The health benefits of physical exercise are no longer presented. But did you know that in men, it is also synonymous with fertility. Indeed, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Reproduction, exercising three times a week would increase sperm quality and boost male fertility. In six weeks, continuous training at moderate intensity was most effective in boosting the quality of sperm on the long term.
Researchers from Justus-Liebig-University (Germany), Allameh Tabataba’i University and Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine in Iran conducted a 24-week study with 261 healthy married men who were randomly assigned in three different sports programs. A fourth group did not do any physical exercise and served as a control.
Sport to reduce BMI and improve sperm quality
Some volunteers followed a continuous training of medium intensity (MICT): 12 weeks of walking or jogging on a treadmill for 25-30 minutes, 3 to 4 days per week followed by 12 weeks of 40-45 minutes of walking, 4 to 6 days per week.
The second group had continuous high-intensity training (HICT): 12 weeks of 40-50 minute walking (involving moderately fast 10 minute cycles followed by 3 minutes slowing down), 3 days a week, followed by 12 weeks 50-60 minutes, 3 days a week.
The rest of the participants were subjected to high intensity interval training (HIIT): the first 12 weeks they ran 10 sprints with 1 minute of recovery between each interval, the last 12 weeks 15 sprints with 1 minute.
During the study, semen of the participants was tested at different intervals to assess markers associated with “good fertility,” such as sperm number and size, and sperm motility.
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The results showed that men who received sports training reduced their body mass index (BMI) and that during the experiment, their fertility tests improved. Scientists have identified that the moderate intensity program has been shown to be the most effective in boosting male fertility over the long term.
“Our results show that exercise can be a simple, inexpensive and effective strategy for improving semen quality in sedentary men,” concludes Dr. Behzad Hajizadeh Maleki, lead author of the study.
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