Beli Prenatals are HSA/FSA eligible!

The Link Between High Intensity Workouts and Men's Fertility

For many people, exercise is an ongoing commitment–and it always feels like we’re coming up short. Regular exercise is one of the best things we can do for a healthy body and mind, of course, and it’s particularly important for men hoping to become fathers. After all, there’s an entire body of research that confirms regular exercise improves sperm quality. Here’s the thing–overly intense exercise may be as problematic as too little when it comes to male fertility. Like anything, a balanced approach is generally best.

Key Takeaways

  • Regular exercise can help improve sperm quality, which is linked to male fertility and defined specifically by sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology.
  • ​​Proper function of the male reproductive system depends on a man’s health as a whole. That’s why regular exercise can have a positive impact on sperm health.
  • Research shows that too much intense exercise and sports can negatively impact a man’s libido and sperm quality. Specifically, cycling, running, and high-altitude mountaineering are detrimental to specific sperm parameters.

Yes, Exercise is Important for Sperm Health

Generally speaking, a man’s health as a whole is a pretty darn good indicator of his reproductive health. A guy who gets regular exercise tends to have higher-functioning testicles and higher sperm quality parameters. Specifically, exercises like weight lifting and running are associated with higher sperm concentrations. While definitive guidelines regarding how much exercise you need to target sperm in particular don’t yet exist, researchers do know that consistency is important. Experts recommend regular exercise three to five times for a strong, healthy body, which is about five hours.

Now, as a society, we tend to have a “more is better” mindset. After all, this is the country of supersized fries and Big Gulps and gigantic SUVs! So if you’re reading this and thinking professional athletes must have seriously impressive sperm, well, think again.

Too Much Exercise Does Sperm Quality No Good

Seriously intense exercise–the kind professional athletes or ultra marathoners or mountain climbers are into–has major drawbacks for male fertility. First, this kind of hardcore fitness is a major libido killer. Authors of a 2017 study were pretty blunt, writing, “Exposure to higher levels of chronic intense and greater durations of endurance training on a regular basis is significantly associated with a decreased libido scores in men.” But it gets worse. Another 2017 review drilled down to clarify the effect of intense exercise on sperm quality. It included research comparing the sperm quality of recreational athletes and professional athletes. While exercise for the weekend warrior group was either natural or positive, the pros or anyone who falls into the “serious athlete” category should be “aware of potential risks” associated with their super intense level of training. Sperm parameters most likely to be negatively affected include:

  • Sperm concentration
  • The percentage of motile sperm
  • The percentage of sperm with normal morphology

In plain language, that means men who regularly participate in high-intensity exercise are more likely to have sperm that don’t move well and aren’t shaped properly, not to mention less sperm in general. That’s a problem. Sperm quality is directly tied to male fertility, for one thing. And not only does it make conception itself harder, inferior sperm poses a direct risk to the health of both the pregnancy and the baby, including birth weight and brain development.

Interestingly, the review called out specific type of intense exercise as potentially problematic, including:

  • Cycling, which researchers called “one of the most troublesome activities for fertility due to the mechanical impact sustained from sitting on the saddle, gonadal overheating, wearing tight clothes, and hormonal dysfunction.”
  • Running, which can be both good and bad, because of “disturbances in the hormonal milieu, the stress response, oxidative stress, and scrotal heating.”
  • Mountaineering, which is an issue because of the potential effects of high altitude.

The Bottom Line

So, what’s a super athlete to do? Well, if you want to be a dad, you may want to take it down a few notches. Think big picture–regular exercise is important, but so is a mindful diet, sufficient nightly sleep, healthy stress management, and all the other habits that make up a healthy lifestyle. 

Remember that a huge part of sperm quality comes down to the right nutrients at the right time, so swapping the daily multivitamin for a specialized men’s prenatal vitamin is also a smart move. A high-quality pick like Beli for Men has scientifically-proven nutrients in all the right amounts to help improve and support sperm health and increase testosterone, among other benefits. It really is one of the easiest ways to support your fertility health–no HIIT required.

