Achieving a normal body mass index is one of the most important (and difficult!) things men can do to promote sperm quality and fertility.
Being overweight can affect the balance between testosterone and estrogen in your body and alter testicular temperatures. Having an elevated body mass index is associated with lower sperm counts, decreased sperm motility (swimming ability), abnormal sperm morphology (shape), sperm DNA damage, and sperm oxidative stress.
That results in longer times to pregnancy and decreased success using assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization.
The good news is that clinical studies have shown that weight loss can significantly improve sperm production and sperm quality. We know it isn’t easy, but achieving an optimal body mass index (20-25) is one of the most important things you can do to optimize your fertility.
If you want to lose weight, talking with a medical professional is a good place to start. In the meantime, here are a few tips:
- Avoid crash diets - they don’t have sustainable results and can cause nutritional deficiencies
- Eat a wide variety of foods
- Reduce or eliminate processed foods from your diet
- Eat more vegetables
- Try to eliminate regular and repetitive patterns of snacking
- Practice mindfulness when eating by making conscious decisions about what you eat and how much you eat per meal.
- Drink a lot of water
- Try not to eat late at night
Being underweight can also negatively affect your fertility. Having a lower-than-normal body mass index (BMI) decreases energy availability and can disturb the balance of male reproductive hormones in your body. Getting your BMI up to normal (20-25) can positively impact sperm quality.
