Exercise probably does not impact on sperm counts and function

A new study out today suggests that exercise probably does not have an impact on sperm counts and function, unless, and this is a big unless, the man rides a bike more than 5 hours a week. How is this relevant to my vasectomy reversal patients? Well, performing a vasectomy reversal is all about restoring fertility, so this is highly relevant.  After all, many of my patients do exercise regularly and some aggressively.

If you had asked me, I would have said that probably men who have some moderate exercise have better counts and motility than couch potatoes. Obesity is bad for fertility. Fertility researchers have known for years that serious bike riders have all kinds of genital numbness, injury and fertility problems. It makes sense that having one's testicles forcibly crammed up against the body for prolonged periods of time hurts sperm counts.  We know the reason the testicles are in the scrotum, outside and away form the body is to keep them several degrees cooler than deep core body temperature. So in effect, the testicles in distance bike riders are heated, and so sperm numbers may be lower.

This does not mean that if you ride a lot you will have lower fertility. In fact, I know many bike riders and triathletes that ride much more than 5 hours a week and have great sperm counts. If you do have low sperm counts or if fertility is an issue or concern, then extended time grinding your testicles on a bike seat is probably not the smartest thing to do.

There are smart bike seats that allow you to sit correctly and do not cause problems- these can be found at www.no-nose.com. Yes, they look like old fashioned tractor seats but they are designed to use your body parts correctly. After all, the delicate external genitals are not really built to hold up your body weight. Instead, the bones of the pelvis do that just fine with no injury or hazards. I tell all my vasectomy reversal patients to avoid bike riding for some time after their surgery to let the delicate tissues heal "down there" and then to limit the time on an old bike seat. Even better, get a new seat. Best yet, if you have just had a vasectomy reversal and you are trying to father children, consider other forms of exercise where there are no worries about hurting your fertility.