Exploring the Dynamics of Exercise Intensity on Male Fertility and Reproductive Health: Advancements and Implications for Fertility Research

Overview

Journal Front Reprod Health

Date 2024 Aug 2

PMID 39091284

Authors

Navid Abedpoor

Farzaneh Taghian

Fatemeh Hajibabaie

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

On a global scale, 15% of couples experience infertility. Approximately 50% of these cases refer to male infertility. This literature review investigated the effects of exercise activities on male fertility and reproductive health. This subject was explored using studies conducted on human and animal models. Physical activity is widely recognized to improve overall well-being, but engaging in excessive exercise might potentially lead to male infertility due to the negative impact on hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular (HPT) function, increased oxidative stress, and the presence of chronic inflammation. Infertility might result from the fundamental factors that induce a decline in testosterone production and semen quality. Physical activity has the potential strategy to enhance male fertility in cases of infertility caused by obesity and diabetes. Exercise enhances spermatogenesis and semen quality in lifestyle-induced infertility by increasing testicular antioxidant defense, reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines, and promoting steroidogenesis.

Citing Articles

Oxidative-Stress-Mediated Epigenetic Dysregulation in Spermatogenesis: Implications for Male Infertility and Offspring Health.

Kaltsas A, Markou E, Kyrgiafini M, Zikopoulos A, Symeonidis E, Dimitriadis F Genes (Basel). 2025; 16(1).

PMID: 39858640 PMC: 11765119. DOI: 10.3390/genes16010093.

References

Bahadorani M, Tavalaee M, Abedpoor N, Ghaedi K, Nazem M, Nasr-Esfahani M . Effects of branched-chain amino acid supplementation and/or aerobic exercise on mouse sperm quality and testosterone production. Andrologia. 2018; 51(2):e13183. DOI: 10.1111/and.13183. View

Mohammad P, Esfandiar K, Abbas S, Ahoora R . Effects of moderate-intensity continuous training and high-intensity interval training on serum levels of Resistin, Chemerin and liver enzymes in Streptozotocin-Nicotinamide induced Type-2 diabetic rats. J Diabetes Metab Disord. 2020; 18(2):379-387. PMC: 6914745. DOI: 10.1007/s40200-019-00422-1. View

Tartibian B, Maleki B . Correlation between seminal oxidative stress biomarkers and antioxidants with sperm DNA damage in elite athletes and recreationally active men. Clin J Sport Med. 2012; 22(2):132-9. DOI: 10.1097/JSM.0b013e31823f310a. View

Leisegang K, Sengupta P, Agarwal A, Henkel R . Obesity and male infertility: Mechanisms and management. Andrologia. 2020; 53(1):e13617. DOI: 10.1111/and.13617. View

Abedpoor N, Taghian F, Hajibabaie F . Physical activity ameliorates the function of organs via adipose tissue in metabolic diseases. Acta Histochem. 2022; 124(2):151844. DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2022.151844. View

Costa J, Braga P, Rebelo I, Oliveira P, Alves M . Mitochondria Quality Control and Male Fertility. Biology (Basel). 2023; 12(6). PMC: 10295310. DOI: 10.3390/biology12060827. View

de Sousa Neto I, Pinto A, Munoz V, de Cassia Marqueti R, Pauli J, Ropelle E . Pleiotropic and multi-systemic actions of physical exercise on PGC-1α signaling during the aging process. Ageing Res Rev. 2023; 87:101935. DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101935. View

Aitken R, Drevet J . The Importance of Oxidative Stress in Determining the Functionality of Mammalian Spermatozoa: A Two-Edged Sword. Antioxidants (Basel). 2020; 9(2). PMC: 7070991. DOI: 10.3390/antiox9020111. View

Maleki B, Tartibian B . High-Intensity Exercise Training for Improving Reproductive Function in Infertile Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2017; 39(7):545-558. DOI: 10.1016/j.jogc.2017.03.097. View

10.

Di Renzo L, De Lorenzo A, Fontanari M, Gualtieri P, Monsignore D, Schifano G . Immunonutrients involved in the regulation of the inflammatory and oxidative processes: implication for gamete competence. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2022; 39(4):817-846. PMC: 9050992. DOI: 10.1007/s10815-022-02472-6. View

11.

Naito M, Itoh M . Patterns of infiltration of lymphocytes into the testis under normal and pathological conditions in mice. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2007; 59(1):55-61. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0897.2007.00556.x. View

12.

Jackson M, Khassaf M, Vasilaki A, McArdle F, McArdle A . Vitamin E and the oxidative stress of exercise. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2005; 1031:158-68. DOI: 10.1196/annals.1331.015. View

13.

Hajizadeh Maleki B, Tartibian B, Eghbali M, Asri-Rezaei S . Comparison of seminal oxidants and antioxidants in subjects with different levels of physical fitness. Andrology. 2013; 1(4):607-14. DOI: 10.1111/j.2047-2927.2012.00023.x. View

14.

Antar S, El-Gammal M, Hazem R, Moustafa Y . Etanercept Mitigates Cadmium Chloride-induced Testicular Damage in Rats "An Insight into Autophagy, Apoptosis, Oxidative Stress and Inflammation". Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2022; 29(19):28194-28207. DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-18401-6. View

15.

St John J, Jokhi R, Barratt C . The impact of mitochondrial genetics on male infertility. Int J Androl. 2005; 28(2):65-73. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2005.00515.x. View

16.

Maleki B, Tartibian B, Vaamonde D . The effects of 16 weeks of intensive cycling training on seminal oxidants and antioxidants in male road cyclists. Clin J Sport Med. 2014; 24(4):302-7. DOI: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000000051. View

17.

Castiglione R, Salemi M, Vicari L, Vicari E . Relationship of semen hyperviscosity with IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10 and ROS production in seminal plasma of infertile patients with prostatitis and prostato-vesiculitis. Andrologia. 2013; 46(10):1148-55. DOI: 10.1111/and.12207. View

18.

Friedman J, Nunnari J . Mitochondrial form and function. Nature. 2014; 505(7483):335-43. PMC: 4075653. DOI: 10.1038/nature12985. View

19.

Bolotari M, Andreazzi A, de Lade C, Goncalves Costa V, Guerra M, Peters V . Effects of moderate intensity endurance training and high-intensity interval training on the reproductive parameters of wistar rats overfed in infancy. Chin J Physiol. 2021; 64(2):106-114. DOI: 10.4103/cjp.cjp_96_20. View

20.

Di Luigi L, Gentile V, Pigozzi F, Parisi A, Giannetti D, Romanelli F . Physical activity as a possible aggravating factor for athletes with varicocele: impact on the semen profile. Hum Reprod. 2001; 16(6):1180-4. DOI: 10.1093/humrep/16.6.1180. View