How many days to maximize sperm count

When the number of sperm cells decreases, so do the chances of conceiving. Some of the conditions or circumstances that may affect sperm count include:. A varicocele typically results from vein abnormalities that restrict blood flow in a testicle. The impact of blood flow can result in a lower sperm concentration and decreased sperm motility or morphology. Fortunately, there are several treatment options available, including embolization, laparoscopic surgery, or open surgery. Your sperm count may be impacted by a past history of hormone imbalances, chemotherapy, radiation, tumors, or sexually transmitted infections.

Excess body fat soaks up testosterone and converts it to estrogen causing some men to have estrogen levels in the female range. This is the most common cause of low sperm counts that we see in the present obesity epidemic.

And adding more testosterone can actually make things worse! Certain medications not testosterone and drastic weight loss can greatly improve sperm counts. If your surroundings or career exposes you to toxins like herbicides, pesticides, or chemicals used in construction or painting, there is a greater risk of your sperm count being impacted. Excessive drinking and drug use also spell trouble for sperm count.

In addition, men continuously create new sperm over time, so they can naturally increase their sperm count by making small lifestyle choices. The full process takes about 64 days. During spermatogenesis, your testicles make several million sperm per day — about 1, per second. By the end of a full sperm production cycle, you can regenerate up to 8 billion sperm. This may seem like overkill, but you release anywhere from 20 to million sperm cells in a single milliliter of semen.

The division of diploid sperm cells into haploid spermatids that can carry genetic data. The maturation of sperm in your testicles , specifically in the seminiferous tubules. Hormones help spermatids through this process until they become spermatozoa.

A mature sperm has a head containing genetic material and a tail to help the sperm travel through the female body for fertilization. The movement of sperm into the epididymis , a tube connected to your testicles that stores sperm.

The epididymis preserves sperm until ejaculation. This is also where sperm gain motility , or the ability to move. This enables them to travel when released in seminal fluid semen during ejaculation. Constant sperm regeneration fills the epididymis with fresh sperm. The longer they build up, the higher your sperm count in a single ejaculation. If you and your partner are trying to conceive, waiting a few days between ejaculations can increase your chances of conception.

You can further increase your chances by abstaining from ejaculation the week before your partner ovulates. On the other hand, more frequent ejaculations can lower your sperm count in a single ejaculation. This can help you avoid getting your partner pregnant, especially if you abstain from sex until after ovulation ends. The healthier your sperm are, the more likely you are to be fertile and conceive.

Aside from quantity, or how many of them you produce , sperm health is measured by:. Try the following to help make sure that your sperm are being produced in high enough quantities, as well as with high motility and regular shapes:. Your body produces fresh sperm every day, and your sperm supply gets replenished at least every 64 days.

This ensures that a sufficient supply of sperm is available at any given time. Heavy drinking reduces testosterone and lowers your sperm production. If you do decide to drink alcohol, drink in moderation and avoid consuming more than 3 drinks in a day.

National Institutes of Health Go to source Drinking more than 3 drinks in a 6-hour period can affect the quality of your sperm. Abstain from using illegal drugs to keep your sperm safe. Many illegal drugs affect the quality of your sperm and some can actually cause damage to your testicles or sperm.

In addition, drugs that are purchased on the street have no quality controls, which means they may contain chemical contaminants that could be dangerous for your sperm. Narcotics such as opiates affect the quality and quantity of your sperm. National Institutes of Health Go to source Cocaine and marijuana also lower sperm count and quality.

National Institutes of Health Go to source Anabolic steroids may shrink your testicles and reduce sperm production. Method 2. Help your partner track her ovulation. Women generally ovulate around day 14 of their cycle, and the best time for sex for conception is the day or two just before ovulation. A few ways that you and your partner can track her ovulation include: Noticing changes in her body that signal ovulation, such as abdominal cramps Noting an increase in clear vaginal secretions that may signal ovulation Taking her temperature every morning.

Women's resting temperature is slightly higher during ovulation. Purchasing an over-the-counter ovulation kit. These kits enable her to test her urine to detect the increase in hormones that occurs just before ovulation. Make sure you have sex during the 6 days before ovulation. Sperm lives for several days inside a woman's reproductive tract.

To maximize the effectiveness of your sperm and increase your chances of conception, have unprotected sex with your partner daily, especially during the 6 days before she ovulates. National Institutes of Health Go to source.

