Sperm quality can be influenced positively or negatively by the lifestyle choices you make every day. By avoiding cigarettes, fatty food, and alcohol you can ensure good sperm quality and improve your chances of becoming a sperm donor. If you have been accepted as a sperm donor, you might be able to use the tips on this page to improve your sperm quality and potentially increase the compensation you receive as a sperm donor.
If you want to have your sperm quality tested while helping others, click on the button below and start the process of becoming a sperm donor.
What is good sperm quality?
Sperm quality is the ability of sperm cells, or spermatozoa to fertilise an egg. Sperm quality depends on various factors like the amount of sperm cells in an ejaculate, the percentage of living sperm cells and their ability to move, and their shape:
- Sperm count: If you have more than 15 million spermatozoa per millilitre, your sperm count is normal. However, top-quality sperm may contain more than 200 million spermatozoa per millilitre.
- Sperm motility: If more than 40% of the spermatozoa are living and moving, the sperm is considered good quality.
- Sperm morphology: Typical sperm have oval heads and long tails, which work together to propel them. Sperm morphology is not as important a factor as sperm count or motility.
Sperm quality varies
The male body constantly produces new sperm, meaning your sperm quality can change over time. Most men will experience shorter or longer periods where their sperm quality is good or less good. It is normal and can be due to temporary illness or stress.
If you are curious about your sperm quality, you can visit one of Cryos' departments to have your sperm analyzed. It's easy and anonymous. If you have questions about sperm quality and becoming a sperm donor, we are also ready to help - please contact us.
5 tips to ensure high-quality sperm
If you have been accepted as a sperm donor, we already know that your sperm quality is high. But it may be possible to improve it even further to increase the compensation received for each donation. Sperm quality is highly influenced by our lifestyle, meaning that making a few changes in our everyday life could help ensure good sperm quality.
Tip nr. 1 - Quit smoking and see your sperm count go up
Studies show that smoking cigarettes harms sperm quality. Heavy smoking often results in a significantly lower sperm count than the average. Cannabis also affects sperm quality negatively. Besides the harm cannabis due to sperm quality, we cannot accept your donations if you smoke cannabis. If you smoke and choose to stop, there is a strong likelihood that your sperm quality will improve significantly.
Follow the link to read more about the sperm donor requirements.
Tip nr. 2 - Less alcohol, more quality sperm
Large amounts of alcohol damage spermatozoa, so if you want to ensure high sperm quality, try to limit your intake of alcohol. It is difficult to say how much alcohol is too much. We recommend you follow the Danish Health Authority Guidelines on the consumption of alcohol, which for men is a maximum of 14 units of alcohol a week and a maximum of 5 units of alcohol in one evening.
Tip nr. 3 - You are what you eat – the same goes for your sperm quality
The food you eat also affects sperm quality. Men who have a healthy and varied diet, for example, a diet containing fruit and vegetables and thus antioxidants, generally have better sperm quality compared to men who eat unhealthily and who eat a lot of fatty food. As a result, if you want to ensure high-quality sperm, we recommend limiting your fatty food intake and focusing on a varied diet with different types of vegetables.
List of foods that may improve your sperm quality
Diet is important when trying to ensure high sperm quality. We have gathered a list of types of foods that are said to have a positive impact on sperm quality:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Nuts
- Whole cereals
- Maca roots
- Seafood
- Shellfish
Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/
Tip nr. 4 - Exercise but do not over-exercise
Too much exercise or too little exercise hurts sperm quality. A moderate amount of exercise is good for sperm quality; men who exercise regularly have been shown to have a higher sperm count than men who do not exercise. On the other hand, exercising too much can have the opposite effect on sperm quality.
Tip nr. 5 - Heat damages your sperm count
Spermatozoa are highly sensitive to heat. Their temperature must be lower than the rest of the body – this is why testicles are located outside the body. If you want to improve your sperm quality, try and avoid heat sources like hot tubs, solariums, saunas, and wearing tight underwear.
Even though you change your lifestyle, you must prepare to be patient. It can take up to three months for your lifestyle to impact sperm quality. This is the time it takes for the body to replace the old spermatozoa.
How we test the quality of our sperm donors
If you are considering becoming a sperm donor, the first step is to submit one or two sperm samples to one of our centres. As a sperm donor, your sperm quality must be high, as high-quality sperm improves the chances of a successful pregnancy occurring.
We test your sperm quality by placing a drop of sperm in a counting chamber. We then analyse it under a microscope. Here we check, among other things, how many sperm cells are present per millilitre of semen, the number of motile sperm cells, the degree of motility and the total volume of the semen sample in millilitres.
In addition, it is equally important that the sperm cells can withstand being frozen and stored at -196 degrees. It varies from one man to another whether their sperm can withstand this. Some men produce sperm cells that cannot withstand freezing, while others produce sperm cells that can withstand being frozen and thawed. If the latter is the case, you have the option of becoming a sperm donor.
Read more about the application process to become a sperm donor here.