If you think you may want to have children in the future, it could be time to start watching your weight.
According to new research, being obese may adversely affect men’s sperm, making it more difficult for couples to conceive.
The study, published in the journal Andologia, found that obesity was associated with lower volume of semen, sperm count, concentration and motility, as well as greater sperm defects.
While it’s long been known that being overweight can impact a woman’s fertility by affecting ovulation, the latest research adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting men’s weight could be just as important.
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Zena Holloway via Getty Images
The study compared the sperm of more than 1,000 men using specialised computer software to determine how weight affects sperm count and sperm quality.
Dr Gottumukkala Ramaraju, lead author of the study, commented: “The health and reproductive performance of spermatozoa in obese men are more likely to be compromised both qualitatively and quantitatively.
“Results from our present dataset suggest that efforts focusing on male weight loss before conception are warranted for couples seeking infertility treatment.”
The research follows a 2012 study from Harvard School of Public Health which combined data from 14 studies comparing sperm count in overweight, obese, and healthy weight men, along with data from an infertility centre.
The scientists found that men who were overweight were 11% more likely to have a low sperm count and 39% more likely to have no sperm in their ejaculate than men who were considered a healthy weight.
Obese men were 42% more likely to have a low sperm count than their lighter peers and 81% more likely to produce no sperm.
Commenting on the latest findings, Professor Geeta Nargund, medical director of Create Fertility told HuffPost UK: “It is well known that obesity impacts negatively on male reproductive potential by reducing sperm quality and quantity.
“This latest research strengthens previous findings and helps us to counsel men attending fertility clinics. A rise in sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and lack of regular exercise are contributing to obesity in men.”
Aside from weight, Professor Nargund said there are several lifestyle factors that affect sperm function and it is important that we “educate men and help them to improve their sperm in order to increase success rates of natural and assisted conception”.
“Smoking, excessive alcohol intake, using recreational drugs and anabolic steroids, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle and excessive body weight can all have a bearing on sperm quality and quantity,” she said.
“It takes up to three months for the body to create new sperm, so to guarantee their efforts are worthwhile they should be making lifestyle changes many months ahead of time.
“One in six couples have fertility problems in the UK and in nearly half of the cases, male infertility is the problem. Advancing paternal age is also linked with reduced fertility. We need to shift the paradigm from treatment to prevention in infertility and fertility education is crucial to achieve this.”
10 Things You May Not Know About Your Fertility
(01 of10)
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1. Your fertility is mostly determined by genetics, which influences how many eggs you are born with. Doctors believe that the number of eggs you have at birth determines the length of time you will remain fertile. At birth, women have about two million eggs in their ovaries. For every egg ovulated during your reproductive life, about 1,000 eggs undergo programmed cell death. Other things, such as smoking cigarettes and certain types of chemotherapy, can accelerate egg cell death and promote an earlier menopause.
(02 of10)
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2. Regular menstrual cycles are a sign of regular ovulation.Most women have regular cycles lasting between 24 and 35 days. This is usually a sign of regular, predictable ovulation. Women who do not ovulate regularly have irregular menstrual cycles. Those who do not ovulate at all may have a genetic condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
(03 of10)
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3. Basal temperature charting does not predict ovulation.An older method of tracking ovulation involves taking your oral body temperature each morning before getting out of bed. This is called basal body temperature. This method is used to spot a rise in basal temperature, which is a sign that progesterone is being produced. The main problem with using this method is that your temperature rises after ovulation has already occurred. This makes it more difficult to time intercourse at an optimal time for conception. A better method is to use over-the-counter urine ovulation predictor test kits such as Clearblue Easy. These kits test for the hormone that prompts ovulation, which is called luteinizing hormone (LH).
(04 of10)
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4. Most women with blocked fallopian tubes are completely unaware they may have had a prior pelvic infection.About 10 percent of infertility cases are due to tubal disease, either complete blockage or pelvic scarring causing tubal malfunction. One major cause of tubal disease is a prior pelvic infection from a sexually transmitted disease such as chlamydia. These infections can cause so few symptoms that you may be completely unaware your tubes are affected. This is why fertility physicians will order a dye test of the tubes, called a hysterosalpingogram (HSG), if you have been trying and failing to conceive for 6 months or longer.
(05 of10)
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5. In most cases, stress does not cause infertility. Except in rare cases of extreme physical or emotional distress, women will keep ovulating regularly. Conceiving while on vacation is likely less about relaxation than about coincidence and good timing of sex.
(06 of10)
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6. By age 44, most women are infertile, even if they are still ovulating regularly. Even with significant fertility treatment, rates of conception are very low after age 43. Most women who conceive in their mid-40s with fertility treatment are using donated eggs from younger women.
(07 of10)
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7. Having fathered a pregnancy in the past does not guarantee fertility. Sperm counts can change quite a bit with time, so never assume that a prior pregnancy guarantees fertile sperm. Obtaining a semen analysis is the only way to be sure the sperm are still healthy!
(08 of10)
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8. For the most part, diet has little or nothing to do with fertility. Despite popular press, there is little scientific data showing that a particular diet or food promotes fertility. One limited study did suggest a Mediterranean diet with olive oil, fish and legumes may help promote fertility.
(09 of10)
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9. Vitamin D may improve results of fertility treatments. A recent study from the University of Southern California suggested that women who were undergoing fertility treatments, but had low vitamin D levels, might have lower rates of conception. This vitamin is also essential during pregnancy. At Pacific Fertility Center, we recommend our patients take 2,000-4,000 IU per day.
(10 of10)
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10. Being either underweight or overweight is clearly linked with lowered levels of fertility. The evidence in recent years is that obesity is clearly linked with a longer time to conception. Having a body mass index less than 18 or over 32 is associated with problems ovulating and conceiving, as well as problems during pregnancy.