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Couch potatoes have lower sperm counts

Couch potato

Men who watched TV for 20 hours or more had a 44-percent lower sperm count than those who watched "none or almost none" (Source: blnd/iStockphoto)

Fertility counts Men who watch television for 20 hours per week have almost half the sperm count of those who watch very little television or none at all, a new study has found.




Men who exercised for 15 or more hours weekly at a "moderate to vigorous" rate had a 73-per cent higher sperm count than those who exercised less than five hours per week.




Previous studies into physical activity and semen quality have focused on elite athletes, such as professional marathon runners and cyclists.

"We were able to examine a range of physical activity that is more relevant to men in the general population," says study co-author Jorge Charravo, assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, Massachusetts.


Pros and cons

While the study was small, it was well designed and attempted to control for variables such as diet, body mass index and smoking that might differ between the two groups of men, says Dr Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield.

"I would agree that there is evidence to suggest that moderate exercise could change men's physiology sufficiently to improve testicular health," says Pacey, who was not involved in the study.


But before worried men grab their sportsbag, he urges caution.


"My advice would be everything in moderation - and that includes time in the gym as well as watching TV (or perhaps both at the same time!)"

Tags: exercise-and-fitness, fertility-and-infertility