(Image source network, not allowed to invade and delete)
According to statistics, about 40% of male infertility patients are asthenospermia, that is, poor sperm motility.
Sperm motility is the most critical indicator to assess sperm function, and in natural fertilization,
So what factors affect sperm motility, and how to develop fertile sperm? Let's learn from the literature with Sister Quan!
01 Get to know sperm motility
Sperm motility refers to the ability of sperm to move. According to the World Health Organization's Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen, Fifth Edition, it can be subdivided into three levels:
Forward motility sperm (forward-running)
Non-forward motile spermatozoa (non-running/spinning in place)
Immovable sperm (i.e., immobile)
So, you say which sperm is best for fertility,
Some people say that sperm motility is not divided into four grades of ABCD, isn't it the most important grade A? Yes, but that was already the classification standard of the last century!
This is because under the microscope, it is difficult for the human eye to distinguish between sperm that run fast (grade A) and sperm that run slowly (grade B), so the new standard more than ten years ago added grade A and grade B together to evaluate.
So, now as long as you run forward, it counts,
There are many factors that affect sperm motility,
Compared with men aged 21-30 years, the forward motility of sperm decreased significantly in men over 50 years old.
However, within a certain age range, sperm motility is very seriously affected by the external environment, and this article will introduce how to raise fertile sperm from the aspects of lifestyle and environment.
02 Dietary adjustments
Many people think that the role of food is daily accumulation, and it is difficult to see results in the short term, but in fact, this is not the case.
ACCORDING TO PLAS BIOLOGY,
According to the study,
generally
, which can improve the antioxidant status of sperm and is positively correlated with sperm motility.
Nuts can effectively improve sperm count, motility and morphology in Western dieters.
Has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and potential anti-cancer effects, able to alleviate oxidative stress,
In vitro studies have shown that curcumin can improve mitochondrial function, reduce malondialdehyde levels, and reduce the production of reactive oxygen species and apoptosis in patients with asthenozoospermia.
Lycopene is mainly found in ripe red fruits and is a super antioxidant,
Red quality tomatoes contain 2-3mg of lycopene per 100 grams, so
Lycopene also enhances sperm motility in mice affected by ionizing radiation, attenuating damage by inhibiting testicular oxidative damage and mitochondrial apoptosis.
, which can inhibit the increase in malondialdehyde content caused by obesity, and improve sperm motility by increasing antioxidant levels, restoring autophagy, and protecting the reproductive system from oxidative stress damage caused by obesity.
At the same time, long-term excessive alcohol consumption and high-fat and high-sugar diets will trigger oxidative stress, which has an adverse effect on sperm motility, and we should try to avoid it in daily life.
03Exercise moderately
There is a correlation between exercise and sperm motility, but vigorous exercise may have the opposite effect.
In this year's meta-analytic study of randomized controlled trials on physical activity and fertility, six randomized controlled trials published over eight years were included in the study.
The study, which included physical activity and male fertility, focused on semen parameters, pregnancy and birth rates, and was attended by a total of 1,637 patients.
It was found that
In addition, the study recorded statistically significant associations between physical activity and total pregnancy rates (P<0.01) and live birth rates (P<0.01).
In addition, it may be related to the fact that proper motility reduces the level of lipid peroxidation in the sperm plasma membrane.
Prolonged sitting may disrupt the temperature regulation of the testicles and increase stress on them, leading to oxidative stress, and prolonged cycling may impair sperm motility by raising the temperature of the scrotum.
04 Weight Retention
We have to face up to one reality, namely
Obesity is mainly affected by influences, such as obesity is negatively correlated with testosterone levels, BMI is positively correlated with LH, and LH is positively correlated with sperm motility.
Low testosterone levels mainly affect the ability to remove zinc from the epididymis, which leads to a decrease in sperm motility.
In addition, elevated levels of reactive oxygen species can lead to lipid peroxidation of cell membranes and decreased sperm motility.
Sperm mitochondria are destroyed in obese men, which can also lead to excessive release of reactive oxygen species, affecting electron transfer, reducing ATP synthesis and ultimately reducing sperm motility.
