Sperm production in the testes is affected by factors like temperature. Men who do little exercise and spend much of their spare time watching TV have lower sperm counts than more active men, a study suggests.
Clocking up 20 hours a week of TV time appears to be detrimental, the US authors from Harvard say in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Yet 15 hours or more of exercise a week boosts semen quality, according to the results in nearly 200 college students.
The researchers said more studies were needed to explore the possible causes.
And some experts say men wanting to conceive need to be selective about the sport they do as some types may harm sperm.
Too much time riding a bike or doing long-distance running in tight clothing may not be good, other studies suggest.
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My advice would be everything in moderation – and that includes time in the gym as well as watching TV”
Dr Allan Pacey Fertility expert
Similarly, wearing tight underwear rather than boxer shorts has been linked with lower sperm levels.
Sedentary lifestyle
In the latest study, the researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health asked 189 young men who were students at a university in New York to record how many hours they had been spending doing physical activity and watching TV in a typical week.
The volunteers, all aged between 18 and 22, were also asked to provide a sperm sample for lab analysis
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