A high level of training triathletes Cycling prejudice sperm

The high intensity of training for triathletes has an impact on the quality of sperm, the 25 annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Monday 29 June). Professor Diana Vaamonde, the Medical School University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain, said that triathletes who have the training wheel had the worst sperm morphology. Professor Vaamonde team has already shown that high intensity and high volume, suspend the exercise of the year, it can negatively affect seed quality. They decided, a more profound on athletes seemed to show the biggest change - triathletes - and the correlation between the importance of training in various activities and quality of sperm. Among the three methods, cycling, activity for triathletes require training, showed a strong correlation with the quality of sperm. The wheel of the sports training required, time and kilometers, plus the quality of their semen was.

The design of this study was primarily not the scientists admit that a single factor to be isolated, for this problem, but Dr. Vaamonde is of the opinion that it should above all the irritation and compression, which by rubbing against testicular saddle, or local heat by wearing tight clothing. But also of the view that reactive oxygen species - small molecules, a natural by-product of oxygen metabolism and reaction to stress, such an extent that damage cells - and imbalances energy can play an important role in the changes of sperm, the team observed.

"The fact that this effect is greater than in other sports triathletes practice suggests that it is something to do with the amount of training they need to achieve a high level of fitness", a said Professor Vaamonde. "We believe that the effect would be the same athletes in all levels of businesses from the wheel training."

The team examined the values of sperm from 15 healthy triathletes Spanish, with an average age of 33 years. They have been competing nationally and internationally. Your training routines have been discussed, and particularly noted the date, because every week out cycling. The semen was, after three days of sexual abstinence and analysis of their form and shape.

"We found a statistically negative correlation between sperm morphology and the volume of cycling, training a week," said Professor Vaamonde. "While all triathletes have less than 10% of sperm testimony, the men of less than 4% - the share to which they are generally only significant fertility problems - have been systematically with over 300 km per week on their bikes. "

Until now, Dr. Vaamonde and his team observations, analysis of triathletes "sperm." We turn now to the analysis of chromosomes, "she says, in the hope that better understanding of the biological mechanisms leading to this problem we in the development of safeguards for these athletes."

"We believe that all factors in this sport, particularly as regards the wheel of the game on seed quality, we also believe that the normal physiological homeostasis - the body's ability to regulate their own environments - can be changed irreversibly, that is what the complexity of the "anomalies," she says.

Triathletes commitment, which may be the most demanding sports in the world with the worst "Iron Man" competition with 3800 meters of swimming, 180 km bike and run a marathon (just over 42 km). Recent research has shown that the risk of dying from a heart attack in a triathlon is almost twice as dying alone in a marathon. Dr. Vaamonde findings to a further increase of this health problem.

Scientists believe that the changes observed in May to do with energetic imbalances, evaluated in the future. Also try to observe abnormal sperm at different points in the training for a better understanding of the physiopathological process.

"Protective measures for these athletes should be developed. The mechanism leading to the creation of abnormal sperm, training, antioxidants and the modification of rules to allow recovery. Or we could preventive measures athletes by freezing sperm before the high intensity of training to start, "said Professor Vaamonde. "We believe we have discovered a serious problem, triathletes are significant amounts of training, and we hope our research may have the effect of effective treatment."