The gym lifestyle and the supplements that often come along with it can have significant impacts on fertility in men, especially when they’re younger. Unfortunately, most young men don’t realize that, so they don’t know they’re potentially putting their future fertility at risk. Protein supplementation and high-intensity workout routines can both lower male and female fertility, but both are common choices for young men who are looking to reduce body fat and gain muscle.

Part of the problem is that education about this issue is lacking, since men don’t talk about fertility concerns the way women do. They typically don’t discuss the issue with their friends or their doctors, and that can mean they don’t have the data they need to make an informed choice. There’s also a misconception that women’s fertility is the only thing that matters, or that men generally don’t experience fertility issues. That can lead young men to ignore potential risks to their own reproductive health.

When they take supplements and lift heavy, though, they can disrupt bodily operations that affect the amount and quality of their sperm. Because of that they may not have the ability to father children in the future. Even if that’s not a priority for them at the time, it can become more significant as they get a little older. At that point, though, it might be too late to undo a lot of the damage that was already caused. That creates a lot of frustration and regret, which increases stress.

Too much stress can also lower fertility in men and women, so the higher stress levels can contribute to the problem that the supplements caused. The goal, of course, is to reduce the impact of any or all of this on young men’s fertility, and that means providing education and information about how supplements affect male fertility.

The more knowledge young men have about the issue the more they can make informed decisions and choose wisely. That’s not to say that supplementation or heavy lifting are always poor choices, but young men should know about any long-term impacts they may encounter, including affects on fertility.

Our thorough contracts also establish the intent of the parties regarding parental rights, identify the parties’ financial responsibility, and ensure all parties are aware of the importance of informed consent, providing our clients with further peace of mind as they navigate their surrogacy journeys. If you are planning on starting or growing your family through assisted reproductive technology, please contact us today!