Lifestyle Choices and Their Impact on Fertility

Lifestyle choices do effect your chance of becoming pregnant and having an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery. There are several lifestyle factors that influence fertility, which are discussed in detail below. This article discusses things both men and women can do to improve their chances of conceiving. You will have the maximal benefit if you attend to these issues at the beginning of your attempts to conceive, but they become increasingly important as your treatment becomes more complex, and particularly with IVF.

Weight and Fertility

Obesity (BMI over 30) decreases a woman’s fertility, increases the chance of miscarriage, and increases the chance of premature birth with all of its risks for the offspring. The higher the BMI the more pronounced these problems are. We generally recommend weight loss before attempting conception if your BMI is over 35. Excess body weight also contributes to sexual dysfunction in both sexes, but particularly for the male partner. Obesity in the male partner reduces sperm quality. The effects are not great, but even one fewer egg getting fertilized could reduce the chances of an embryo implanting.

On the other hand, low body weight in women can also cause infertility by stopping ovulation and menstrual periods, and low body weight increases the chance of poor fetal growth (small for dates); weight gain is highly advisable in these women before embarking on a pregnancy.

Exercise and Fertility

Moderate exercise increases both male (Vaamonte, 2012) and female fertility (Wise, 2012). Moderate exercise (e.g. a brisk walk) for 30 minutes most days of the week is the current recommendation for all adults and this level is fine for fertility. Moderate or even high exercise for the male will enhance erectile function and will help prevent any decline of that function with aging. However, specific limits are noteworthy. Two studies have suggested more than 3-5 hours of vigorous exercise per week for the female partner may reduce fertility (Morris, 2006; Wise, 2012), hence the above guidelines. Only more marked exercise like biking for > or = 5 hours per week (Wise, 2011) or marathon running has negative effects on sperm. Overheating of the testicles may explain the effect of biking.

Nutrition and Fertility

Recent studies have suggested that a “prudent” diet improves fertility for both partners, i.e less red meat and saturated fat, more seafood, and more fruits and vegetables, often referred to as the “Mediterranean diet” (Vujkovic, 2010; Twigt, 2012; Gaskins, 2012). Trans fats should be avoided entirely (Chavarro, 2011), for example, doughnuts, Danish pastries, French fries and fried foods in general. Studies point to antioxidants, monounsaturated oils, and omega-3’s as the factors involved in these benefits.

Antioxidants and Semen Quality

Antioxidants are important for improving fertility in both men and women – so eat more berries. Men with reduced semen quality have a significantly lower intake of dietary antioxidants (Mediola, 2010). Antioxidants improve sperm motility. Sperm are very sensitive to oxidation because they have to shed their cytoplasm in order to be able to move rapidly. Most likely any strong level of antioxidant will have a similar impact, such as a small bowl of berries each day, or 1,000 mg of vitamin C and 2 cups of green tea daily. All fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants but berries have the most with blackberries having significant levels.

Summary of Lifestyle Factors

The following table summarizes key recommendations based on the discussed research: