Habits that reduce sperm quality

Lack of exercise, hot baths, use of stimulants, wearing tight clothes, staying up late... are habits men should avoid to not affect sperm quality.

A healthy man produces an average of 15-200 million sperm per milliliter of semen. Decreased sperm count and quality is a warning sign that a man's fertility is having problems.

Master, Doctor Ta Ngoc Thach, Department of Urology - Andrology and Nephrology, Tam Anh General Hospital Hanoi, said that there are many causes of reduced sperm quality such as genetics, the effects of some diseases (orchitis, prostatitis, chronic diseases, cancer...), exposure to environmental toxins, daily lifestyle. Below are habits that can reduce sperm quality that men should avoid.

Hot bath

High temperatures can reduce sperm production. So frequent soaking in hot tubs or saunas can put heat stress on the testicles, affecting sperm quality and reducing sperm concentration, motility and count.

According to Master Thach, the ideal temperature of the two testicles is about 36 degrees Celsius, about 1 degree Celsius lower than body temperature. If the temperature in the testicles is equal to body temperature, the testicles are almost unable to produce sperm.

Sedentary

Sitting too much and being sedentary can impede blood circulation, increase testicular temperature, and disrupt spermatogenesis. Being sedentary also increases the risk of being overweight and obese. Meanwhile, excess fat can increase the activity of aromatase and estradiol levels, inhibiting sex hormones in the male pituitary gland. This reduces sperm concentration, mobility, viability, and normal morphology; increases erectile dysfunction, and affects male reproductive function.

Exercise not only increases sperm count, motility, and normal morphology, but also improves reproductive hormone levels by increasing serum testosterone.

Drinking alcohol and smoking

Drinking too much alcohol affects the size of the testicles, reduces the concentration of globulin, and hinders sperm development. Alcohol in beer and wine reduces the level of testosterone hormone, thereby reducing sexual desire, causing erectile dysfunction, affecting the quantity and motility of sperm. A study based on 1,221 young Danish men, aged 18-28, published in the US National Library of Medicine, showed that sperm concentration, total sperm count, and percentage of sperm with normal morphology were inversely proportional to alcohol consumption. Men who consumed more than 40 units of alcohol per week had a 33% lower sperm concentration than those who consumed 1-5 units per week.

Dr. Thach said that smoking reduces testosterone, reduces sexual desire, affects the functioning of the testicles and vas deferens. This also increases the concentration of ROS in semen, causing a decrease in sperm count and motility, and causes sperm deformities and sperm DNA fragmentation in men. Regular smoking can reduce sperm concentration by 23% and sperm motility by 13%, and sperm are weaker than non-smokers.

Stay up late

Men who go to bed early may have better sperm health than those who go to bed late. Lack of sleep can cause stress, which increases glucocorticoid hormone levels and reduces testosterone, leading to low sperm concentration and poorer motility.

Most men who stay up late are exposed to shortwave light (SWL) from television screens, computers, and electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones. This exposure has a negative impact on sleep quality as well as reducing sperm quality.

Staying up late watching TV, using computers, and using phones can reduce sperm quality. Photo: Freepik — Staying up late watching TV, using computers, and using phones can reduce sperm quality. Photo: *Freepik*

Eat processed foods

Processed foods often contain a lot of salt and fat, which unbalances hormones in the body; increases the risk of obesity; increases free radicals in the blood, destroys sperm, and reduces sperm formation and production.

Consuming a lot of processed foods will reduce the amount of green vegetables and fruits, easily leading to nutritional deficiencies. Meanwhile, vitamin C and zinc affect the ability to produce sperm. In addition, industrial food packaging can contain a lot of toxic BPA, affecting sperm mobility. Some foods of soy origin are also not suitable for men, because they contain isoflavones, which increase the risk of weak sperm.

Wearing pants too tight

Regularly wearing tight pants can increase the temperature of the testicles, impairing testicular function, affecting the quantity and quality of sperm. Men should wear pants that fit the body, are made of soft material, and absorb sweat well.

Substance abuse

Using anabolic steroids to build muscle for the purpose of increasing athletic performance will reduce the size of the testicles, affecting the ability to produce sperm. In addition, some illegal stimulants such as cocaine, marijuana, and opium can also cause sperm problems, leading to infertility.

High intensity cycling

Cycling continuously for a long time can cause testicular ischemia. The pressure and friction with the saddle can cause testicular congestion and increase the temperature of the scrotum. Therefore, cycling continuously for many hours every day and for months will have a negative impact on sperm production.

Trinh Mai

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