Let's start with the fertility fundamentals. It may seem obvious, but if you’re looking to optimise your fertility with a view to getting pregnant, you do need to be having regular sex to make a pregnancy likely. By regular, we mean at least two or three times a week. Doctors orders! If you're in a relationship with a woman, it's a good idea to have sex while your partner is ovulating (ovulating happens when eggs are being released from their ovaries).

Fertility treatments can be expensive and time consuming processes. Before you turn to them, you should first consider tackling male-factor infertility through lifestyle changes that can improve sperm quality and reproductive health. In this article, we'll take you through the what makes good quality sperm and the lifestyle changes that can improve and optimise your fertility as a man.

What can impact the health of your sperm?

In this piece, we’ll look at the kind of lifestyle changes (and some medical interventions) that you can make to optimise your sperm health. It’s important to be aware that some medicines – either prescription treatments or medicines you can buy over the counter at a pharmacy – may affect male fertility. If you’re undergoing chemotherapy, for example, this could affect your fertility in the short term or permanently. Extended use of some antibiotics can also have an impact on the health of your sperm, although these effects are usually reversed around three months after you cease taking the medicine.

What makes 'good' sperm?

Three main characteristics of sperm are usually assessed to determine whether or not they are healthy:

• Quantity – Too low a sperm count in an ejaculation will lower the chances of fertilising the egg. Having a healthy sperm concentration (a normal sperm count is deemed between 15-200 million sperm per millilitre of semen) will significantly boost your chances of getting pregnant.
• Movement – Sperm have a long way to travel to reach the egg, and so sperm motility is cruicial. If fewer than 40% of you sperm have motility then getting pregnant can be difficult.
• Structure – Healthy sperm have oval-shaped heads and long tails. Atypical sperm may struggle to move as well.

How can you optimise and improve your fertility as a man

To tackle fertility issues more naturally, here are a number of lifestyle changes you can make that are beneficial to sperm and reproductive health. If you wan to boost your chances of getting pregnant, you should consider the following factors:

Weight, exercise and diet  

Maintaining a healthy weight and eating a balanced diet is vital for good sperm health.

• Make sure you’re maintaining a healthy diet by hitting your 5 fruit and veg portions a day, and including fibre, dairy and protein in your meal.
• Several studies have suggested that a diet rich in processed red meats can negatively impact sperm count and sperm motility.
• Being overweight can also affect quality of sperm. Making time for daily physical activity can help promote weight loss.
• Fruit and vegetables, especially green leaved ones, are rich in folic acid - important in the course of sperm production.
• Observational studies have revealed fertile men's sperm to be rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in oily fish.
• Antioxidant-rich foods like walnuts, dark chocolate and berries have also shown to enhance sperm quality and improve birth rate.

Mental health and stress

• Severe stress can sometimes limit sperm production, and stress can also limit you or your partner’s libido, which could make it harder to have sex regularly.  
• As a result, it’s important to learn to relax and to make lifestyle adjustments that will reduce the amount of stress you experience. Positive steps can include ensuring a healthy work-life balance, making time to engage in activities that you enjoy, breathing exercises, pursuing relaxing hobbies like yoga or meditation, and doing exercise to decompress.  

Smoking, alcohol and recreational drug use  

Smoking is bad for your health in many ways, and it can certainly reduce your fertility. If you’re looking to increase or improve your fertility, it’s important to give up smoking (especially as, if you succeeded in having a baby, smoking around a new born would increase the risk of respiratory disease or cot death).  

Excessive alcohol consumption can damage the quality of your sperm. You should consider reducing your alcohol intake if you are trying to get pregnant. Your GP, the NHS alcohol support page and alcohol anonymous are just a few of the options available to help you cut back on heavy drinking and minimise its effects on fertility. Our doctors recommend that we drink no more than 14 units of alcohol weekly, which should be spread over three or more days. Drinking significantly more than this can affect the quality of your sperm, so it’s important not to drink excessively if you want to optimise your fertility.

Cannabis, cocaine and anabolic steroids are all known to damage sperm quality, especially in excessive amounts. According to fertility specialists, you should steer clear of these substances if you are trying to get pregnant.