Animal studies may have made a more intuitive comparison of the relationship between obesity and sperm quality, and the researchers made mouse models of moderate (20%< body fat percentage (BFR) <30%) and severe obesity (BFR>30%).
By analyzing mouse sperm, it was found that obese mice had poor in vitro fertilization rates and decreased sperm motility, and testicular structural abnormalities were found in moderately and severely obese male mice, and the expression level of malondialdehyde increased with the severity of obesity.
This was further confirmed by the reduction of the expression of nuclear factor erythrocyte 2-related factor 2, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase.
In addition, the expression of glycolysis-related proteins, including glucose transporter 8, lactate dehydrogenase A, monocarboxylic acid transporter 2 (MCT2), and MCT4, was significantly decreased in the testes of obese male mice, suggesting that the energy supply for spermatogenesis is compromised due to obesity.
This mouse trial provides evidence that obesity affects male fertility,
However, the improvement of sperm motility also requires moderate exercise and dietary modification, and some studies have found that dietary modification improves sperm quality better than exercise.
05Avoid unfavorable surroundings
The first is temperature
Regardless of the temperature, it has a detrimental effect on sperm motility.
In a hot environment, the temperature of the male scrotum increases, resulting in a significant decrease in sperm motility.
Secondly, altitude
Studies have shown that sperm motility is low in men at high altitudes and low oxygen environments, but this effect is reversible.
Microparticles again
Sperm motility is also adversely affected by fine particles and microplastics, and exposure of male mice to concentrated PM2.5 results in decreased sperm motility, accompanied by a decrease in testosterone levels.
06Restriction of drugs that reduce sperm motility
In daily life, many common drugs are harmful to men's sperm motility, and you should try to avoid these drugs during the preparation for pregnancy.
(1) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Among other things, this can adversely affect sperm motility.
(2) Painkillers
Mainly include:
Long-term use of tramadol may cause dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, resulting in decreased sperm motility, decreased serum testosterone levels, and increased prolactin levels, and these changes are exacerbated with increasing doses.
Codeine may cause oxidative damage to sperm cells and increase the activity of apoptotic markers, thereby reducing sperm motility.
(3) Antihypertensive drugs
Antihypertensive drugs such as calcium channel blockers and β blockers can also affect sperm motility, and the main drugs are:
(4) Hypoglycemic drugs
Drugs commonly used by diabetics almost always have an effect on sperm motility, such as:
(5) Antidepressants
For example, although sperm DNA fragmentation was significantly increased in patients treated with treatment, sperm parameters did not change significantly.
(6) Anti-tumor drugs
Chemotherapy is a common treatment for tumors because of drugs that cause damage to the testicles and may have long-term effects on spermatogonial stem cells, such as those seen in the future.
In conclusion, the factors that affect sperm motility are numerous and complex, and some factors in life are closely related to people's daily lives but are easy to ignore, and some factors may exist at the same time and interact.
Through the discussion of these related factors, it is helpful for people to consciously prevent and intervene, try to provide a healthy environment for sperm, and let sperm run more handsomely.
It's worth noting that diet may have a higher impact than exercise and medications, so a healthy diet is the top priority for male fertility!
Solemnly declared
The content published on this account is only for information sharing, this account does not do any form of marketing promotion, and the views of the article cannot be directly used as medical diagnosis or health intervention suggestions. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking any preventive or curative measures.
No gossip and rumors
Don't be an official account that exists only for the number of forwards
Always care about real data and documentary arguments
On the way to hold the baby, I am willing to accompany you through the most helpless years
——THE END——
bibliography
[1] Human sperm displays rapid responses to diet. PLoS Biol. 2019 Dec 26; 17(12):e3000559. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000559.
[2] Effects of Physical Activity on Fertility Parameters: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. World J Mens Health. 2024 Jul; 42(3):555-562. doi: 10.5534/wjmh.230106. Epub 2024 Jan 2.
[3] Obesity induces male mice infertility via oxidative stress, apoptosis, and glycolysis. Reproduction. 2023 May 26; 166(1):27-36. doi: 10.1530/REP-23-0097.