Additional Resources

PCOS is one of the most common causes of infertility in women, but it doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant. Supplementing with ingredients proven to support women with PCOS can help increase your chances, and so can speaking with your doctor and dietician.

Read More

There’s an essential connection between our minds and our bodies, and when we neglect one, it inevitably catches up with us through the other. For women becoming mothers especially, the body-mind connection is worth paying close attention to. Here's how prenatal vitamins can help.

Read More

The role of a prenatal vitamin is to support the healthy growth and development of growing babies, and minimizing the risk of birth defects is front and center. But can your prenatal vitamins really reduce the risk of birth defects? Absolutely!

Read More

You think you know, but when it comes to male fertility and sperm health specifically, you probably have no idea. Here at Beli, we’ve had an education-first approach to male fertility since day one and today we’re breaking down fact from fiction, sperm edition. Let’s see how you do!

Read More

Between responsibilities at home and at work, commitments that just keep piling up, and a mile-long to-do list, sex may be on your mind, but only in a vague, wouldn’t-that-be-nice kind of way. It's normal! But men hoping to become fathers might be stressing that a waning sex drive is signaling a problem with their fertility (spoiler: not necessarily). Still, it’s true that a man’s fertility and his libido are linked, so let’s hop into all the details, including 4 ways to rev up that sex drive.

Read More

Medical science tells it like it is–a man’s health and his fertility are undeniably linked. But what role do genetics play in the fertility factor? It's a good question! In today's post, we're taking a deep dive into exactly how genetics affect male fertility.

Read More

Time and time again, men are an afterthought in the fertility conversation, and it’s setting couples up to fail. In light of recent research confirming–again–that sperm counts around the world are indeed declining, Beli wants to lead the charge. Join us, and let’s make March men’s fertility awareness month.

Read More

Knowing all the facts about sperm doesn’t just make you positively lethal on trivia night, it actually puts you in prime position to optimize your chances of a healthy conception, pregnancy and baby. So let’s get to it, with these 10 facts about sperm that will (probably) blow your mind.

Read More

Shilajit is finally getting the credit it’s due, and we’re proud to point out that our proprietary formula was the very first to include this powerful Ayurvedic compound. Here’s why shilajit is rapidly becoming the darling of the male fertility world–and what you’re missing if you’re skipping it.

Read More

Somewhere between the “let’s have a baby!” conversation and seeing those two pink lines, you’re going to end up researching prenatal vitamins. And trust us when we say you’re going to have a ton of options to wade through. Consider this your handy guide to the best prenatal vitamins for men and women in 2023.

Read More

Beli for Women has all the current nutrient recommendations for prenatal vitamins, including choline, vitamin D, folate, magnesium, and iodine. All the right ingredients, in all the right amounts. But it does beg the question, how exactly does Beli fit everything into just three capsules?

Read More

Getting your ducks in a row at least three months before you hope to conceive can help nourish your fertility in preparation of everything to come. That’s where a high-quality prenatal vitamin for you both comes in. Our guide walks you through all the behind-the-scenes benefits during your first three months on Beli.

Read More

The second you start looking into fertility testing, the acronyms are everywhere. Chief among them is AMH, or anti-müllerian hormone. Here’s what to understand about your AMH level and what it means for your chances of becoming pregnant.

Read More

Dr. Taylor Wallace calls choline the “under-consumed and under-appreciated essential nutrient.” He’s right–in spite of its importance, choline is worryingly absent in so many mainstream prenatal vitamin formulas. We sat down with Dr. Wallace for a rundown on choline and why it’s so critical for pregnant and nursing moms, plus how to be sure you and your baby are getting enough.

Read More

Fun fact – chemical-based preferences that steer women toward specific men appear to play out between the human egg and sperm, with the egg “choosing” which sperm will be the lucky winner in the race to fertilization. Spoiler – the higher quality the sperm, the better the odds of a successful journey and conception.

Read More

Research shows that the overall health of both biological parents during the preconception window plays a huge role in everything from conception to pregnancy health to the lifetime health of their baby. Luckily, there are simple steps you can both take to improve your health together.