Sperm temperature  

Testicles fall outside the body because they need to be kept cool in order to produce good quality sperm and maintain healthy sperm concentration. Working in hot environments, wearing tight underwear, sitting still for long periods and hot baths can all increase testicle temperature. Looser underwear, outdoor breaks and moving about are simple measures you can take to moderate your scrotal temperature.

Although there’s no hard evidence to show that tight underwear affects sperm quality, it is thought that tight pants can increase testicle temperature by around one degree Celsius. As such, in the period where you’re trying to get your partner pregnant, you may prefer to wear loose fitting underwear.  

Exposure to toxins

‍Certain environmental factors such as pesticide and lead exposure can negatively impact sperm count and quality. If you work around toxins, protective clothing and equipment can help minimise skin contact.‍

Caffeine consumption

‍Although research in this area is inconclusive, observational studies have indicated a correlation between high caffeine intake and a negative impact on sperm count, motility and DNA integrity. To be on the safe side, try to moderate your caffeine consumption when trying for a baby.

Healthy vitamin D intake

A recent study measuring the correlation between vitamin D levels and sperm quality showed men suffering from vitamin D deficiency had poorer sperm motility. To avoid vitamin D deficiency, be sure to expose yourself to sunlight, consume vitamin D-rich foods such as fatty fish and dairy products, or even consider taking vitamin D supplements. 

Vitamin C

‍Studies have demonstrated a link between high Vitamin C intake and strong sperm motility, and so it's important to include it in your diet.

Practice safe sex

‍Certain Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) including HIV, Hepatitis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, herpes can all cause fertility issues. If you think you may have any of the above, services such as SHL and SH:24 offer free home testing kits.

Other factors to consider

Testosterone levels

Fertility specialists see factors that impact testosterone levels as most responsible for low sperm quantity and quality. This is because testosterone is required for sperm production. There are both natural and pharmaceutical options for maintaining healthy testosterone levels, these include:

• Regular exercise
• Minimising stress - Prolonged stress increases levels of cortisol, a steroid hormone which can negatively affect testosterone levels.
• Zinc supplements - The mineral zinc plays a crucial role in maintaining testosterone production and sperm quality. Good sources of zinc include oysters, beef, poultry, nuts, legumes and whole grains.
• Fenugreek supplements - A medical herb, studies assessing the impact of fenugreek on men have demonstrated its capacity to improve erectile function, libido and testosterone production.
• Trans fats - Increased risk of heart disease is the main concern around excessive intake of trans fats, which can be found in baked goods, popcorn and frozen pizzas. However, animal studies have suggested that a diet rich in trans fats can also lead to poor quality semen and reduced testosterone. 

Stress

‍A loss of libido is a common side-effect of stress. A decreased sex drive may reduce the amount of sex you and your partner are having, and by extension your chances of getting pregnant. Severe, ongoing stress has also been shown to lower sperm production and affect semen volume. If you’re trying to get pregnant, stress relief techniques may be a suitable option for you.

Oxidative stress

This is when the production of "free radicals" (molecules produced by the body's cells use of oxygen) exceeds the production of antioxidants. Regarded as one of the main causes of decreased sperm quality, oxidative stress can lead to lower than average sperm count and motility, damage sperm cell DNA and tear testicular tissue. Vitamin C, antioxidant supplements and Omega-3 fatty acids can minimise oxidative stress.

Read our guide to male fertility

In our guide, we'll answer the questions our doctors and nurses get asked the most about male fertility:

• What is male infertility and what causes it
• What is male subfertility
• How do I find a sperm donor?
• How can I become a solo parent as a man
• The best fertility tests for men

Every person or couple has a different experience when it comes to trying for a baby. Some people get pregnant quickly, and for others it can take much longer. If you’ve been trying for a baby for a year or more and your partner is not pregnant or if you'd like to get your sperm tested, it’s a good idea to speak to your Fertifa Patient Advisor who can help you with the next steps.

If you're not part of Fertifa, but you're interested in putting fertility support and benefits in place at work, get in touch here to book a call with our team. We'd love to chat about how we can help 💜