The following is a summary of “Improvements in Sperm Motility Following Low- or High-Intensity Dietary Interventions in Men With Obesity,” published in the February 2024 issue of Endocrinology by Sharma, et al.

Obesity is known to impact male fertility, yet traditional interventions like bariatric surgery have shown limited success in enhancing semen quality. Recent uncontrolled studies proposed that a low-energy diet (LED) could potentially ameliorate semen parameters. However, further investigation within a randomized, controlled setting was necessary to validate these findings.

In the study, men aged 18-60 years with obesity and either normal sperm concentration (normal count) or oligozoospermia were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either an 800 kcal/day LED for 16 weeks or a control intervention comprising brief dietary advice (BDI) with a 16-week observation period. Semen parameters were evaluated and compared at baseline and after 16 weeks.

The mean age of participants with normal sperm count was 39.4 ± 6.4 years in the BDI group and 40.2 ± 9.6 years in the LED group. For men with oligozoospermia, the mean age was 39.5 ± 7.5 years in the BDI group and 37.7 ± 6.6 years in the LED group. LED resulted in significantly greater weight loss compared to BDI in both men with normal sperm count (14.4 vs. 6.3 kg; P < .001) and those with oligozoospermia (17.6 vs. 1.8 kg; P < .001). Regarding semen parameters, both LED and BDI interventions led to improvements in total motility (TM) and progressive motility (PM) compared to baseline. In men with normal sperm count, TM increased from 48 ± 17% to 60 ± 10% after LED (P < .05) and from 52 ± 8% to 61 ± 6% after BDI (P < .0001). Similarly, PM increased from 41 ± 16% to 53 ± 10% after LED (P < .05) and from 45 ± 8% to 54 ± 65% after BDI (P < .001). In men with oligozoospermia, TM increased from 35% [26] to 52% [16] after LED (P < .05) and from 43% [28] to 50% [23] after BDI (P = .0587). PM increased from 29% [23] to 46% [18] after LED (P < .05) and from 33% [25] to 44% [25] after BDI (P < .05). No significant differences in postintervention TM or PM were observed between the LED and BDI groups.

Both LED and BDI interventions showed promise in improving sperm motility in men with obesity. Further research was warranted to explore the impact of paternal dietary interventions on fertility outcomes.

Reference: academic.oup.com/jcem/article/109/2/449/7258743