Smoking

Up in smoke?

  • Smoking tobacco products is not great for your overall health, so it should be no surprise that it isn’t good for your swimmers. Men who smoke cigarettes have decreased sperm count, motility, volume and fertilizing capacity, as well as higher levels of abnormal sperm.
    • Consider giving up smoking as soon as you can so that you are in good fertility health, if and when, you decide to have children.
    • Cigarette smoking can also make it more difficult to have an erection.
WHAT’S THE EVIDENCE?
In a review of scientific articles, Kovac, Labbate, Ramasamy, Tang, and Lipshultz (2015) explain how smoking cigarettes can increase the risk of developing of erectile dysfunction. So giving up smoking can also be good for your sex life.

Weight

What’s my pant size got to do with it?

  • Your pants size may say something about your fertility health. Men who are overweight or obese may have slower moving sperm. Eating healthy and exercising regularly can help you get to or stay at a healthy weight. Click here to read more about nutrition and exercise.

Caffeine

Cut back on that joe

  • A cup of coffee for breakfast, that afternoon soda or energy drink probably won’t stop those swimmers.

 

DID YOU KNOW?
There is some evidence that a lot of caffeine may slow down your sperm. Maybe it’s time to replace that energy drink, extra soda or coffee with decaf coffee, water or herbal tea.

Ricci, E., Viganò, P., Cipriani, S., Somigliana, E., Chiaffarino, F., Bulfoni, A., & Parazzini, F. (2017). Coffee and caffeine intake and male infertility: a systematic review. Nutrition Journal, 16(1), 37.

 

“I remember like two years ago, she would be like ‘you have to reduce drinking coffee, drinking alcohol and all that stuff’ and two years ago I was like whatever I don’t believe that. And since I have been doing my sperm test, the first test…came out horrible, I was like I guess you have a point. So I started to reduce, reduce, reduce.” (Fertility patient, 32)

Drinking and substance use

Keep those swimmers sober

  • Drinking heavily is not good for your overall health, nor is it good for your swimmers. While a beer or two is probably okay once in a while, reducing the amount you drink can help boost your sperm’s health.

Lose that joint

  • While weed is now legal in Canada, your sperm will be better off if you don’t hit that joint. Marijuana has been shown to decrease testosterone levels, a key player in sperm production.

Join another rec league

  • Illegal drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy (E, Molly) and methamphetamine (meth, speed, crank) can affect your overall testosterone levels and sex drive; this can reduce your fertility. Some of these drugs have an irreversible effect on both your fertility and your overall health.

 

RESOURCES
Here are some resources to help address problematic substance use.

Steroids

  • Working out can improve your overall health. But don’t give yourself an edge by using steroids. Steroids negatively impact your overall health and sperm production. The effects of these steroids can last for over a year.
  • Low T? Right now, testosterone therapy seems to be all the rage, but when it comes to your fertility, testosterone supplements decrease your fertility by lowering your sperm count and sperm motility. If you’re thinking about having a child now or in the future, and you’re taking testosterone, make sure to talk to your doctor.