I’m sorry that I have to be the one to tell you this, but according to reports, men are engaging in a practice known as “spermmaxxing”.
Spermmaxxing, according to the many articles on the subject, is a way of increasing the quality and quantity of one’s sperm. The approaches range from the sensible (get more sleep, eat nutritious foods) to the more dubious (eat raw garlic, dip your testicles in ice water).
For those over 25 or blessedly unburdened by the knowledge of internet slang: the term “maxxing” can be stuck on to the end of any word as a way of saying you’re trying to optimize that area of your life. (Getting your taxes in order? Surprise, you’re taxmaxxing.)
What is clear is that there is very real anxiety online about men’s fertility. But is this concern founded? We talked to experts about the current state of male reproductive health, and how one can actually take care of their sperm.
Are we really facing a male fertility crisis?
Rightwing pronatalists, toxic manosphere influencers and longevity bros are all wailing about the modern male’s perceived lack of virility.
On one hand, they’re not entirely off base. Research has shown men’s sperm counts have dropped significantly over the years. One landmark meta-analysis published in 2023 found that between 1973 and 2018, sperm concentration had declined by 51.6% and total sperm count had declined by 62.3%.
“Researchers think it’s likely driven by a combination of modern lifestyle factors, like the obesity epidemic, poor sleep, smoking, stress, steroid use, and a number of environmental factors like air pollution,” says Dr Sevann Helo, urologist and fertility expert at the Mayo Clinic.
While the overall message about declining fertility rates may be correct, “how people are being taken advantage of online is a problem,” says Dr Justin Dubin, board certified urologist and director of men’s sexual health at the Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute and Baptist Health Medical Group.
Too often, he says, online figures will take a kernel of truth and twist it to sell products or make outrageous claims for clicks, resulting in a vast amount of online misinformation about men’s health.
“There is a lot of snake oil now in the sperm business,” says Lauren Silva Laughlin, founder and CEO of the sperm donor platform Batch Global, which also runs the website spermaxxing.com – a platform where men can input their information to get a rough estimate of what they could expect to be paid for their sperm on Batch.
Laughlin says that while people may roll their eyes at terms like “spermmaxxing”, the increased focus on men’s reproductive health is good for men and women.
“Fertility has always been coded as a women’s issue, and women have always shouldered the responsibility, shame and frustration” she says, adding that she doesn’t want to shift shame on to men. “Why can’t we have the same conversation with men that we do with women, and tell them, ‘your body is valuable, and we value your fertility, autonomy and sexual health’?”
What are signs of reproductive health problems?
Given all this sperm-related brouhaha, how can someone know if their swimmers are in good shape?
“Semen analysis is the gold standard for diagnosing fertility issues,” says Helo. This involves getting your semen tested at a fertility clinic, and can provide information about the quantity and quality of your sperm. But if you aren’t looking to get tested quite yet, Helo says sexual function is the “easiest everyday window” into how well the testicles are functioning.
“One thing we always look at is your ability to achieve an erection,” says Dubin. Spontaneous, nocturnal and morning erections are all good signs of sexual health.
By contrast, erectile dysfunction can signal trouble not just for sexual health, but for overall health. In order to get a good erection, Dubin says, you need five things: good blood flow, good levels of testosterone, healthy nerves, arousal and manageable stress levels. This means that having trouble getting erections could point to anything from fertility issues, to high blood pressure, to depression.
“We call [erectile dysfunction] the canary in the coalmine [of men’s health],” Dubin says.
Besides that, Helo says problems she encounters in her clinic include testicular pain and swelling, which can be a sign of varicocele, an enlargement of the veins in the scrotum, and low testosterone, which can result in symptoms such as weight gain and fatigue.
Not being able to conceive after six to 12 months of trying can also be a fertility red flag, experts say.
What are common misconceptions about male fertility?
There is an overwhelming amount of misinformation online about men’s health. In 2023, Dubin published a paper which showed that while men’s health content was popular on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, the vast majority of it was not accurate.
“Truly all of it was bad information,” he says.
Instead, here is the current scientific consensus:
Male fertility does change with age. “While men remain fertile longer than women on average, sperm quality declines with age,” says Helo, who notes that older parental age is associated with lower fertility as well as a higher risk for certain adverse pregnancy and child health outcomes.
Sperm retention does not improve fertility. Although it’s a wildly popular topic online, there is no evidence to suggest that semen retention – intentionally avoiding ejaculation for a period of time – has any fertility benefits. In fact, it could do more harm than good.
“You’ve got to keep clearing the pipes,” says Dubin. “Stagnant sperm is not good sperm.”
For men with relatively normal sperm counts who are trying to conceive, Helo says she usually suggests they have sex daily for four to five days leading up to ovulation, and then one to two days after.
Taking testosterone does not improve fertility. While testosterone and fertility are closely linked, the relationship between the two is complicated, and having low testosterone doesn’t necessarily mean a man will be infertile.
“Social media and wellness clinics often blur the distinction between testosterone medication and fertility,” says Helo. Testosterone therapy can actually shut down sperm production, and in very rare cases, it can stop it permanently.
For men with truly low testosterone levels, there are some medication alternatives that don’t negatively affect sperm production, Helo says. “That’s why it’s important to partner with a provider who’s familiar with fertility,” she says.
How can one improve the quantity and quality of their sperm?
When it comes to fertility, men can make changes, Dubin says: “You can really change your fertility by lifestyle metrics.” A sperm lifecycle lasts three months, he says, which means that every three months, people with sperm have “a wonderful opportunity to improve [their] fertility”.
Avoid wet heat. Steer clear of hot tubs, saunas, hot yoga or hot laptops on your lap – anything that could “cook your sperm”, as Dubin puts it.
“Your testicles are outside of your body for a reason,” Dubin says. “They want to be two to three degrees cooler than the rest of your body.”
Prioritize good sleep. Testosterone levels during REM sleep, Dubin explains.
Eat well. The Mediterranean diet has the strongest evidence for improving sperm, Helo says. But generally decreasing the amount of processed foods one consumes and increasing the amount of whole foods, fruits and vegetables can also help.
Lift weights. All kinds of exercise can be beneficial for one’s health, but resistance training in particular “really increases your testosterone”, Dubin says.
