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Health

Losing weight helps big guys double their sperm counts: study says

By
Samantha Ibrahim
Published May 25, 2022
Updated May 25, 2022, 11:20 a.m. ET

The battle of the bulge has never been more potent, according to new research that links weight loss with amped-up sperm counts.

Scientists from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark tracked 56 men between the ages of 18 and 65, with body mass indices (also known as BMIs) ranging from 32 to 43 — well above the “healthy” range of between 18.5 to 24.9. All case studies were placed on a strict 800-calories-a-day diet for two months.

By the end of the eight-week timeline, sperm counts swam up 41% in men who dropped at least 8 pounds. The research also indicated that the men who kept the weight off for at least a year doubled their seed tally, according to the new study published in the journal Human Reproduction.

“It was surprising to us that such a big improvement can be shown in the semen quality in connection with a weight loss,” reported lead study author Signe Torekov, a professor and obesity expert in the University of Copenhagen’s department of biomedical sciences.

“This is the first long-term randomized study, where we have shown that semen quality in men with obesity improve with a sustained weight loss,” said Torekov, who conducted the research in conjunction with fellow professor Romain Barrès, of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research.

Torekov went on to explain that the men lost an average of 36 pounds, which increased the sperm concentration by 50% and the sperm count by 40% eight weeks after the weight loss.

Sperm Sample
A normal sperm amount is 15 million — or more — swimmers per milliliter of semen. Universal Images Group via Getty
Human spermatozoa
“It was surprising to us that such a big improvement can be shown in the semen quality in connection with a weight loss,” University of Copenhagen Professor Signe Torekov noted. De Agostini via Getty Images

A typical sperm amount is reported to be any number larger than 15 million swimmers per milliliter of semen, according to prior Mayo Clinic studies.

Sperm quality in men has been decreasing as a whole since the 1970s across Europe, North America and Australia.

Meanwhile, a separate study was released earlier this year by the University of Worcester in England claiming that males who eat too much meat are raising the risk of becoming infertile.

High-protein diets plunged men’s testosterone levels by 37%, and they were advised to eat less chicken, beef and lamb to up their sperm count.