The Truth About Male Fertility and Cardiovascular Training
Can cardiovascular exercise support male fertility? Is running bad for sperm? And what happens when recreational exercise becomes high-volume endurance training?
In this episode of The Male Fertility PT Podcast, I explore the relationship between cardiovascular exercise, endurance training, sperm health and male fertility, looking at what the current research tells us and what this might actually mean for men trying to conceive.
For me, cardiovascular training wasn't something I really thought about during my own infertility journey. I played rugby and was active, but I didn't purposely go out running or think about cardiovascular fitness as something that could be relevant to my fertility.
As I learned more about male fertility and started looking at the research, my perspective changed.
What does the research say about cardiovascular exercise and male fertility?
Research generally suggests that recreational physical activity is positive for overall health and can have beneficial effects on some semen parameters, including sperm concentration and progressive motility.
But the picture becomes more complicated when we look at high-volume, long-duration endurance exercise.
A 2024 systematic review looking at endurance exercise in male athletes found that some studies reported negative changes in semen parameters, including aspects of sperm morphology and DNA fragmentation.
However, and this is an important distinction, these changes rarely appeared to have a clinically relevant impact on male fertility.
That doesn't mean endurance training is completely harmless, or that sperm parameters don't matter. It means we need to be careful about automatically assuming that a change in a semen parameter means a man is less fertile.
Is high-intensity exercise bad for sperm?
Not necessarily.
High-intensity exercise and high-volume endurance training aren't the same thing.
There is often a tendency to label intense exercise as something men should avoid when trying to conceive, but the research doesn't support such a simple message.
Instead, we need to consider the overall training load, including how often we're training, how long we're training for, how hard we're training and whether we're recovering and fuelling properly.
Running, cycling and endurance training
If you're trying to conceive, you don't necessarily need to stop running, cycling or playing sport.
For most men, recreational cardiovascular exercise can be an important part of a healthy lifestyle.
The bigger question is what happens when training becomes excessive, particularly when high volumes of endurance exercise are combined with inadequate recovery, nutrition or sleep.
There isn't a magic fertility-specific training limit that applies to every man.
Training is good for you, but more doesn't automatically mean better.
Finding the right balance
My approach is to encourage men to find cardiovascular activities they actually enjoy, whether that's running, cycling, football, walking or something else that gets the heart rate up.
The goal isn't to find the perfect fertility workout.
It's about finding a level of training that supports your physical health, mental wellbeing and reproductive health, while allowing your body to recover and adapt.
And as we get older, recovery can become another important part of the conversation.
In this episode:
- Cardiovascular exercise and male fertility
- Recreational exercise and sperm quality
- Endurance training and sperm health
- Running and male fertility
- Cycling and sperm quality
- High-intensity exercise and sperm
- Sperm concentration and motility
- Sperm morphology and DNA fragmentation
- The difference between sperm parameters and fertility outcomes
- Training volume, duration and intensity
- Recovery and fuelling
- Why more exercise doesn't necessarily mean better
- My own experience of exercise during my infertility journey
The key message
Cardiovascular exercise isn't the enemy of male fertility.
For most men, regular recreational exercise is a positive part of a healthy lifestyle. However, very high-volume endurance training can affect some sperm parameters, and that's something worth considering when you're preparing for conception or actively trying to conceive.
The answer isn't to stop exercising.
Think about how much you're training, how hard you're training, how long you're training for, and whether you're recovering and fuelling properly.
Training is good for you, but more doesn't automatically mean better.
The episode draws on systematic reviews examining physical activity, semen quality and endurance exercise in male athletes, including research published by Agarwal et al. (2019) and Aerts et al. (2024).
Connect & Find Support
Find out more about The Male Fertility PT, including coaching and support for men looking to improve their health and lifestyle while trying to conceive.
Instagram: @themalefertilitypt
Email: [email protected]
For male fertility information, community and support, find The Male Fertility Hub.
You can also listen to The Male Fertility Podcast for conversations, personal stories and expert discussions covering male infertility and the wider fertility experience.
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Stay strong,
Ciaran
