Regular Sex Boosts Sperm Quality & Fertility, Study Finds
Frequent Ejaculation Linked to Improved Sperm Quality, Study Finds
Regular sexual activity may boost male fertility by improving sperm quality, according to a new meta-analysis of nearly 55,000 men. The research, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggests that sperm deteriorates while stored in the body, meaning more frequent ejaculation is associated with less DNA damage and improved sperm motility.
The study combined data from 115 human studies and 56 studies across 30 non-human species, revealing a consistent pattern: sperm quality declines over time when not ejaculated. This finding challenges conventional wisdom and current guidelines for couples undergoing fertility treatment.
“In men, the negative effects we found on sperm DNA damage and oxidative damage were large-ish, so we are confident that this is a biologically meaningful and important effect,” said Dr. Krish Sanghvi, a biologist at the University of Oxford and lead author on the study. He added that ejaculates should be viewed as populations of individual sperm undergoing a natural cycle of birth, death, ageing, and selective mortality.
Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends men abstain from ejaculating for two to seven days before providing a semen sample for fertility tests or IVF. However, researchers suggest the upper limit of this recommendation may be too long, potentially prioritizing sperm count over sperm quality. Evidence suggests that providing a sample within 48 hours of ejaculation can significantly improve IVF outcomes.
The deterioration of sperm is attributed to the cells’ limited energy reserves and repair capacity. “Because sperm are highly mobile and have minimal cytoplasm, they quickly exhaust their stored energy reserves and have limited capacity for repair,” explained Dr. Rebecca Dean, from the University of Oxford, a co-lead author of the study. “This makes storage particularly damaging compared to other types of cells.”
The findings have implications beyond assisted reproductive technologies. Researchers believe the results could also benefit captive breeding programs for endangered species, optimizing reproductive success by understanding the impact of ejaculation frequency on sperm health.
The study comes amid growing concerns about male reproductive health, with recent research highlighting the potential impact of microplastics on fertility. A separate study last year found microplastics present in both semen and follicular fluid, raising questions about their potential to induce inflammation, DNA damage, and endocrine disruption, though further research is needed to confirm these effects in humans.