Men’s Health Week – Staying in Shape for Your Sperm Donations

Men’s Health Week is an annual event, celebrated to give men access to the information and services they need to live healthier, longer and more fulfilling lives.

This Men’s Health Week, which takes place from the 12^th – 18^th June, we want to offer advice that won’t just maximise your sperm health ahead of your donations – but will help you feel good too!

If you've donated with us, you'll know just how sensitive your sperm can be. If not, you may be surprised to learn that any number of things, from stress to fatigue, or a lack of exercise, can affect the quality and quantity of your sperm.

Discover what lifestyle changes you can make this Men’s Health Week to maximise your sperm health, and by extension your general wellbeing, ahead of your donations.

Lead a more balanced lifestyle:

Your lifestyle choices have a real impact on the health of your sperm. Maintaining a balanced routine of diet and exercise are the first step to maximising not only the health of your sperm, but making sure you feel good about yourself as well. This Men’s Health Week is the perfect time to commit to small changes to your daily routine to help boost your health and your mood.

Working exercise into your schedule is a great starting point for many of our donors. While some prefer to exercise at a certain time each day, others may prefer to do so when they feel most motivated.  Whatever your strategy, we recommend you try to commit to at least 15 minutes of exercise per day – like a run on your lunch break, a light jog or brisk walk at least once a day or lifting weights at home.

If you want to maximise your sperm health, try combining your new exercise routine with a healthy diet. Our team recommends plenty of omega-3, anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals. Fish, lean meats, leafy vegetables and legumes - like chickpeas and lentils – all contain these beneficial supplements.

We also suggest you avoid a high intake of red meat, processed foods and caffeine, as these have been found to negatively affect sperm. Don't worry if you like a treat every now and then, so long as you maintain moderation.

If you’re looking to join a gym to stay in shape, you’ll already be making great steps toward improving your sperm health. We recommend avoiding excessive amounts of exercise and long stints in the sauna, steam room or Jacuzzi after you work out, as the heat can negatively impact your sperm health. If you’d like to use these services, try and keep your exposure to a minimum and choose the lowest heat option, just on the odd occasion. 

Quit Smoking or Using Nicotine-based Products:

When you commit to becoming a sperm donor there are a few guidelines we ask you to follow while you’re donating.  Included among these is stopping the use of nicotine-based products, like cigarettes, vapes, nicotine patches and gum. Nicotine does have an impact on the quality of your sperm and is associated with a lower sperm count. Even some vape flavours are known to contain chemicals that are detrimental to your sperm if absorbed in large amounts.

Not only that but smoking carries a risk of a number of conditions, ranging from asthma to heart disease and even certain eye conditions. This Men’s Health Week, if you’d like more advice on quitting smoking ahead of becoming a sperm donor, you can find support on the NHS website.

Consume a healthy amount of alcohol:

We all like to take advantage of the sunshine – sometimes there’s nothing better than a pint with your mates in a beer garden. However, Drinkaware states that “as well as affecting hormone levels, alcohol can inhibit the function of the testes, stopping sperm from developing properly.” That’s why, if you would like to be a sperm donor, it’s important you drink alcohol in moderation.

Now, that doesn’t mean you have to stop drinking all together, but we would recommend you follow the NHS guidelines for low-risk drinking. They suggest that you drink no more than 14-units of alcohol a week and try to spread that over a period of a few days, rather than binge drinking.

Not only will this help with your sperm health, but cutting back on alcohol can do wonders for improving your mood and keeping you in shape ahead of your donations.

Look after your mental health:

Stress is often ignored as a contributor to poor mental-health and physical well-being. While stress and anxiety are psychological experiences, they can have an actual physiological effect on your body and can affect your sperm too.

In the past, stress was a reaction to threats in our environments, such as predators and other aggressors. As a modern-day man, you don't necessarily have the same concerns as your ancestors, but that doesn't mean your life is stress-free!

Whether it’s a heavy workload, household demands or maintaining your relationships that’s causing you to worry, you may want to consider learning more about balancing your lifestyle and reducing stress with advice from the NHS, to ensure you’re in the best condition possible for your sperm donation visits.

Take control of your sexual health:

Your sexual health is just as important as your physical and mental well-being, especially if you’re a sperm donor. As a general rule, practicing safe sex is the best way to ensure you maintain good sexual health. If you’re having sex regularly, even with one partner, attending regular STI screenings will help you stay well-informed. 

When you commit to donating sperm with Semovo, you’ll be screened for any existing sexually transmitted infections, to ensure you’re in the best health possible throughout the donation process. We’ll also encourage you to practice safe-sex throughout the time you are actively donating, just to ensure you do not contract any infections that could stop you donating.

Become a sperm donor:

If you’ve been considering sperm donation, following our health advice will help ensure your sperm is of optimum quality for your donation visits to Semovo. Apply to become a Semovo sperm donor. Find out more about the sperm donation process and if you meet the criteria to be a sperm donor.

We have Semovo donation clinics in locations across the UK, you can find them in Manchester City Centre, South Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Glasgow.

Questions? Read our FAQs or contact our friendly team. Email donate@semovo.co.uk or call us on 0345 266 0020.

This Men’s Health Week, we also encourage you to take the time to look into the helpful resources and advice provided by the organisers of the event – the Men’s Health Forum. Learn more about what support is available to you and read more about Men’s Health Week 2023 on their website.