The reproductologist called the types of loads dangerous for conception

Excessive physical activity can reduce the likelihood of conception in men and women, despite the health benefits of moderate activity. Maria Uskova, a reproductologist at the SM Clinic Reproductive Health Center, told Izvestia about this on July 20.

According to the expert, regular exercise usually has a positive effect on reproductive function: it helps maintain a normal weight, improves metabolism, reduces stress levels and promotes the normal functioning of the hormonal system. However, if you exercise too intensively without sufficient recovery, the load becomes an additional risk factor.

In women, excessive exercise can lead to energy deficiency, in which the body receives less energy than it expends. As a result, the production of hormones regulating the menstrual cycle decreases, ovulation is disrupted, and in some cases, menstruation stops completely. This condition is called functional hypothalamic amenorrhea.

Even if the cycle is maintained, intense exercise can affect the quality of ovulation and progesterone levels, which reduces the likelihood of normal pregnancy.

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"In men, excessive physical activity can also negatively affect reproductive function. Constant intense workouts, chronic overwork, lack of sleep and severe calorie deficit can lead to a decrease in testosterone levels. As a result, spermogram indicators deteriorate: the number of spermatozoa decreases, their mobility decreases and the number of pathological forms increases," the doctor said.

The doctor named overheating of the scrotum area during prolonged cycling and the use of anabolic steroids without specialist supervision as separate risk factors. Such drugs can suppress their own testosterone production and disrupt the process of sperm formation, and recovery after their withdrawal sometimes takes a long time.

At the same time, it is not necessary to completely abandon sports when planning pregnancy. According to the reproductologist, moderate loads are considered the most favorable: walking, swimming, yoga, Pilates, cycling without excessive exertion, moderate-intensity strength training and cardio exercises lasting 30-60 minutes several times a week.

If pregnancy does not occur during a year of regular sexual activity without contraception, and for women over 35 years of age — for six months, the specialist recommends contacting a doctor and discussing not only the examination of the reproductive system, but also the training regime, nutrition and recovery.

On July 9, Ekaterina Lisovskaya, a gynecologist at SM Clinic, said that endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological diseases in women of reproductive age and can reduce the likelihood of natural conception due to inflammatory processes, the formation of adhesions and disruption of the reproductive organs. The gynecologist noted that even mild forms of endometriosis can affect a woman's reproductive function.