Sexual abstinence is BAD for men: Study reveals how regular sex results in higher sperm quality
Having regular sex results in higher quality sperm with less DNA damage, according to a new study.
In good news for men, experts have found a link between the health of sperm and how often a man ejaculates.
Sperm which is 'stored' deteriorates rapidly, they discovered – regardless of the age of the male.
Abstaining from sex or masturbation was associated with increased DNA damage and oxidative stress, as well as reduced sperm mobility and viability.
This, in turn, lowered fertilisation success rates and led to decreased embryo quality, the team found.
'Because sperm are highly mobile and have minimal cytoplasm, they quickly exhaust their stored energy reserves and have limited capacity for repair,' co–lead author Dr Rebecca Dean, from the University of Oxford, said.
'This makes storage particularly damaging compared to other types of cells.
'Our study highlights how regular ejaculation can provide a small but meaningful boost to male fertility.'
Abstaining from sex or masturbation was associated with increased DNA damage and oxidative stress, as well as reduced sperm mobility and viability, the researchers said
For their study the team carried out a major analysis of previous research, including 115 human studies involving nearly 55,000 men.
They also analysed 56 studies across 30 non–human species including birds, mice, monkeys and insects.
Analysis revealed that sperm 'stored' in the testes generally deteriorates over time, no matter how old the man is.
'Ejaculates should be viewed as populations of individual sperm which undergo birth, death, ageing and selective mortality,' lead author Dr Krish Sanghvi said.
The findings could also have implications for couples undergoing IVF, the scientists added.
Current World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines typically recommend two to seven days of abstinence before taking semen samples for assisted reproduction.
The results suggest that the upper limit of seven days in the guidelines may be too long, the team warned.
This aligns with recent evidence suggesting that ejaculating within 48 hours of providing a sample can significantly improve IVF outcomes.
The team also analysed 56 studies across 30 non–human species including birds, mice, monkeys and insects. Pictured: Sperm tagged with green fluorescent protein in the testes and seminal vesicles (male sperm storage organs) of a male Drosophila fruit fly
Having regular sex results in higher quality sperm, according to the study, as younger sperm have less DNA damage
The findings, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, could also benefit captive breeding programmes for endangered species.
Last year, scientists warned that microplastics found in semen and female reproductive fluid could spark an infertility crisis.
The team examined follicular fluid – found within the ovaries – from 29 women and the seminal fluid, found within semen, from 22 men.
Analysis revealed a range of commonly–used microplastics were present in more than half of the samples.
This included microplastics linked to non–stick coatings, polystyrene, plastic containers, wool, insulation and cushioning materials.
While the research did not directly assess how microplastics affect fertility, their detection highlights the need to explore possible implications for human reproductive health, the researchers warned.
'What we know from animal studies is that in the tissues where microplastics accumulate, they can induce inflammation, free radical formation, DNA damage, cellular senescence, and endocrine disruptions,' lead researcher Dr Emilio Gomez–Sanchez, from the University of Murcia, said.
'It's possible they could impair egg or sperm quality in humans, but we don't yet have enough evidence to confirm that.'
HOW DO SPERM MOVE?
Sperm are vital in human reproduction and the motility of the male cells is crucial.
In order to help the sperm cells move, they evolved a 'tail' which is called a flagellum.
Sperms' tails play a critical role in their ability to swim and consequently fertilise an egg.
Sperm are vital in human reproduction and the motility of the male cells is crucial. Sperms' tails play a critical role in their ability to swim and consequently fertilise an egg
Sperm tails consist of around 1,000 building blocks, including structures known as tubulins, which form long tubes.
Attached to these tubes are moving molecules called motorproteins.
These pull and bend sperm tails, enabling them to swim.
The movement of the tail is powered by a mitochondria, the powerhouse of a cell, which produces energy.
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