Just six months of frequent exercise improves men’s sperm quality

Sedentary men who start exercising between three and five times per week improve their sperm counts and other measures of sperm quality in just a few months, according to a new study published today in Reproduction. The researchers also found that men exercising moderately and continuously improved their sperm quality more than those following popular intensive exercise programs like HIIT.

1 in 3 couples struggle to conceive due to poor semen quality. The only treatment available for couples unable to conceive naturally is IVF, but using poor quality sperm may increase the risk of miscarriage, birth defects and the development of childhood cancer.

Current advice for men seeking to improve their chances of conceiving include combining healthy eating with regular exercise while giving up smoking and reducing the intake of alcohol. However, the link between exercise and sperm quality is not definitely proven. Some studies have even shown that strenuous exercise, such as long-distance running and endurance cycling, may actually have a negative impact on sperm quality.

In this study, researchers from the Urmia University in Iran set out to investigate whether the time men spend exercising and the intensity at which they work out have an impact on sperm quality. The researchers investigated 261 healthy men aged between 25 and 40 years old. Men who followed a regular exercise program or did more than 25 minutes of exercise more than 3 days per week were excluded from participating.

The researchers assigned each participant to one of four groups: moderate intensity continuous training (MICT), high intensity continuous training (HICT), high intensity interval training (HIIT), or a control group that did no exercise.

MICT and HICT exercises consisted of running on a treadmill for half an hour and one hour for 3-4 days per week respectively. HIIT consisted of short one-minute bursts of sprinting on a treadmill, followed by a one minute recovery period, repeating between ten to fifteen times. These routines were followed during a 24-week period.

Semen samples were taken before, during and after the different exercise regimens to assess the men’s semen volume, sperm count, morphology, motility, levels of inflammatory markers and their response to oxidative stress.

The researchers found that men in all exercise groups had improved sperm quality across all measures when compared to the samples from the control group.

After completing the 24-week program, the MICT exercise group showed the biggest improvements in sperm quality, and also maintained these benefits for longer. Compared to the control group, those following MICT had:

·         8.3% more semen volume

·         12.4% higher sperm motility

·         17.1% improved sperm cell shape/morphology

·         14.1% more concentrated sperm

·         and 21.8% more sperm cells on average

However, the benefits to sperm count, shape and concentration started to drop back towards pre-training levels after a week of stopping the exercise program, and sperm motility 30 days after stopping.

“Our results show that doing exercise can be a simple, cheap and effective strategy for improving sperm quality in sedentary men,” said Behzad Hajizadeh Maleki, lead author of the study. “However, it’s important to acknowledge that the reason some men can’t have children isn’t just based on their sperm count. Male infertility problems can be complex and changing lifestyles might not solve these cases easily.”

The authors noted that while losing weight in general is likely to have contributed to improving sperm quality, MICT may have had the most profound impact on sperm quality because it reduces the gonad’s exposure to inflammatory agents and oxidative stress.

The researchers’ next steps are to investigate whether the training-induced changes in sperm quality will affect their fertilizing potential.

  

Amadeus invests in genetic testing pioneers, Igenomix

 Amadeus Capital Partners, the global technology investor, today announces that it has made a growth capital investment in Igenomix, the world’s leading in-vitro fertilization (IVF) genetic testing company, based in Valencia, Spain.

Igenomix’s main customers are the most reputable providers of fertility treatments across the world. Its genetic services encompass all phases of fertility treatment, through preconception, pre-implantation and pre-natal, providing tests that help parents to increase their chances of having a healthy baby by screening embryos for chromosome and single gene disorders.

Igenomix tested over 30,000 embryos in 2015 in its six laboratories in Valencia, Miami, Los Angeles, New Delhi, São Paulo and Dubai and has a team of over 140 employees of which 21% have PhDs. Amadeus Capital’s investment in the company will back its international expansion, with a special emphasis on the US market. Amadeus’s investment will also support the development of ground-breaking testing services at its leading laboratory in Valencia.

