Key takeaways
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Gym Lifestyle Factors and Male Reproductive Health: A Study of Young Adult Use and Perceptions
Summary
Research question
What level of awareness do young adults have about the possible impacts of gym lifestyle factors and supplements on male infertility?
Design
Between February and March 2023, a questionnaire (n = 153) was used to assess attitudes and awareness about the effects of male reproductive health and gym lifestyles on male fertility. Two semi-structured focus groups (n = 10 total), stratified by sex assigned at birth, were conducted using a set of discussion topics.
Results
The survey revealed a statistically significant difference between male and female awareness of the potential impacts of some forms of high-intensity exercise and protein supplementation on male reproductive health (P = 0.045). Many men do not think about fertility spontaneously; The survey revealed that fewer men have thought about their fertility compared to those who are curious about their fertility (P = 4.7 × 10 –5) and those who believe their personal fertility is important to them (P = 8.1 × 10 –6 ). Men were more likely to make a change in their behavior if it had a long-term effect compared to a short-term effect on their fertility (P < 10 –5). Five focus group themes related to male reproductive health awareness were extracted.
Conclusions
This work has shown that there is a significant lack of awareness and information about the effects of the gym lifestyle on male infertility in a young adult population in the UK. Fundamentally, levels of consciousness differ significantly between men and women. Men have a potentially alarming lack of concern about their own fertility and how factors like gym supplements can have long-term negative impacts.
Comments
Bodybuilders are largely unaware that the protein supplements they use to bulk up could harm their fertility.
According to the survey, four in five male gym enthusiasts (79%) said they use protein supplements as part of their fitness plan. But only 14 percent had considered how those supplements (which contain elevated levels of the female hormone estrogen) might affect their fertility, the researchers found.
"Too much female hormone can cause problems with the quantity and quality of sperm a man can produce," explained lead researcher Meurig Gallagher, an assistant professor who studies infertility at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Men who take these protein supplements may also be unintentionally giving themselves steroids, Gallagher added.
"Many protein supplements you can buy have been found to be contaminated with anabolic steroids , which can lead to decreased sperm count, shrunken testicles, and erectile dysfunction, among other things," Gallagher said.
For this study, Gallagher and his colleagues surveyed 152 avid gym-goers. They found that more than half (52%) of the male participants had thought about their fertility before being asked.
"We found that men are genuinely curious about their fertility when asked, but they don’t think about it themselves, probably because in society people still think of fertility as a ’ female issue’ and believe [incorrectly] that Men’s fertility "does not change throughout their lives ," researcher Jackson Brown, a professor of reproductive biology at Birmingham, said in a university news release.
About 28% of men surveyed said the benefits of gym routines and supplements were more important to them than fertility, while 38% disagreed.
The findings were recently published in the journal Reproductive BioMedicine Online .
"Infertility is an increasingly worrying problem, affecting 1 in 6 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization," Gallagher said. "Globally, there is limited understanding of the fact that men contribute to half of these infertility cases." "While people were aware of the problems associated with anabolic steroid use, very few understood that protein supplementation in the gym can have negative effects," Gallagher added.
Brown emphasized that the findings do not mean bodybuilders should abandon the gym.
"It’s important for people not to see this as a reason to not be healthy or exercise, but they should try to educate themselves about any form of supplements they take, whether it’s protein, vitamins or anything else," he noted.
Final message
Overall, this work has demonstrated the need for two important avenues of future work: first, a better understanding of the impacts of the most commonly used protein supplements on long-term male reproductive health; and secondly, an educational awareness campaign aimed at young men who go to the gym to improve their fertility awareness and highlight that, although their fertility may not be their immediate concern, some actions (for example, smoking or using protein supplements ) may have longer-term effects. The authors believe that only by addressing the problem from both scientific and educational perspectives can a greater appreciation of male reproductive health be achieved.
Source: University of Birmingham, press release, 29 November 2023
