Too much exercise may impede fertility in men and women
Moderate exercise is useful in increasing the general health and fertility , But nothing in excess is good, Sometimes, too much exercise can be the culprit in infertility for both men and women.Walking , swimming ,yoga , gardening etc are good form of exercise , which will increase blood circulation and improve fertility .
Excessive exercising, specially cycling and intake of steroids have shown to decrease testosterone hormone and sperm count, cause prostrate irritation, which negatively affects fertility.When the body of a man is overheated too often, the sperm is more likely to die and leave him infertile.Men who are underweight and have low body fat may experience problems of sperm motility and morphology.
The level of FSH and LH are reduced , by strenuous exercise.These are the key hormones in gamete production ( sperms and eggs).So there will be less sperm production and reduced ovulation.Strenuous exercise can affect estrogen levels and cause irregular periods, sometimes even stopping menstruation leading to infertility.It has been observed that women who take up strenuous sports like athletics or weight lifting have difficulty in conceiving and often don't get their periods .
Women are biologically meant to have more fat than men for reproducing.There can be lean periods, for which human body is storing up energy.The hormone estrogen makes fat deposition in some areas like breast and thighs and men are genetically coded to identify women who are fertile by their hour glass appearance .Vigorous exercise or stringent dieting, as in anorexia, make women not only less fertile but less attractive In the women undergoing IVF treatment, regular strenuous exercise over a period of time leads to poorer success rates.Unfortunately media and advertisement, drives the whole world to think that thinner women are more acceptable .So the gist of the matter is that while moderate physical activity can enhance fertility among men and women, excessive exercise can impede fertility.
Dr.Anita Mani
Infertility& Surrogacy Specialist at Gift IVF Centre
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