Findings by some researchers have shown that watching TV more than five hours daily could affect a man’s fertility as it can reduce the sperm count by one-third.
The researchers from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, studied 1,200 “healthy” young men.
Some of the participants were instructed to watch TV for at least five hours every day, while the others were told to abstain from TV or reduce how much of it they watched. The record of their sperm counts were taken before and after the study.
According to the findings of the study, published on American Journal of Epidemiology, and reviewed on Mail Online,those who watched TV for more than five hours had average sperm count of 37 million per millilitre of fluid, while those who hardly watched TV had 52 million per millilitre of fluid. Whereas, normal sperm count is adjudged to be between 40 million and 300 million per millilitre
“Furthermore, decreases in testosterone were detected in men watching many hours of television, the researchers added. The hormone testosterone plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues such as the testis and prostate, as well as promoting secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle and bone mass, and the growth of body hair.”
The researchers concluded that watching too much TV could make men less fertile, given the findings of their study.
In another study by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health, it was also found that watching TV may likely affect sperm count.
The researchers, including Jorge Chavarro, an assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology and lead author, Audrey Gaskins, a doctoral student in the institution, said 20 hours of TV weekly could reduce sperm count by half, whereas engaging in exercise can boost sperm count.
In the study, they analysed the semen quality of 189 men. They asked the participants about their physical activity and how much TV they watched, taking their respective health conditions into consideration.
They said their results showed that men who watched more than 20 hours of TV weekly had a 44 per cent lower sperm count than those who watched almost no TV.
But, on the other hand, men who exercised for at least 15 hours weekly at a moderate to vigorous rate had a 73 per cent higher sperm count than those who exercised less than five hours per week. “However, mild exercise did not affect sperm quality,” they added.
Gaskins said, “We know very little about how lifestyle may impact semen quality and male fertility in general so identifying two potentially modifiable factors that appear to have such a big impact on sperm counts is truly exciting.
“Men engaging in exercise for seven hours or more per week, essentially one hour a day had 48 per cent higher sperm concentration in their semen than men who were engaging in less than one hour per week and there are particular forms of exercises that boost sperm counts.
“Weightlifting has been shown to increase testosterone levels and improve insulin sensitivity, both of which have been found to be related to higher sperm concentrations. But, there is one form of outdoor exercise that can decrease male fertility.
“Men who rode bicycle for more than an hour and a half each week had 34 per cent lower sperm concentrations than men who did not bike, because the pressure placed against the scrotum by a bike seat or the increased scrotal temperatures caused by such pressure are possible explanations for this decrease in fertility.”
The researchers concluded that as exercise boosts sperm count, watching too much of TV could reduce sperm count. They also cautioned that a reduced sperm count, even though linked to lower fertility, does not necessarily preclude such men from impregnating a woman. Regardless, it reduces their chances.
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