Research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine on Feb. 4, 2013, indicates that 20 or more hours of television viewing a week lowers men's sperm count but 15 or more hours of moderate to vigorous exercise improves sperm count.
The research aimed to identify the effects of a sedentary lifestyle (sitting and watching the tube) had on sperm count.
To find out if an increasingly sedentary lifestyle might be a contributory factor to lower sperm count, the scientists analyzed the semen quality of 189 men between the ages of 18 to 22 in 2009 to 2010 from Rochester New York.
Each volunteer reported the time they spent watching television (including DVDs and internet video) and how much exercise they did over a period of three months.
Fifty percent of the volunteers were within the normal range for body mass index (BMI), seventy-five percent of the men involved in the study did not smoke, and the majority had no major health issues.
Men who exercised at least 15 hours per week had a 73 percent higher sperm count than the least physically active. Men who watched television for 20 or more hours a week had a sperm count that was 44 percent lower than those who watched less television.
The number of hours spent watching television or exercising had no impact on sperm motility, shape, or sample volume
The take home message is exercise more and watch television less if you are trying to have a baby. The idea is exercise is good for you..
Sperm count have been noted as one cause of lower birth rates in European countries and the United States in the last decade
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