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Globally, sperm counts have halved over the past 50 years, while rates of obesity have increased. With obesity known to be associated with reduced semen quality, affecting all parameters, dietary interventions may offer a therapeutic option to improve sperm quality.

To investigate this possibility, Sharma and colleagues conducted a randomised controlled trial, where men with obesity with a normal sperm count (n=24) and those with oligozoospermia (n=43) were randomised to receive either a low energy diet (<800kcal/day) or brief dietary intervention with 16 weeks’ observation.

In the group of men with normal sperm counts and in those with oligozoospermia, total motility and progressive motility increased after either intervention. Upon comparing the two interventions, there was no difference observed for either total motility or progressive motility in either group.

This study demonstrates that lifestyle measures are able to improve semen quality in patients with obesity, with no difference between low energy diet or brief dietary intervention.

Read the full article in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 109 449–460 https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgad523