When a couple wants to conceive, we often think about what the woman can do. For example, ensuring a healthy body, good nutrition, and exercise. But let's not forget the man! Prenatal conception is the phase in which the egg cell is fertilized by a sperm cell. A crucial step if there is a desire for pregnancy. 50% of conception depends on the man.
Both men and women influence the quality of conception: women affect the quality of the egg cell, men the sperm cell. In this blog, we will delve deeper into what a man can do to ensure good quality sperm cells. You will also get a brief overview of the process of how sperm cells are produced in men.
How sperm cell production occurs
Let's start with the process. The production of a sperm cell is a complex process that can take up to three months! It all starts in the hypothalamus in the brain. You can see this part as a conductor that produces and controls hormones. In this hypothalamus, a hormone (Gonadotropin-releasing hormone GnRH) is released. This hormone then begins its journey to the pituitary gland (also in the brain) and signals there for the release of two hormones (FSH and LH) that are necessary for sperm cell production. These hormones travel through the bloodstream to the testicles.
Once in the testicles, one hormone (LH) stimulates testosterone production, and the other hormone (FSH) stimulates the production of seminiferous tubules. This phase typically lasts 50-60 days. When sperm cells are produced, they are not yet fertile and need to mature. This is where testosterone comes in, as it influences the maturation of sperm cells. It takes about another 14 days for the maturation phase to be completed.
So, from start to finish, it takes over two months for sperm cells to be produced. A man's lifestyle three months ago influences the quality of his sperm today. Lifestyle has a major impact on quality. So, if you live unhealthily (smoking, drinking, little to no exercise), that affects overall health and, consequently, the health of sperm cells.
What can you do to improve sperm quality?
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to improve quality. Below you will find an overview of different influencing factors and, of course, tips on how to address them.
- Stimulate hormone production through healthy eating
Healthy and sufficient nutrition is essential for a healthy hormonal balance. Where do you start with healthy eating? In any case, focus on the macros: healthy fats, proteins, at least 500 grams of vegetables per day, and a maximum of two pieces of fruit. You can consider this as a baseline. For example, it is better to get fats from avocado, fatty fish, and nuts than from pizza or fried snacks.
- Support your body with supplements
If you want healthy sperm cells, you can support your body with certain minerals and vitamins from a good multivitamin supplement.
- Avoid saunas and tight underwear
For good sperm production, a testicular temperature of about 34 degrees Celsius is best. To maintain that temperature, it's best to avoid saunas for a while. Tight underwear can also affect the temperature of your testicles. Therefore, opt for loose-fitting underwear made of natural materials such as cotton or wool so that the temperature stays around 34 degrees. Sitting for long periods also warms the testicles, so break up sitting throughout the day. The next point elaborates on this.
- Exercise sufficiently
If you sit a lot during the day, you can easily add movement by moving for a moment every hour. This can be a short walk or exercise. If you think you don't have time for that, consider 1 minute of jumping jacks, lunges, squats, or simply going up and down the stairs. This helps keep your body healthy. Of course, exercising is healthy anyway, so focus on that throughout the week.
- Relaxation throughout the day
When the body experiences too much stress, energy goes to the stress system instead of to the production of reproductive hormones. Therefore, ensure relaxation in the body. This can be done, for example, by doing breathing exercises or a short meditation. Choose times of day when this fits into your schedule and put it in your calendar. This creates space and makes it easier to stick with it. Think of small moments such as consciously breathing in the car on the way to your appointment or when getting a drink.
So, there are many steps you can take to produce better quality sperm cells. Would you like personal advice on how to improve your hormonal health or are you curious about your hormonal status? Then you can do a male hormone test for more insight and a clear overview of your hormonal balance. Our orthomolecular therapists are happy to help you.