David Jimenez, Chief Executive Officer, Igenomix, commented on Amadeus Capital’s investment: “According to the World Health Organisation, infertility will be the third most serious disease this century. Approximately 1 out of 10 couples of reproductive age are currently infertile. Genetic testing will prove crucial in ensuring that treatments supporting fertility will be successful for families. Amadeus’ support as an investor, with a deep understanding of genetic technologies, will help Igenomix to progress our international development and fund research into new testing services.”

Andrea Traversone, Partner, Amadeus Capital Partners, added: “Amadeus Capital sees Igenomix as a compelling investment opportunity in a fast-growing sector of the healthcare market, based on major advances in genetic technology and improved access to IVF services. Igenomix has an exceptional management team in David Jimenez and Chief Scientific Officer Carlos Simon MD, PhD, recognised as a pioneer in IVF-related genetics, and we look forward to helping them build the business globally.”

In making this investment, Amadeus Capital Partners has joined a syndicate of investors including lead investor Charme Capital Partners, Aleph Capital and Graham Snudden.

Los tratamientos de fertilidad se toleran mejor en verano gracias a la disminución del estrés

Quedarse embarazada en verano es más fácil que en otro periodo estacional. Y es que en plenas vacaciones de verano, los tratamientos de fertilidad tienden a tolerarse mejor entre las pacientes y se obtienen más resultados positivos de embarazo. La causa principal de este fenómeno es la disminución del estrés y de las preocupaciones cotidianas en esta época, como el trabajo, la conciliación con la vida en pareja o en familia y la falta de tiempo libre.

Según apunta el Dr. Olivares, ginecólogo especialista en Reproducción Humana Asistida y director médico de Barcelona IVF, “durante el período de vacaciones estivales, las pacientes no tienen que preocuparse por compatibilizar los tratamientos con su agenda laboral, algo que generalmente puede producir cierta tensión, ya que suelen intentar mantenerlo en secreto en su entorno de trabajo”.  

La relación entre el estrés y la fertilidad ha sido ampliamente constatada y analizada por numerosos estudios médicos en los últimos años. Entre estas investigaciones se encuentra una llevada a cabo por la Universidad de Liverpool en el Reino Unido. El estudio concluye que, cuando las mujeres se encuentran bajo estrés y tensión, su cuerpo produce adrenalina y tiende a retrasar o incluso frenar la producción de la hormona liberadora de gonadotropina (GnRH), clave en la ovulación y en el ciclo reproductivo.

En la misma línea, otro estudio de la Universidad Radboud de Nimega (Países Bajos) afirma que existe una relación significativa entre factores psicológicos como el estrés y la ansiedad y la probabilidad de quedarse embarazada tras un tratamiento de fecundación in vitro o inseminación artificial. La investigación también apunta a la producción de adrenalina y a su efecto en el hipotálamo, una zona del cerebro del tamaño de un guisante, que además del estrés también controla el proceso de reproducción humana, inhibiendo la hormona que favorece la ovulación.

Consejos para mejorar la fertilidad en verano

Además de reducir el estrés lo máximo posible, Barcelona IVF propone una serie de recomendaciones a seguir para poder mejorar la fertilidad y las posibilidades de embarazo en verano.

La primera de ellas consiste en llevar un estilo de vida saludable, tanto las mujeres como los hombres. Es importante mantener un peso adecuado, seguir una dieta rica en fruta y verduras, practicar ejercicio y evitar tanto el tabaco como el alcohol. Además, incorporar los antioxidantes de frutas de verano –como arándanos, frambuesas y moras– o de complejos multivitamínicos puede mejorar la calidad del semen.

“Los antioxidantes contribuyen positivamente a incrementar la fertilidad, sobre todo en el caso de los hombres. Con la edad, presentan muchas veces un alto nivel de fragmentación del ADN como consecuencia de los procesos de oxidación que ocurren a nivel testicular”, afirma el Dr. Olivares.

