News | Study confirms sustained weight loss significantly improves sperm quality in men with obesity and may double sperm count
As sperm quality declines globally in what has been called a “fertility crisis,” a new randomized controlled clinical trial from the University of Copenhagen and Hvidovre Hospital offers encouraging findings: sperm concentration and count improved significantly after weight loss in men with obesity, and the improvement persisted when the lower weight was maintained.
Published in the leading fertility journal Human Reproduction, the study included 56 men with obesity aged 18 to 65 and a BMI of 32 to 43. It is the first clinical study with long-term follow-up to clearly demonstrate a positive association between weight change and sperm quality.
Key finding: losing 16.5 kilograms increased sperm concentration by 50% and total sperm count by 40%
“We did not expect such a marked improvement in sperm quality,” said Signe Torekov, PhD, professor in the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Biomedical Sciences and one of the study leaders. “Considering that about 18% of men in Denmark have obesity, this finding could make a real difference for many people.”
The study found:
After an initial 8-week low-calorie diet intervention, participants lost an average of 16.5 kilograms
Sperm concentration increased by 50%, and total sperm count increased by 40%
During the subsequent 52-week follow-up, sperm counts doubled from baseline only among men who maintained their weight loss
Among those who regained weight, the improvement in sperm quality also disappeared
Losing weight is not enough; maintaining it matters
This study was a substudy of a large University of Copenhagen weight-management project whose primary results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in 2021. Of 215 participants, 56 men provided semen samples for analysis.
In the main study, all participants first followed an 8-week low-calorie diet to lose weight, then were randomly assigned to four intervention groups:
Placebo + no exercise
Placebo + 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week
Weight-loss medication (GLP-1 analog) + no exercise
Weight-loss medication + regular weekly exercise
The results showed:
Both the exercise-only and medication-only groups maintained about 13 kilograms of weight loss
The medication-plus-exercise group lost more weight and had better overall metabolic health
The placebo group that neither exercised nor used medication regained substantial weight, and indicators of diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk worsened
Not every man with obesity knows that weight may be contributing to the problem
Dr. Torekov noted that earlier research suggested obesity affects sperm count and quality, but strong evidence had been lacking. “For the first time, our study confirms a clear relationship between weight loss and improved sperm measures in a relatively large sample with long-term follow-up.”
Earlier small studies could not reach conclusions because they included few participants and limited weight loss. This study helps fill that gap.
“The message we truly want to convey is that some causes of infertility can be improved, and perhaps even reversed, through weight management.”
News | Study confirms sustained weight loss significantly improves sperm quality in men with obesity and may double sperm count
News | Study confirms sustained weight loss significantly improves sperm quality in men with obesity and may double sperm count
As sperm quality declines globally in what has been called a “fertility crisis,” a new randomized controlled clinical trial from the University of Copenhagen and Hvidovre Hospital offers encouraging findings: sperm concentration and count improved significantly after weight loss in men with obesity, and the improvement persisted when the lower weight was maintained.
Published in the leading fertility journal Human Reproduction, the study included 56 men with obesity aged 18 to 65 and a BMI of 32 to 43. It is the first clinical study with long-term follow-up to clearly demonstrate a positive association between weight change and sperm quality.
Key finding: losing 16.5 kilograms increased sperm concentration by 50% and total sperm count by 40%
“We did not expect such a marked improvement in sperm quality,” said Signe Torekov, PhD, professor in the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Biomedical Sciences and one of the study leaders. “Considering that about 18% of men in Denmark have obesity, this finding could make a real difference for many people.”
The study found:
After an initial 8-week low-calorie diet intervention, participants lost an average of 16.5 kilograms
Sperm concentration increased by 50%, and total sperm count increased by 40%
During the subsequent 52-week follow-up, sperm counts doubled from baseline only among men who maintained their weight loss
Among those who regained weight, the improvement in sperm quality also disappeared
Losing weight is not enough; maintaining it matters
This study was a substudy of a large University of Copenhagen weight-management project whose primary results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in 2021. Of 215 participants, 56 men provided semen samples for analysis.
In the main study, all participants first followed an 8-week low-calorie diet to lose weight, then were randomly assigned to four intervention groups:
Placebo + no exercise
Placebo + 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week
Weight-loss medication (GLP-1 analog) + no exercise
Weight-loss medication + regular weekly exercise
The results showed:
Both the exercise-only and medication-only groups maintained about 13 kilograms of weight loss
The medication-plus-exercise group lost more weight and had better overall metabolic health
The placebo group that neither exercised nor used medication regained substantial weight, and indicators of diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk worsened
Not every man with obesity knows that weight may be contributing to the problem
Dr. Torekov noted that earlier research suggested obesity affects sperm count and quality, but strong evidence had been lacking. “For the first time, our study confirms a clear relationship between weight loss and improved sperm measures in a relatively large sample with long-term follow-up.”
Earlier small studies could not reach conclusions because they included few participants and limited weight loss. This study helps fill that gap.
“The message we truly want to convey is that some causes of infertility can be improved, and perhaps even reversed, through weight management.”
Source:
Collected online