How Exercise Impacts Sperm Health: A Closer Look

When it comes to infertility in men, age and lifestyle choices, like how active someone is, play big roles. But what about sports? Does training hard impact sperm quality? To find out, researchers looked at studies from three databases in April 2024. They picked reports that talked about sperm health and intense workout routines. Four studies popped up, covering 156 people. Turns out, 16 weeks of serious bike training led to drops in sperm volume, concentration, movement, and shape. With at least a week of rest, things improved, except for sperm shape and concentration. Athletes with varicocele (a condition affecting blood flow to the testes) saw better sperm concentration and movement after a 6-month break from sports. However, they also had more damaged DNA, round cells, and active immune cells in their semen. After a month of rest, semen parameters improved in both pro and non-pro athletes. So, intense training might not be great for sperm health and fertility. But the evidence isn't super strong, meaning we should be careful when interpreting these results.