Men who watch too much TV may affect their sperm count, says study

Research suggests that men who are more active may have a higher sperm count than the more avid TV viewers

16:32 05 February 2013

A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that men who spend a lot of time in front of the TV may have a lower sperm count than those men who spend their spare time being active.

 

The researchers, from Harvard in America, have suggested that by watching 20 hours of television each week men could be reducing their fertility rate.

 

The results from the study, which looked at up to 200 University students, suggest that men could improve the quality of their sperm by getting involved in exercise.

 

Based on the findings, around 10 to 15 hours of exercise each week could help men when it comes to the quality of their semen. Although it is thought that more research would need to be carried out on the topic in order to reach a conclusion.

 

Senior lecturer at Sheffield University Doctor Allan Pacey is quoted by the BBC as saying: "It remains to be seen if coaxing a TV-watching couch potato into doing some regular exercise could actually improve his sperm count.

 

“Or whether there exists an unknown fundamental difference between men who like exercise and those who do not which might account for the findings.

 

Dr. Pacey also warns of the risk of doing too much exercise however, adding that: “This should be a relatively easy study to perform, but before all worried men hunt for their sports bag it's important to note that other research suggests that doing too much exercise can be harmful to sperm production.

 

"My advice would be everything in moderation - and that includes time in the gym as well as watching TV."

 

The production of sperm is also believed to be affected by factors such as temperature.

 

When it comes to exercise, the general notion is that we should all look to doing a little exercise each week in order to help improve our health.