Recent research has highlighted a significant lack of understanding among young male fitness enthusiasts about the impact of their lifestyle, particularly protein supplement use, on fertility. Research highlights the need for better understanding and education about male reproductive health and the risks associated with certain fitness supplements.
Many young men who regularly go to the gym don’t fully understand how their lifestyle may affect their fertility. Three-quarters of people would change their exercise habits or supplement use if the long-term effects were known.
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A study published in Reproductive Biomedicine Online involving 152 fitness enthusiasts included the use of protein supplements, with 79% of male participants surveyed consuming these supplements. These supplements may contain high levels of estrogen, posing potential risks to reproductive health.
When asked about their concerns about fertility, more than half (52%) of male participants said they had thought about their fertility before. However, only 14% of participating men had considered how fitness habits or supplement use might affect fertility.
Further data revealed significant differences in responses on whether the benefits of fitness routines and supplements were more important than fertility, with 38% disagreeing and 28% agreeing. At the same time, female participants were more aware of the impact of fitness lifestyle on male fertility.
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Hidden risks of protein supplements Dr. Meurig Gallagher of the University of Birmingham, lead author of the study, said: “Having a fitness lifestyle is a good thing. But in the context of thinking about ‘male fertility’, people are worried about protein supplements. The main concern is the high levels of the female hormone estrogen from whey and soy protein supplements. Too much female hormones may cause problems with sperm volume and quality in men. Many commercially available protein supplements have been found to be androgen contamination, which can lead to problems such as reduced sperm count, testicular atrophy and erectile dysfunction.”
1 in 6 people worldwide suffer from infertility
The graph illustrates the differences between men and women’s awareness of factors affecting male fertility, as represented by the percentage of respondents in each category on a 5-point Likert scale. (Photo/”Reproductive Biomedicine Online”)
“Infertility is a growing concern, affecting 1 in 6 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. There is limited global understanding of the fact that men account for half of these infertility cases.” The key finding of this study is that there is a significant lack of awareness of male reproductive health among the young adult population we surveyed. While people are aware of the issues with androgen use, few understand that protein supplementation for bodybuilding can have negative effects.
Professor Jackson Kirkman-Brown, from the University of Birmingham and author of the paper, said: “We found that men are really curious about their fertility when asked, but they don’t think about it themselves – most likely Because society still views fertility as a ‘women’s issue’ and (erroneously) assumes that a man’s fertility does not change throughout his life.”
“It’s important that people shouldn’t stop being healthy or exercising because of this – but people should try to educate themselves about any form of supplement they’re taking, whether it’s protein, vitamins or anything else. Generally speaking, at the moment Most experimental data suggest that it is best to consume unconcentrated natural foods.”
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Source of first picture: DALL.E
Image Source:Reproductive BioMedicine Online cc By4.0
Reference papers:
1.Gym lifestyle factors and male reproductive health: a study into young adult usage and perceptionsReproductive BioMedicine Online
Further reading:
1.False information is widely spread! Will taking the COVID-19 vaccine cause infertility?
2024-02-05 09:27:40
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