Focus on the changes that matter when trying for a baby. Heracles explains sperm health, sensible habits and when to get checked.
Start with the things you can change: smoking, excessive alcohol, weight, medicines, anabolic steroids and relevant workplace exposures. These steps support general and reproductive health, while a fertility assessment looks for medical causes.
Have sex regularly, review medicines and drugs with a clinician, and arrange testing when it is due. Lifestyle changes do not replace assessment or guarantee conception.
Fertility deserves specialist understanding as well as practical advice. Heracles co-founders Professor Tet Yap and Professor Suks Minhas bring expertise in male fertility and reproductive health. Meet the Heracles clinical team.
NICE advises vaginal sexual intercourse every two to three days to optimise the chance of pregnancy. This normally covers the fertile part of the cycle without requiring exact prediction of ovulation.
Ovulation tracking can be useful for people who cannot have intercourse this frequently, but rigid scheduling may add pressure. Erectile or ejaculatory difficulty should be discussed directly because treatment or another route to conception may be available.
Smoking is associated with reduced semen quality. NICE states that the size of its effect on male fertility is uncertain, but stopping improves health regardless and reduces a preventable exposure while trying to conceive.
Evidence-based stop-smoking support is more appropriate than switching to an unregulated product or relying on willpower alone. A GP or NHS stop-smoking service can advise on behavioural support and licensed treatments.
Excessive alcohol intake is detrimental to semen quality. NICE advises that drinking within the UK Chief Medical Officers' low-risk limit of no more than 14 units a week, spread across several days, is unlikely to affect semen quality.
Fourteen units is a ceiling rather than a target. Binge drinking should be avoided. If reducing alcohol is difficult, ask a GP or alcohol service for support rather than stopping suddenly when there may be dependence.
NICE reports no consistent evidence of an association between caffeinated drinks and fertility problems. There is no fertility-specific requirement for a man to stop tea or coffee. Very high caffeine intake can still affect sleep, anxiety or other aspects of health, so general health advice remains relevant.
A BMI of 30 kg/m² or above is associated with a higher risk of reduced male fertility. Gradual, sustainable weight management supports metabolic and reproductive health; semen results still need to be assessed in context.
Use a balanced eating pattern and regular physical activity that can be maintained. Extreme restriction, dehydration and non-prescribed hormones are poor substitutes for a clinical plan. If weight, diabetes, sleep apnoea or another health condition is relevant, address it with appropriate medical support.
Tell the clinician about every prescribed medicine, over-the-counter product, supplement and recreational or performance-enhancing drug. NICE specifically identifies testosterone-replacement therapy, finasteride, GLP-1 receptor agonists, NSAIDs, anabolic steroids, cannabis and lubricants as examples that may require discussion.
The effect varies by product, dose, duration and individual circumstances. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without the prescriber. A clinician can determine whether there is a meaningful fertility concern and whether an alternative is safe.
External testosterone and anabolic steroids can suppress luteinising hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, reducing or stopping sperm production. Testosterone is not a male-fertility treatment. Recovery after anabolic-steroid or testosterone exposure is variable and may take months; specialist assessment is appropriate rather than self-treatment with hormones bought online.
Repeated, sustained heat exposure can affect semen quality. Reduce substantial exposure where practical, particularly at work. Evidence does not support cold showers or changes of underwear as a fertility treatment.
NICE notes that it is uncertain whether loose-fitting underwear improves fertility.
Some jobs involve heat, radiation, pesticides, solvents, heavy metals or other substances that may affect fertility. Do not assume exposure from a job title alone. Ask occupational health about the specific agent, measured exposure, control measures and protective equipment.
Do not leave work or alter safety equipment without professional advice. The correct response may be improved controls, temporary redeployment or confirmation that the exposure is already within a safe standard.
A varied diet that supports a healthy weight is sensible preconception care. No single food has been shown to treat male infertility.
Commercial products frequently combine antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and herbal ingredients while making broad claims about sperm. Current NICE guidance says not to offer supplements, antioxidants or medical treatments to improve sperm DNA integrity. The European Association of Urology also describes the antioxidant evidence in idiopathic male infertility as conflicting and does not recommend routine treatment.
A supplement may still cause adverse effects, interact with medicine or provide excessive doses. A confirmed nutritional deficiency should be treated for its own clinical indication, not assumed from an abnormal semen result.
| Action | Evidence-based advice | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Timing sex | Have vaginal intercourse every 2 to 3 days when trying naturally | Timing cannot overcome a significant medical fertility factor |
| Smoking | Stop smoking with appropriate support | The exact effect on an individual's fertility cannot be predicted |
| Alcohol | Do not exceed 14 units a week and spread intake across several days | Staying below the limit does not guarantee normal semen parameters |
| Weight | Use sustainable nutrition and activity to address obesity | Weight is one factor and may not be the cause of infertility |
| Medicines and drugs | Review all prescribed, non-prescribed and performance-enhancing products | Do not stop prescription treatment without the prescriber |
| Heat and clothing | Reduce repeated substantial heat exposure where practical | Evidence that loose underwear improves fertility is uncertain |
| Supplements | Treat a confirmed deficiency when clinically indicated | Routine fertility antioxidants and supplements lack conclusive benefit |
Sperm develop over a period of weeks, and semen results fluctuate naturally. NICE uses about three months as the ideal interval for confirming an abnormal analysis because this allows a cycle of sperm formation to be completed. This does not mean that every lifestyle change produces a measurable improvement in 90 days.
If the first test shows azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia, it should be repeated as soon as possible rather than delaying investigation while making lifestyle changes. The partner's age and reproductive assessment can also make waiting inappropriate.
Request assessment after one year without pregnancy during regular unprotected intercourse. Seek help at presentation if the partner trying to become pregnant is 36 or older, or if either partner has a suspected cause or fertility-risk history.
Earlier assessment is also appropriate after testicular cancer or surgery, an undescended testicle, chemotherapy or pelvic radiotherapy, loss of ejaculation, a clinically significant varicocele or substantial testosterone or anabolic-steroid exposure. If fertility-damaging medical treatment is planned, discuss sperm freezing before treatment begins.
Use our semen analysis guide to understand testing, or contact the Heracles team with a question about your next step. Heracles brings specialist men’s-health expertise to clear, practical guidance.