Avoid synthetic lubricants such as Astroglide or K-Y jelly. Method 3. Ask your doctor if any of your medications lower your sperm count. Ask them if they can potentially reduce your sperm count or affect the quality of your sperm. If they do, ask about alternative medications or things you can do to maximize your sperm count. Medications that can reduce sperm count or affect fertility include: [16] X Trustworthy Source National Health Service UK Public healthcare system of the UK Go to source Some antibiotic and antifungal medications Some ulcer medications Testosterone replacement therapy Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation Calcium channel blockers Tricyclic antidepressants.

Talk to your doctor about supplements that can boost your sperm count. National Institutes of Health Go to source Vitamin C will boost your immune system and help prevent the sperm from clumping, making them better able to travel to fertilize the egg. Vitamin E prevents the head of the sperm from drying out to help it live longer.

Vitamins B6 and B12 promote the production of healthy sperm. Selenium may increase the lifespans of your sperm. Zinc increases sperm production and helps their mobility. Sperm are also a relatively good reflection of your overall health. Low sperm count has been tied to future risk for cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other chronic health conditions.

This is concerning because sperm counts have been dropping over the last several decades and raises the question if men today are at higher risk of developing serious health problems later in life. While researchers believe that environmental toxins like bisphenol A BPA and pesticides are partially to blame for the drop in sperm count, many are concerned about the health habits of young men. Independent studies show that many of the bad habits that cause long term health problems like cardiovascular disease or type II diabetes also reduce sperm count.

Some of the biggest offenders include:. Improving these lifestyle habits often leads to improvement in semen quality, an increase in sperm count, higher testosterone levels and a reduction of risk in developing poor health as you age.

Pretty big wins for both you and your balls. It takes about 72 days for a sperm cell to be created, mature, and get ejaculated. So conventional wisdom states that it takes about months to see improvements in sperm count. However, several studies show that it is possible to see changes sooner.

Sometimes drops in sperm count are caused by sperm dying before they finish development called maturation arrest rather than a lack of production spermatogenesis. If you think of a testicle as a sperm factory,sometimes production drops due to lost or broken parts rather than slow production lines. Many interventions can help increase the number of cells produced and reduce the number that die during the process.

Depending on what the issue is, it can be possible to see changes right away as early as a couple of weeks. Other times it takes longer 6 months or longer to see noticeable differences in sperm count. Here are some techniques and treatments that have shown to be effective at increasing sperm count:.

Nutritional supplements : Several studies have shown improvements with the use of nutritional supplements. Improvements were seen in as little as a month in some of the studies.

Other treatment options weight loss and varicocele repair were also shown to be more effective when paired with nutritional supplements. For this reason, most urologists will recommend some sort of multivitamin as a part of a treatment plan for male infertility.

Testicular cooling : Testicular temperature has been shown in several studies to impact sperm count. Intentionally cooling the testicle has been explored as a treatment for low sperm count and many studies show it to be effective. Weight loss : There are many studies that correlate BMI and waist circumference with low sperm count. Unfortunately there are only a few studies that follow men who lose weight in order to increase sperm count.

The few that do exist show promise. Men who lost weight increased sperm count within 6 months study duration and men who had higher starting BMIs benefited the most. Exercise : A recent study assigned men to different forms of exercise and hound that light jogging several times a week improved many semen parameters include sperm count, motility and morphology but it took 24 weeks about 6 months to see changes.

Traditional Medicine : Several herbs used in Chinese or Ayurvedic Medicine as a treatment for male infertility increased sperm count after months in placebo controlled double blind studies. Most studies have a limited number of patients so the results are far from conclusive but there is evidence that herbs used in traditional medicine may be beneficial for improving sperm count.

The timeframe for boosting sperm count is usually a little longer, with an average of 6 months until real improvements are seen. Prescription medications: Many medications including Clomid, FSH, HcG and a host of others are often prescribed to improve semen quality by boosting hormones that are involved in sperm production. Most of the studies that look at the impact of these drugs on sperm count conducted semen analysis every 3 months to measure efficacy.

Many patients saw improvements in the month timeframe. Regular testing can provide feedback on how effective a treatment regime is at improving semen quality. In general, urologists recommend testing every 3 months or so.