more carbon dioxide in the process. To satisfy the increased air demand, your breathing frequency quadruples.
From inhaling 15 times in a minute, you can go up to 45-60 times in a minute. Your air consumption also increases ten folds, from 12 liters a minute to 100 liters.
High-capacity breath does many other things to your body. The first beneficiary is your lung. Heavy breathing expands your lungs’ capacity. This means that you can inhale massive oxygen, curing shortness of breath.
When you exercise, you become conscious of your breathing. It thus helps you to set a breathing pattern that optimizes air intake.
You can adopt the belly breathing technique. This process has been certified by the American Lung Association and is effective in strengthening your diaphragm.
When your lungs are large, your heart also becomes more empowered. And these two go hand in hand in advancing your sperm health. They deliver more blood and nutrients to your groin for healthier sperms.
- Better digestion
Digestion involves disintegrating consumed food. But excreting wastes and toxics, and providing energy are also part of the process. As we age and increasingly remain sedentary, the efficiency of all these roles dwindles.
You may know that more than two-thirds of your body’s immunity resides in your guts. And guts are an integral part of the digestive system. Thus, any slight distortion to gut composition reverberates to other areas completely unrelated to the stomach.
In fact, immune complications affect your digestive system. You experience bloating, constipation and wind. But other systems are equally affected, including respiration, sensory, mental, and even sight.
You notice chronic ailments such as colds, skin conditions, coeliac disease, fatigue, and cancer. So you must take care of your gut.
Eating the right meals is just as vital as moving your body. The good thing is that exercises are important in restoring these functions.
Flexing increases blood flow to the belly, further stimulating peristalsis. This way, it optimizes nutrients supply to the reproductive area, boosting sperm health in the process.
According to the University of Chicago Medical Center, there is a connection between digestion and sperm health, primarily through nutrient absorption and hormone production. The digestive system plays a role in breaking down nutrients, including vitamins C, E, and zinc, which act as antioxidants and safeguard sperm from oxidative stress. Additionally, certain hormones produced in the digestive system influence reproductive health, contributing to the development and maintenance of healthy sperm.
- Boosts immunity
There are myriads of infections and diseases onslaught young sperm cells. Thus having a strong immunity helps. And exercises are known to reinforce the immune system.
Many diseases crop as a result of a sedentary lifestyle. The most common are diabetes and high blood pressure. Having a high level of cholesterol makes these conditions worse.
Exercises nip the onset of these chronic conditions right at the bud. Regular physical activities boost the production of high-density lipoprotein.
Good cholesterols support proper blood flow to all organs. By a single stride, you eliminate potential blood sugar resistance and the risk of stroke.
But that is not all. A robust immunity helps you ward off depression, anxiety, and most forms of cancers.
Better immunity supports quick healing after surgery, accidents, and falls. It also strengthens the bones.
Over and above the physical attributes of a robust immune system, your mind also gain. The cognitive functions improve. This agile mindset protects against mental-degenerative diseases.
All these benefits produce healthier sperms.
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- Increase sperm count
Healthy sperm is the basis for male fertility. Yet sperm production depends on testosterone.
A study published by the journal Reproduction states that moderate exercises are the best way to improve sperm health.
The study reports the outcome of four exercises regime on 261 men for an eight-month experiment. They include no exercise, moderate exercises, high-intensity interval exercises, and intense exercises.
All these males were in good health but didn’t engage in any physical activities before enrolment. All those who partook in exercise gained sperm quantity and quality.
The ones who didn’t do any physical activity didn’t see any improvement in sperm health. But the ones who performed moderate 30-minute exercises three times a week on treadmills registered the highest improvement.
Although it’s still unclear how exercises affect male fertility, sperm health improves with exercise. But fertility is a combination of other factors beyond sperm vitality.
Still, exercises reinvigorate other areas that by extension, support sperm health.
- Weight management
Any form of exercise is ideal for weight reduction. Maintaining an ideal weight is essential for your reproductive health.
A healthy Body-Mass Index points to better functioning of most vital organs. And by just keeping your weight in check, you prevent many chronic medical issues.
Being obese is closely correlated with lower sperm count. Heft creates much friction, which overheats the scrotum and prevents healthy sperm development.
According to the research published in the National Library of Medicine, there is clear evidence indicating that male obesity has a detrimental effect on male reproductive potential. This impact is observed not only in the reduction of sperm quality but also in specific alterations to the physical and molecular structure of germ cells in the testes, ultimately affecting the development of mature sperm.
Besides, obesity causes hormonal changes. The secretion of estradiol tends to increase, while testosterone reduces.
And since sufficient T-cells are necessary for sperm development, this reduction has a direct impact on sperm quality.
An Iranian study published in the Journal of Urology assessed the impact of weight on sperm count. It found that losing even a slight reduction of weight helped increase the volume of healthy sperm.
The study measured the sperm count of 200 men with a BMI over 25 after intensive training for six months. The participants who exercised and lost weight registered higher semen volume and sperm concentration.
In conclusion, we shed light on the top five reasons you should exercise for sperm health. We hope that we are clear and that our gathered information can help you decide what exercises you should add to your routine.
SIMILAR QUESTION
How Does Exercise Improve Sperm Quality?
Introduction
Exercise has long been known to have a positive effect on health. It can help reduce the risk of certain diseases, improve mood and energy levels, and even help to improve sperm quality. This paper will discuss the effects of exercise on sperm quality, how it can be beneficial, and potential risks of overexercising.
How Does Exercise Improve Sperm Quality?
Exercise is known to have a positive effect on sperm quality. It can help to improve sperm motility, morphology, and concentration, as well as improve semen volume. Exercise can also help to reduce stress, which in turn can improve reproductive health.
The exact mechanisms of how exercise improves sperm quality are not fully understood, but there are several hypotheses. One is that exercise increases blood flow to the testes, which can provide more oxygen and nutrients to the sperm. Exercise may also increase the production of testosterone, which is essential for sperm production and maturation. In addition, exercise has been shown to decrease oxidative stress, which can damage sperm.
Benefits of Exercise on Sperm Quality
Regular exercise can be beneficial for sperm quality in several ways. It can increase sperm motility, which is the ability of sperm to swim effectively. Exercise can also improve sperm morphology, which is the shape and size of sperm. Exercise can also increase sperm concentration, which is the number of sperm per milliliter of semen. Finally, exercise can help to increase semen volume, which is the amount of semen produced.
Potential Risks of Overexercising
Although exercise can be beneficial for sperm quality, it is important to note that overexercising can have a negative effect. Overexercising can lead to dehydration, which can decrease sperm motility and concentration. In addition, overexercising can lead to increased levels of the hormone cortisol, which can interfere with testosterone production and sperm production.
Conclusion
In conclusion, exercise can be beneficial for sperm quality. It can increase sperm motility, morphology, concentration, and semen volume. However, it is important to note that overexercising can have a negative effect on sperm quality. It is important to find a balance between regular exercise and rest in order to optimize sperm quality.
