What is considered high quality sperm?
The more normal sperm there are present in your semen, with good motility (movement) in an ejaculation, the better your sperm quality is considered. A man has normal sperm quality if there are more than 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen. However, some men may have over 200 million sperm per milliliter of semen. In addition to quantity, more than 40% of the sperm cells must be alive and in motion for the sperm to be considered of good quality.
If you would like to become a sperm donor with Cryos, you must first have your sperm tested at our location. As a sperm donor, it is important to have high quality sperm, as it gives our customers the best chances of becoming pregnant and achieving their dreams of having a family.
Becoming a sperm donor with Cryos provides you with the perfect opportunity to find out how healthy your sperm is while being proactive about enhancing its quality.
How to improve your sperm quality?
In some cases, poor sperm quality is due to medical or genetic factors. These must be treated through a doctor, as they can lead to Male Factor Infertility. If you are concerned about your sperm quality and would like to improve it, however, changing your lifestyle is the best place to start to see improvements. Read along for 6 lifestyle changes you can make to improve your sperm quality today.
Avoid heat stress
Sperm does not like the heat. Their temperature must be lower than the rest of the body. This is why the testicles are located outside of your body. If you would like to improve your sperm quality, it is a good idea to start by avoiding various types of heat stress. Examples of these include:
- Hot tubs
- Saunas
- Tanning beds
- Resting laptop on your lap
- Tight underwear
Keep a healthy diet
Men who eat a healthy and varied diet, containing fruits and vegetables and limited processed foods, have been found to generally have better sperm quality than men who eat unhealthy foods. Reducing your intake of processed meats, trans fats and soy products while increasing your intake of fish, fruits and vegetables has been linked to improvements in sperm quality and quantity. Maintaining a healthy weight by eating well will also have a positive effect on your sperm quality.
Exercise regularly
Exercise in moderation is good for sperm quality and men who exercise regularly have shown to have better sperm quality than men who do not. However, both too little exercise and too much exercise can adversely affect sperm quality. Studies have also shown that exercise in extreme amounts, like in highly competitive athletes can have the opposite affect and negatively affect sperm quality.
Limit your alcohol consumption
Large quantities of alcohol damage sperm, and it may be worth reducing your intake if you want to improve sperm quality. A high intake of alcohol on a regular basis may also make you more prone to high risk behavior, putting you at risk for disqualification from being sperm donor.
Quit smoking
Studies show that smoking cigarettes is bad for sperm quality. If you are a heavy smoker, your sperm quality can be significantly impaired. Current studies are showing that THC from marijuana can also affect sperm. The good news is that if you choose to stop smoking, you will experience a noticeable improvement in your sperm quality.
If you change your lifestyle with the intent of improving sperm quality, make sure that you are patient while waiting to see the results of your efforts. It may take up to three months for a lifestyle change to be reflected in sperm quality and quantity. This is the time it takes for new sperm cells to be produced in the body.
Cryos is here for you
At Cryos, we want to support and help you on your journey to become a donor. Please contact us if you have questions or need further information about becoming a Cryos sperm donor. The application is the first step toward becoming a sperm donor, where you have the possibility of making up to 780$ per month for your time and effort.