Physical activity and sperm quality: influence in sperm donors

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Andrology
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Sperm quality is crucial for male fertility.
• The impact of physical activity (PA) on sperm parameters requires further investigation.
• Understanding lifestyle factors like PA can inform fertility treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between physical activity (PA) levels and sperm quality in sperm donors.
• To determine if varying intensities of PA affect conventional sperm parameters.
• To explore the relationship between PA and fertilization rates (FR) in assisted reproductive technologies.

Main Methods:

• Prospective case-control study involving 207 sperm donation candidates.
• Conventional sperm analysis performed according to WHO criteria.
• Physical activity assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), quantified in metabolic equivalents (METs)-min/week.
• Semen samples from 43 donors analyzed for fertilization rates (FR) in artificial insemination by donor (AID) and in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Main Results:

• No significant differences in semen volume, sperm concentration, motility, or morphology were observed across different PA groups (low, moderate, high, very high).
• No correlation found between METs and semen parameters; running or cycling >1 hour/week did not impact sperm parameters.
• Artificial insemination by donor (AID) pregnancy rates were similar across PA groups.
• Significantly higher mean donor fertilization rates (FR) in in vitro fertilization (IVF) were noted in the high and very high PA groups.

Conclusions:

• Physical activity, even at very high levels, does not negatively affect conventional sperm parameters in donors.
• High and very high levels of physical activity are associated with improved fertilization rates in IVF cycles.
• Further research is warranted to explore the positive association between high PA and IVF outcomes.