Intense cycling distorts sperm morphology
POSTED June 30, 2009 - 16:03 | POSTED BY Jyoti Pal
Last edited by Priya Markanda on June 30, 2009 - 16:48
New research has revealed that men riding a cycle for over 180 miles a week have a significant adverse impact on the quality of their sperms. These cyclists have fewer than four per cent normal sperms.
It is only the cycle training of intensity that carries such a risk. Therefore, regular cyclists who paddle their way as a matter of routine may have nothing to really worry about.
Diana Vaamonde, from the University of Cordoba medical school in Spain said, “I don't think he will have to worry about it so long as it's just like cycling to work. If you cycle to work ... you have all day to recover.”
"The fact that this effect is greater in triathletes than in other sports practices seems to indicate that it is something to do with the volume of training that they need to undertake to achieve and maintain a high level of fitness," she added.
The possible causes
Vaamonde believes that there could be more than one possible reason to explain, why the sperm quality in men deteriorate as they increased their cycle training, both in terms of time and kilometers.
An apparent cause could be the pain and compression caused by rubbing of the testes against the seat, or the localized heat generated by the tight clothing that cyclists wear.
She did not rule the possibility of reactive oxygen species playing a part in distorting the sperm morphology. Finally, energetic imbalances could also play a vital role in the alterations in sperms, avers Vaamonde.
Link between sperm morphology and cycling intensity
Vaamonde and her team analyzed the semen values of 15 healthy national and international level Spanish triathletes.
The researchers kept a detailed record of their training routines, especially the time spent on their cycling each week. Their sperms were taken after three days of sexual abstinence and investigated for shape and form.
"We found a statistically adverse correlation between sperm morphology and the volume of cycling training undertaken per week," reveals Vaamonde.
"While all triathletes had less than 10 percent of normal-looking sperm, the men with less than four percent - at which percentage they would generally be considered to have significant fertility problems - were systematically covering over 300km per week on their bicycles," she added.
The research was presented at the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.
