A daily yoga routine can significantly improve sperm quality as yoga reduces oxidative stress, decreases DNA damage, and aids in maintenance of telomere lengths, shows a new study.
For men struggling with infertility, the solution could be as simple as a daily yoga routine. A new study done by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) shows that such a routine can significantly improve sperm quality. The study was published in Nature Review Urology, an international medical journal, early this year.
A major cause of defective sperm function is DNA damage. “The quality of genetic components in the sperm are vital for the birth of healthy offspring,” said Dr Rima Dada, professor in-charge of Laboratory of Molecular Reproduction and Genetics, Department of Anatomy at AIIMS.
The major cause of DNA damage is oxidative stress, where there is an imbalance between free radical levels and anti-oxygen capacity in the body. Oxidative stress can be caused by factors like environmental pollution, exposure to insecticides and pesticides, electromagnetic radiation, infection, smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity and even eating fast food. Since these factors are mostly preventable, simple modifications in lifestyle can improve the quality of DNA which can, in turn, reduce incidents of male infertility.
Performing yoga regularly reduces oxidative stress, decreases DNA damage, and aids in maintenance of telomere lengths, Dada said. The effect can be explained by the increase in levels of certain chemicals which increase neuroplasticity. “We observed a significant decline in seminal oxidative stress (within 21 days) and improvement in DNA quality (6 months). There was decrease in inflammation and normalisation in levels of sperm transcripts and maintenance of telomere length. There was reduction in severity of depression, stress and anxiety scores as well,” she said