Lately all the obsessions that go viral have the suffix ‘maxxing’; what if he fibermaxxinghe looksmaxxinghe cozymaxxing or the solomaxxing. We can add one more: sperm-maxxing. They are men who try to improve the quality of their semen to overcome infertility. It is a healthy practice that is putting the often ignored male infertility at the center, but it is also part of the obsession with monitoring everything and following advice not backed by science.
The sperm-maxxers. We recently spoke NoFap, a movement of men who have abandoned masturbation to raise your testosterone and that has a strong religious background behind it. Although with certain similarities, sperm-maxxing relies on another approach. He movement is born from the hand of creators of the world gymbro and longevity fans like Bryan Johnson (who, by the way, recently boasted of having eliminated 85% of microplastics from his sperm). These are men who already monitor sleep, exercise and have turned the quality of their sperm into another metric to control. On the other side, that of the followers, there are men who are having problems conceiving and seek to improve their fertility by following the advice of these gurus.
Hacking fertility. Many sperm-maxxing tips They are very beneficial and effective, such as following a Mediterranean diet, eliminating bad habits such as tobacco or alcohol, practicing strength training and sleeping better. However, there are also very questionable ones that are not supported by science and even some that are directly harmful, such as eating large amounts of red meat.
Other recommendations of dubious effectiveness include spending a fortune on all types of supplements (zinc, folic acid, coenzyme Q10…), wearing only organic cotton underwear or avoiding porn so as not to ejaculate and thus improve semen quality. The latter has a direct link with the NoFap movement and part of a study that has already been refuted; The recommendation to improve semen quality is just the opposite: ejaculate more.
The cold thing. Among the craziest tips of this movement is to put ice or directly immerse the testicles in ice water. The recommendation is based on the fact that the testicles should be at a lower temperature than the body. “They are outside the body for a specific reason,” says Ramy Abou Ghayda, urologist at Legacy Sperm Bank. There is evidence that andExcessive heat in the testicles can affect sperm production. Given this, it is clear that someone thought that if it became cold it would achieve just the opposite. Spoiler: it doesn’t work like that.
The lack of evidence has not stopped brands from using this belief to sell products that promise to “boost your fertility.” For example there is a company called Snowballs (sublime) and sells you two “refrigerated” underwear for the modest price of $56. There is also Underdogwhich directly sells two ice packs with an ergonomic shape to place in the crotch for $40.
A real problem. All things considered, sperm-maxxing puts a real issue at the center: male fertility is in decline. A meta-analysis published in 2023 found that, between 1973 and 2018, sperm concentration had decreased by 51.6% and the total count had fallen by 62.3%. Among the causes that have caused this decrease are exposure to pollutants and endocrine disruptors, in addition to bad habits such as tobacco or alcohol consumption, an unhealthy diet, a sedentary lifestyle, stress and lack of sleep.
A social issue. Male fertility problems cause between 30 and 50% of infertility cases. However, as they point out in Wiredonly men are tested in one in four casesfocusing diagnostic efforts almost exclusively on women’s infertility.
They count in a Guardian report that the lack of diagnosis of male infertility leads many couples to start unnecessary IVF treatments. Male fertility has been undervalued to the point that 80% of family doctors in the United Kingdom have not received any type of training in this regard. There is clearly an information gap on the subject, one that many men are trying to fill with miracle supplements and sperm optimization metrics.
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