Exercise is one of the best gifts you can present your body as it offers numerous health benefits. But we are stuck in a lifestyle where we usually don’t have time for our body and spending hours at a gym is not on the list. Living the same lifestyle for years can have serious complications, including physical and mental conditions. Our body needs some physical activity regardless of the type that can boost the development and increase our overall productivity. However, apart from the benefits that one can have from a workout, there is a disadvantage too — overdoing it may cause of infertility.
Why is excessive workout bad?
With so many advantages of exercising, there is no reason to avoid such physical activity but there are some facts which show that vigorous training sessions can actually lower your fertility regardless of your sex.
Amenorrhea: In women, there is a condition called Amenorrhea which occurs when a normal woman does not experience her menstrual cycle for more than three months. A woman can get into this condition when she has been following a regular form of exercise with 3 to 4 sessions in a day without consuming the calories required by the body.
Loss of libido: Scarcity of calories can impact the fertility as well as the sexual desires of the woman.
Fluctuations in estrogen level: Obesity plays a vital role too as most of the obese women go through hard sessions of exercises to reduce weight. Additionally, it can cause an increased production of estrogen, affecting ovulation and menstruation which, in turn, can cause infertility. In some cases, where young women are working out at a level that causes too little estrogen to the point of interfering with regular menstrual cycles, exercise can negatively affect fertility. This can also create problems while conceiving a baby depending on the changed estrogen levels.
The pill effect: Most contraceptive pills contain higher estrogen levels and after consuming them, one can prevent herself from getting pregnant.The stimulated estrogen level also comes in during an intense workout and if you are planning to conceive, avoid heavy exercises and come back to the normal routine.
Sperm count reduction: In males, heavy training sessions can reduce the sperm count which is directly related to the fertility of a man. There are many of us, who have been following long-term training sessions in order to maintain our body. If you are into exhaustive training sessions, there are chances you might have a lesser sperm count as compared to a man who has been following normal training sessions.
Long-term exhaustive exercises: These decrease sperm count and potential for reproduction. On the other hand, heavy resistance training works antagonistically. Heavy resistance training actually increases the production of testosterone, which can exhibit a secondary effect on other hormones that contribute to fertility in men which, in turn, can make it harder for the female partner to conceive. Apart from intensive workouts, some other reasons like smoking and consuming alcohol are also found responsible for affecting male fertility.
The writer is Dr. Arvind Vaid Gynaecologist and IVF Specialist at Indira IVF Hospital, New Delhi