How long does it take for men to regenerate sperm?
Sperm are produced in a man's body every day, but a full cycle of spermatogenesis takes about 64 days.
According to Dr. Ngo Dinh Trieu Vy, Reproductive Support Center of Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, spermatogenesis is the entire process of sperm production and functional maturation. This process is frequent and continues until the end of life.
The male testicular "factory" produces several million sperm a day, which means about 1,500 sperm are born every second. So at the end of a full production cycle, by the end of the cycle, a man's body can regenerate up to 8 billion sperm.
Each milliliter of semen released during ejaculation contains 20-300 million sperm cells. Therefore, the reproduction of such a large number is necessary to ensure that there is an abundant supply of new sperm, serving well for the conception process.
A regeneration cycle usually lasts 72 days on average, consisting of 3 phases. First, mitotic spermatozoa bearing diploid chromosome sets meiosis to form spermatozoa with haploid chromosome sets, capable of carrying genetic data. Next, spermatozoa will enter the stage of differentiation to become mature sperm in the testes, especially in the seminiferous tubules. Mature sperm will enter the "spermification" stage at the epididymis to acquire the ability to swim.
Mature sperm has a head containing genetic genes and a tail to move and swim easily through a woman's vagina, uterus and fallopian tubes to fertilize. Sperm after production will move into the epididymis (a tube connected to the testicle to store sperm). The epididymis is responsible for storing sperm until ejaculation.
The process of spermatogenesis will continuously fill the epididymis with new sperm. Therefore, the longer a man does not ejaculate, the more sperm will accumulate and the higher the sperm count in one ejaculation.
The healthier the sperm, the higher the chances of conception. In addition to the quantity, the quality of sperm is assessed by 2 factors: motility and morphology.
Motility is the movement of sperm. Sperm motility is measured by the number of motile sperm. A man is considered fertile when he has at least 40% motile sperm. Morphology, i.e. the normal sperm shape must have a long tail and an oval head. A higher number of normal-shaped sperm means a higher chance of conceiving.
The healthier the sperm, the higher the chances of conception. Photo: Freepik
According to Dr. Ngo Dinh Trieu Vy, men can improve sperm health in many ways.
Exercise regularly : A 2014 study that analyzed 433 semen samples from 231 participants found that the men regularly participated in outdoor activities or lifted weights for about 3.2 hours. per week had a 42% increase in sperm count, higher than that of men who did not exercise.
Get enough vitamins C and D for the body : A 2016 study of 200 men found that those who lost weight and supplemented with 1,000 mg of vitamin C per day had an increase in sperm count and motility. . Another 2015 study of 102 couples also found that men with normal levels of vitamin D in their blood samples had a higher pregnancy rate than the wives of men with vitamin D deficiency. , although there were no significant differences in sperm count or motility.
Get enough Lycopene : A 2014 study found that consuming 4-8mg of lycopene per day can help increase sperm count and viability, or the number of live sperm in a given semen sample. Lycopene is an antioxidant found in many fruits and vegetables.
Limit or quit smoking : In 2015, a review of 33 studies dating back to 1982 found that smoking had a marked effect on semen quality and sperm function , especially in young women. Men with normal fertility.
Limit alcohol : A few more studies conducted on 1,221 men showed that the more alcohol a person drank, the more likely they were to produce abnormally shaped sperm. In addition, the researchers also pointed out that drinking alcohol with low testosterone levels can affect fertility.
Wear loose, airy underwear and clothing : The testicles need to maintain a temperature of 35-37 degrees Celsius, cooler than body temperature. These are the optimal environmental conditions for sperm production. Wearing tight underwear or jeans or other tight clothing will squeeze the testicles into the body and increase their temperature, causing sperm to lose motility and viability.