Otra de las claves de la fertilidad es optimizar las relaciones sexuales centrándolas durante el periodo de ovulación, que se da entre los días 12 y 16 de un ciclo menstrual regular de 28 días. En este sentido, las vacaciones de verano ofrecen más tiempo libre y, por tanto, la oportunidad de maximizar las posibilidades de éxito y de un embarazo siguiendo este consejo.  

OVERSEAS IVF ON THE RISE: ENQUIRIES FROM UK PATIENTS FOR TREATMENT IN SPAIN UP 347% IN PAST YEAR

• Spain, Czech Republic and Turkey are the most popular destinations for Brits seeking fertility treatment abroad
• Enquiries from UK patients to fertility clinics in Spain increased by 145% in the past year
• Enquiries for fertility specialist consultations in the UK increased by almost a half (49%)
• Most popular treatment in UK clinics is intrauterine insemination (IUI), demand increased by almost a third (31%)
• IVF treatment enquiries increased by 45%, with average starting price tag of £2,236
• Fertility testing saw the biggest increase in enquiries since last year, up 170%

New research has revealed that in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment is the most common fertility treatment that UK patients seek abroad, as enquiries to clinics in Spain have increased by 347% in the past year*, according to global healthcare search engine, WhatClinic.com.

There are approximately 3.5 million people in the UK who have difficulty conceiving, that’s almost one in seven couples [1]. Many Brits seek fertility treatment abroad and Spain, the Czech Republic and Turkey topped the list as the most popular overseas destinations.

Spain remains a popular destination for fertility treatment year-on-year, despite the fact that the cost of treatment is often lower in the UK, according to WhatClinic’s data. In total, there were 1,463 enquiries made by UK patients to fertility clinics in Spain (by phone and email) in the past 12 months, up from 598 in the previous 12 month period, an increase of 145%.

The Czech Republic offers the largest saving on fertility treatment compared to the UK, particularly for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) which saw an increase in enquiries of 162% and potential savings of £2,483. Egg freezing is also cheaper in the Czech Republic, saving Brits up to £2,424, and saw an increase of 175% in enquiries. Other popular medical tourism destinations for fertility procedures include Greece, Cyprus, Poland and India.

The following table shows the fertility treatments that have seen the largest increase in enquiries from Brits to clinics overseas in the past year, and the price comparison for each compared to the UK:

New drug provides safer alternative to conventional IVF treatment

The hormone kisspeptin could be a safer and more effective way for harvesting eggs during IVF treatment, according to a new study presented today at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Edinburgh.

During conventional IVF treatment, doctors inject patients with the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which helps ovaries mature eggs that are later harvested to mix with sperm to make an embryo. A potential side effect during this step of IVF is ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS) - a potentially life-threatening condition.

Severe OHSS occurs in up to 2% of all patients, but women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are at much higher risk, with up to a quarter of such patients suffering severe OHSS. 

In this study, researchers from Imperial College London, working with clinicians from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, researchers from Imperial College London found that using kisspeptin as an alternative hormone to hCG - to mature and harvest eggs did not lead to OHSS, even in women at high risk of developing the condition.

Sixty women at high risk of OHSS were given kisspeptin at different doses. 36 hours later, their eggs were harvested, fertilised and one or two resulting embryos were implanted.

No women developed moderate, severe or critical OHSS during their pregnancy. The average live birth rate was 45% across all doses, rising to 62% for women given the best performing dose of kisspeptin. However, larger clinical studies are needed to confirm whether using kisspeptin results in higher live birth rates than hCG.

“IVF is an effective therapy for couples affected by infertility, but it can result in OHSS, which is a potentially life-threatening side effect”, said lead author of the study Ali Abbara. “We have shown that using kisspeptin in place of conventional drugs used during IVF treatment safely matures eggs, even in women at high risk of OHSS”.

“Interestingly, our results also suggest that using the best performing dose of kisspeptin resulted in pregnancy rates almost twice those reported for this age group using conventional stimuli of egg maturation. Kisspeptin appears to be a promising therapy and further studies are now needed to directly compare kisspeptin with currently available IVF treatments”.