A new study shows that men who took up running — and stuck with it — had a higher, healthier sperm count than their sedentary counterparts, BBC.com reports. The boost was only temporary, the news agency added, and began to wane within a month of stopping their training.
This adds one more reason why exercise is important, no matter what your gender. But, did you know there are other things that affect sperm health and count? For example, one study showed that exposure to electromagnetic radiation from cell phones lowered sperm motility by 8 percent and sperm viability by 9 percent. Previous studies have also found that cell phone radiation can affect men's sperm count.
This makes a good argument for getting your cell phone out of your pants pocket, men. But what if I told you that everyday chemicals also lower your sperm count, scramble your sperm’s DNA and cause motility problems? From cash register receipts to chemical-laced produce with pesticide residues to phthalates in your shampoos and vinyl shower curtains, all these things can add up to lower sperm health and subsequent fertility problems.
On the flip side, studies also show that if you’re struggling with infertility, it’s helpful to get your vitamin D levels to a healthy 40 to 60 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml). This is because vitamin D is essential for the healthy development of the nucleus of the sperm cell, improves semen quality and sperm count, and is capable of supporting healthy testosterone levels.