According to World Health Organization’s (WHO) studies in 2023, 1 in 6 people of the adult population worldwide experience infertility problems (https://www.paho.org/en/news/4-4-2023-1-6-people-globally-affected-infertility-who). Of course, this does not only concern the female population but also the male. The factors that affect or are highly related to male fertility are various and can be genetic, hereditary, as well as lifestyle habits.
In order to minimize the effect of modifiable lifestyle factors, men should avoid excesses in their routine, such as
- Exaggerations in eating habits
Bad eating habits (sugars, fats, foods high in sugar) are known to be harmful to health and fertility and at the same time obesity has been linked to difficulties in conceiving. However, an insufficient diet that leads to low body weight (BMI), in correlation to a man’s age and height, has negative effects on fertility.
- Excessive sedentary lifestyle
Sedentary lifestyle and the absence of physical exercise have adverse consequences on sperm quality and this is due to increased testicular temperature when body movements are limited. For this reason, experts also advise men to avoid tight underwear and the use of excessively hot water in the bathroom.
- Excessive exercise
Although controlled exercise has beneficial effects on the body, intense and even daily exercise can cause infertility. This is due to the fact that too much exercise changes the metabolism, keeping muscles and organs from recovering correctly.
- Excessive stress
Stress is a factor that affects both female and male fertility. Research shows that chronic stress or ongoing stress over an extended period of time, can affect testosterone production and lead to premature ejaculation and low concentration of sperm in a semen sample.
- Excessive consumption of alcohol, caffeine and smoking
It has been proven that all three factors (alcohol, caffeine, smoking) on a daily basis, in excessive use, are negatively related to male fertility (metabolism and sperm production).