Understanding Male Infertility

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Do biking and extreme exercise affect male fertility? How?

They can.

Certainly high temperature in the scrotum does affect fertility. It is normally around 96 degrees, lower than body temperature. Hot-tub type temperatures can reduce sperm count dramatically.

And certain men do have a reduction in sperm counts after biking; however, plenty of men who bicycle don't have fertility problems. The best thing to do is check sperm counts. That can be easily done by having a lab check an ejaculation sample. It's best to see a lab that does infertility work regularly.

And there are other lifestyle issues for men that may affect fertility. One is binge alcohol drinking; another is use of recreational drugs. These activities affect sperm count two to three months later, so it's difficult to know whether the problem you see is something short term or something chronic. It takes time to sort these issues out.

Is a man more fertile if he wears boxers instead of briefs? Why?

Experts disagree on how boxers vs. briefs affects male fertility. Loose clothing may help if a man is at risk of having testes that are at a higher temperature than normal (that is, if his lifestyle involves prolonged sitting, which increases the temperature of the testes).

However, most men who wear briefs have no problem getting their partners pregnant. You can't know until a couple has trouble getting pregnant. In that situation, your health care provider can perform a semen analysis that includes sperm count, sperm morphology, and sperm function.

Luckily, there are a lot of things that can be done in terms of lifestyle and supplements and treatment of infection that can improve sperm fertility significantly.

What are current recommendations for clinical and wellness approaches to increase sperm count? Do vitamins, acupuncture, or dietary supplements help?

Certainly it's important to avoid binge alcohol drinking. A man should also take daily vitamin supplements, according to experts. For women, there is some evidence that acupuncture may improve fertility. Some data suggest that, for women, it can help with blood flow. For men, L-carnitine, antioxidants, and caffeine can be helpful. They stimulate sperm motility.

It also makes sense to be checked for infections. It is not uncommon for men to have an infection in the genital tract that is totally asymptomatic, either in the prostate or epididymis. This may be apparent on semen analysis: White blood cells in the semen indicate infection.

Judicious exercise and avoiding hot tubs or hot baths are important for men. So are good sleep and moderate exercise.

Source: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/471792