Study: Watching Too Much TV Can Lower Sperm Count
Heads up, guys. If you’re planning on having kids, stay away from the tighty whities, get off the couch and to the gym. According to a Harvard University study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, men who are mostly sedentary have lower sperm counts than those who are moderately active. Researchers say the effect could be caused by lack of exercise or overheating the testicles from prolonged sitting.
The Harvard School of Public Health studied healthy men aged 18 to 22 who watched more than 20 hours of TV each week and found they had 44 percent lower sperm counts than men who watched no television. Likewise, men who vigorously exercised 15 or more hours per week had a 73 percent higher sperm count than those who exercised fewer than five hours per week.
We know very little about how lifestyle may impact semen quality and male fertility in general so identifying two potentially modifiable factors that appear to have such a big impact on sperm counts is truly exciting,” said study leader Audrey Gaskins.”
Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield told the Daily Mail he agrees that there is evidence suggesting moderate exercise can change men’s physiology enough to improve testicular health.
Similarly, we already know that testicular heating through sedentary jobs or tight underwear can decrease sperm counts and so arguably the same effect might be seen in men who spend too many hours on the sofa watching television,” he said. “However, it remains to be seen if coaxing a TV watching couch potato into doing some regular exercise could actually improve his sperm count. Or whether there exists an unknown fundamental difference between men who like exercise and those who do not which might account for the findings.”