Read More

Supplementing with key nutrients in the right amounts not only improves sperm health — think sperm count and sperm motility — it also means optimal fertility health for men in general. And that means the best chance of a healthy conception, pregnancy, and baby. 

Read More

It’s resolution-making time, and a lot of folks have babies on the brain. We got you! We double checked with the experts for the best ways to support and promote fertility for the very best chances of a healthy conception, pregnancy, and bouncing baby.

Read More

Special thanks to Becca, a fertility dietitian at Little Life Nutrition, for today's post! Becca is passionate about helping moms and dads-to-be uncover the root cause of fertility challenges, using nutrition, lifestyle, and functional lab testing to optimize her clients' chance of getting pregnant — a true "no-stone-left-unturned" approach. Here, she shares five ways to boost fertility naturally.

Read More

Most births occur between June and early November. Count back nine months, and you’ll see that places most conceptions in the fall and winter. So what’s the deal? Is it the cold weather. all the festivities, or something else driving us between the sheets? That ugly sweater is pretty cute, but you can chalk this up to reproductive seasonality. Here’s what that means, why it matters, and what to do to use it to your advantage.

Read More

The role of a prenatal vitamin is to support the healthy growth and development of growing babies, and minimizing the risk of birth defects is front and center. But can your prenatal vitamins really reduce the risk of birth defects? Absolutely!

Read More

You think you know, but when it comes to male fertility and sperm health specifically, you probably have no idea. Here at Beli, we’ve had an education-first approach to male fertility since day one and today we’re breaking down fact from fiction, sperm edition. Let’s see how you do!

Read More

Between responsibilities at home and at work, commitments that just keep piling up, and a mile-long to-do list, sex may be on your mind, but only in a vague, wouldn’t-that-be-nice kind of way. It's normal! But men hoping to become fathers might be stressing that a waning sex drive is signaling a problem with their fertility (spoiler: not necessarily). Still, it’s true that a man’s fertility and his libido are linked, so let’s hop into all the details, including 4 ways to rev up that sex drive.

Read More

Medical science tells it like it is–a man’s health and his fertility are undeniably linked. But what role do genetics play in the fertility factor? It's a good question! In today's post, we're taking a deep dive into exactly how genetics affect male fertility.

Read More

Time and time again, men are an afterthought in the fertility conversation, and it’s setting couples up to fail. In light of recent research confirming–again–that sperm counts around the world are indeed declining, Beli wants to lead the charge. Join us, and let’s make March men’s fertility awareness month.

Read More

Knowing all the facts about sperm doesn’t just make you positively lethal on trivia night, it actually puts you in prime position to optimize your chances of a healthy conception, pregnancy and baby. So let’s get to it, with these 10 facts about sperm that will (probably) blow your mind.

Read More

Shilajit is finally getting the credit it’s due, and we’re proud to point out that our proprietary formula was the very first to include this powerful Ayurvedic compound. Here’s why shilajit is rapidly becoming the darling of the male fertility world–and what you’re missing if you’re skipping it.

Read More

Research shows that the overall health of both biological parents during the preconception window plays a huge role in everything from conception to pregnancy health to the lifetime health of their baby. Luckily, there are simple steps you can both take to improve your health together.

Read More

Supplementing with key nutrients in the right amounts not only improves sperm health — think sperm count and sperm motility — it also means optimal fertility health for men in general. And that means the best chance of a healthy conception, pregnancy, and baby. 

Read More

It’s resolution-making time, and a lot of folks have babies on the brain. We got you! We double checked with the experts for the best ways to support and promote fertility for the very best chances of a healthy conception, pregnancy, and bouncing baby.

Read More

Special thanks to Becca, a fertility dietitian at Little Life Nutrition, for today's post! Becca is passionate about helping moms and dads-to-be uncover the root cause of fertility challenges, using nutrition, lifestyle, and functional lab testing to optimize her clients' chance of getting pregnant — a true "no-stone-left-unturned" approach. Here, she shares five ways to boost fertility naturally.

Read More
li