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The Obesity And Sperm Count Connection

By Expert HERWriter
 
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Pregnancy related image Photo: Getty Images

Remember that fertility is 50 percent sperm. Not all fertility issues are the results of female issues, therefore it’s important we talk about the boys as well. New research in the recent Fertility and Sterility found that men who are obese have fewer rapidly mobile sperm, fewer progressively forward mobile sperm and a lower sperm count. This could be a huge problem for couples looking to get pregnant if he doesn’t have the numbers or his swimmers don’t swim forward.

The process of making sperm is called spermatogenesis and it takes place in the testes. From start to finish, it takes about 70 days to create a mature sperm. This is important to keep in mind when doing pre-fertility planning as the healthier you are then the healthier your sperm should be. If you’ve been drinking, smoking, eating fast food, or putting your testes in tight, hot spots then your sperm development will suffer.

Testosterone is very important to development so if you’re low or on the low end of normal then your production won’t be very good. The storage of sperm takes place in the seminiferous tubules and they are very sensitive to heat. Spending time in hot tubs, putting your laptop on your lap without a buffer, carrying your cell phone in your front pocket, or biking/cycling can greatly affect this process. Vitamin deficiencies, alcohol, smoking, X-ray exposure, dioxin, and obviously obesity also hinder the success.

Just like it’s important for women to take pre-natal vitamins and prepare her body for pregnancy, it’s important for men too. Think about really cleaning up for 70 full days, focus on your diet, lifestyle, exercise, and stress factors that could be creating less than optimal sperm. Think about it--you want the healthiest, fastest, smartest, strongest sperm you can produce.

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Dr. Carrie Jones
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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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