Occupational factors, such as physical demands and work schedules, were associated with higher sperm concentrations and serum testosterone among men in the EARTH study
A new study from researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, suggests that men who regularly lift heavy objects at work have higher sperm counts. The study, published in Human Reproduction, is part of the Environment and Reproductive Health (EARTH) cohort, a clinical study which aims to explore how exposure to environmental chemicals and lifestyle choices affect reproductive health.
“We already know that exercise is associated with multiple health benefits in humans, including those observed on reproductive health, but few studies have looked at how occupational factors can contribute to these benefits,” said first author Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón, a reproductive epidemiologist in Brigham’s Channing Division of Network Medicine and co-investigator of the EARTH study. “What these new findings suggest is that physical activity during work may also be associated with significant improvement in men’s reproductive potential.”
Infertility is a growing problem, and it can be caused by a wide variety of complex factors. However, about 40% of infertility cases can be traced to male factors, such as sperm count, semen quality and sexual function. In particular, sperm count and semen quality are thought to be the major drivers of growing infertility rates among males – a previous analysis led by the EARTH study team found that among men seeking fertility treatment, sperm count and quality declined by as much as 42% between 2000 and 2017.