DCYB Roadshow Episode 1 - A SHOT of Fertility

The Don't Cook your Balls roadshow is an exploration of male reproductive health. We are traveling around the country to meet with the top experts to find out what causes male infertility and more importantly what can be done about it. In this first episode, we met with Dr. Michael Eisenberg from Stanford University and explored lifestyle factors that can impact fertility.

Dr Eisenberg shared a lot of great advice about what things can hurt fertility and what things can help boost it. In trying to sum it all up, we came up with a pretty awesome acronym. If you want to improve your fertility, take a SHOT. Reduce Stress. Avoid Heat. Overcome Obesity and Eliminate Toxins. These are the major things in our everyday lift that have been proven in study after study to dramatically affect sperm production and quality. Here's what Dr. Eisenberg had to say:

Reduce Stress.
Dr. Eisenberg shared some interesting facts about stress and fertility. He described it as a bell shaped curve. That men want to have an optimal amount of stress in their life. If they have too much stress, it can impact sperm quality. But interestingly, also if they have too little. If they don't care enough about life — that too can actually reduce sperm quality.

Avoid Heat.
Sperm need to stay about 1 degree Celsius (4 degrees Fahrenheit) cooler than body temperature. Heat is one of the leading environmental factors that can influence sperm count and motility. Dr. Eisenberg warned us that cell phones, laptops, sitting under cozy blankets for too long and the like are all potential culprits for hurting sperm.

Overcome Obesity
This was another big point for the doctor. "If it is good for the heart, it's good for fertility." Getting enough exercise, eating a proper diet, not smoking and losing weight if necessary are all very good habits for men who are trying to conceive. He did warn that too much exercise — marathon running and the like -- can over-stress the body and might not be too good but in general most studies have shown the more active men are, the better their fertility is.

Eliminate Toxins
Finally, it's important to watch toxins that come into the body. Smoking, alcohol, drug abuse, pesticides, certain prescription medications and various heavy metals can all contribute to low sperm counts. It's useful for men trying to conceive to avoid these toxins. It's also helpful for men to make sure they get enough anti-oxidants. Dr. Eisenberg recommends that all his patients make sure their diets are rich in anti-oxidants or try an anti-oxidant supplement to help keep sperm well nourished and safe from radicals.