- \n
- Lyles keeps red meat to a minimum. Multiple studies have associated a diet low in red meat with better sperm health.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The number of hours \u2014 up to 5 a day \u2014 that Noah Lyles trains is in the danger zone for sperm health, research says.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Lyles\u2019 nighttime snack has the equivalent of three teaspoons of sugar per serving. Studies show eating added sugar may be toxic to sperm.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Noah Lyles\u2019 diet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Lyles preps meals in advance, with a chef\u2019s help. Lean protein is on every menu: mostly chicken and turkey, not much beef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2705 Good for sperm.<\/strong> Firstly, Lyles is meal prepping. Meal prepping is associated with healthy weight and lower stress, two factors also correlated to better sperm.1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plus, his diet choices are fertility-friendly \u2014 poultry is superior to red meat when it comes to sperm health. Multiple studies have found that red meat consumption is correlated with lower sperm concentration, total count, and motility.2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Processed red meat is especially detrimental; Harvard research found that men who ate fewer than 1.5 servings of processed meat weekly had a 28% better chance of achieving pregnancy than men who ate the most processed meats.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/carnivore-diet-best-foods-for-male-fertility1715972651.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nNoah Lyles\u2019 weight workout <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Every day is leg day. Noah Lyles\u2019 weight workout includes time on the glute\/ham machine, squats, leg presses, and single-leg deadlifts, he told Men\u2019s Health<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83c\udd97 Mostly good for sperm. <\/strong>Research shows leg exercises may increase testosterone, which is essential for sperm production and sex drive.6<\/sup> Additionally, Legacy-funded research from 2023 concluded that men who frequently lifted heavy objects at work had 46% higher sperm concentrations<\/a> compared to men with jobs that don\u2019t involve heavy lifting, suggesting that some weightlifting exercise could be beneficial for sperm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But don\u2019t overdo it. Other research has found that intense weightlifting \u2014 along with long-distance running and other intense exercise \u2014 can raise stress hormones and harm fertility.7<\/sup> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Noah Lyles\u2019 training routine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Lyles will do sprinting and explosivity drills for up to 5 hours per day. To increase his quickness and strengthen his core, he also does bodyweight exercises<\/a> including planks, glute bridges, reverse lunges, drop squats, and box blasts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2757Not the best for sperm. <\/strong>Doing over 1.5 hours of vigorous cardiovascular activity per day can decrease sperm production, experts say.4<\/sup> Moderate-intensity exercise is associated with better sperm quality than any other type of exercise (or no exercise).5<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/moderate-exercise-for-sperm-health1721922824.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nNoah Lyles\u2019 favorite nighttime snack<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Lyles \u201ccan\u2019t live without\u201d Raisin Bran Crunch, he told GQ<\/em> after the Tokyo Olympics. \u201cA necessity of all necessities,\u201d he said. To deal with the restrictions on sugar placed by his trainers, the athlete satisfied his cravings with Raisin Bran. \u201cEverybody makes fun of me, because they\u2019re like, \u2018This is an old people\u2019s cereal,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cI say, \u2018But have you tried it?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u274c Bad for sperm. <\/strong>This processed food isn\u2019t as healthy as advertised. Just one cup contains 13 grams of added sugar \u2014 about three full teaspoons, one-third of the max experts say you should consume each day. (And consider: Who among us eats just one<\/em> cup of cereal?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sugar is harmful to sperm.8 <\/sup>Research has shown that sperm motility, or the sperm\u2019s ability to move or \u201cswim,\u201d is decreased in men whose diets are high in added sugars. Unfortunately for Noah Lyles\u2019 sweet tooth, oats are a better option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learn more about <\/em>sugar and sperm quality<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Noah Lyles\u2019 stress relief <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To wind down and soothe his taxed muscles and joints, Lyles will regularly soak in a hot tub. He also gets weekly massages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2705 Stress relief? Good for sperm. <\/strong>Warm baths and massages can reduce stress levels, and those with less chronic stress tend to have better sperm than those who are more stressed out.9<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u274c Hot tub soaks? Not so much<\/strong>. Hot tubs \u2014 and anything that raises testicular temps, such as saunas, tight underwear, and biking \u2014 are associated with lower sperm counts. The testes like to be cool, and they produce sperm optimally at around 93.2\u00baF (even lower than body temp).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A 2016 study found that warming the testicles by taking a hot bath for 30 minutes impaired sperm production and caused sperm cell death and damage to the DNA carried by sperm.10<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/sperm-report-sauna-1024x870.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nData from Legacy’s 2023 Sperm Report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nHow does your <\/em>sperm measure up?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you care about your diet, gains in the gym, or overall fitness, testing and storing your sperm may be a good idea. Not only is sperm quality a biomarker for your overall health, some of the habits people consider \u201chealthy\u201d \u2014 see above \u2014 can actually lower your sperm quality. What\u2019s more: For many men, making simple lifestyle changes can improve sperm quality within weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
See where you stand with a Legacy at-home test<\/a>, and consider preserving your sperm at its peak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Get started<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- 1. Widener et al. \u201cAn exploration of how meal preparation activities relate to self-rated time pressure, stress, and health in Canada: A time use approach.\u201d 2021.\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
2. Maldonado-C\u00e1rceles et al, \u201cMeat intake in relation to semen quality and reproductive hormone levels among young men in Spain.\u201d 2019.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Xia et al. \u201cMen’s meat intake and treatment outcomes among couples undergoing assisted reproduction.\u201d 2015.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Belladelli et al. \u201cMale Fertility and Physical Exercise.\u201d 2023.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. J\u00f3\u017ak\u00f3w et al, \u201cThe Impact of Intense Exercise on Semen Quality.\u201d 2017.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Jakobsson et al, \u201cEffects of Different Types of Lower Body Resistance Exercise on Upper-body Strength in Men and Women, with Special Reference to Anabolic Hormones.\u201d 2021.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. J\u00f3\u017ak\u00f3w et al, \u201cThe Impact of Intense Exercise on Semen Quality.\u201d 2017.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
8. Efrat et al, \u201cSugar Consumption Is Negatively Associated with Semen Quality.\u201d 2022.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
9. Nordkap et al, \u201cPsychological stress and testicular function: a cross-sectional study of 1,215 Danish men.\u201d 2016.<\/a>10. Rao et al.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- 1. Widener et al. \u201cAn exploration of how meal preparation activities relate to self-rated time pressure, stress, and health in Canada: A time use approach.\u201d 2021.\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n