Physical activity, fitness and fatness as determinants of semen quality; preliminary findings of the ActiART study

Abstract

In this study we analysed the association of physical activity (PA), fitness and fatness with semen quality indicators to identify whether these lifestyle factors could be determinants of semen quality. We assessed PA with accelerometers; muscular strength with handgrip test and self-reported cardiorespiratory fitness with International Fitness Scale; fatness with body mass index and waist circumference. Semen parameters included volume, sperm concentration, total number of sperm, motile concentration, total motile sperm and total motility. There was no linear association between PA and semen parameters. A trend towards inverted U-shaped association was observed between average, moderate to vigorous and vigorous PA and all semen parameters except volume. Muscle strength and self-reported cardiovascular fitness were significantly (p< 0.05) related to ejaculate volume. Significant (p< 0.05) negative correlation was found between BMI, sperm concentration (r= -0.389), total number of sperm (r=- 0.420), motile concentration (r= -0.369) and total motile sperm (r= - 0.426) and between waist circumference and total number of sperm (r= -0.391) and total motile sperm (r= -0.381). Our results suggest that men with middle levels of PA are likely to have better semen quality. Total and central adiposity seem to negatively affect semen quality. Studies involving larger sample size should confirm/contrast these findings.