Techniques to Determine Mammalian Sperm Capacitation

The detection of the achievement of the capacitation status in a sperm sample is a very important asset for optimizing most reproductive techniques centered on semen, from freezing to "in vitro" fertilization. However, there is not a single, simple test that can determine the precise capacitation of a sample. This implies that a combined panel of separate tests focused on separate aspects of sperm function must be carried out to obtain a precise knowledge of the functional status of the sample. This work deals with a brief explanation of the most important techniques applied at these moments to determine sperm capacitation, with an emphasis not on the description of each technique, but on the advantages, disadvantages, and main purposes taking into account practical aspects such as the precise target by which a laboratory wants to determine capacitation. In this way, the main aim of this work is to give a practical guide for practitioners of laboratories from separate objectives, from standard semen quality analysis to molecular and/or mechanistic studies of sperm function, for choosing the most adequate tests to determine capacitation basing on the intended precise targets chosen in each case.