The Secret to Better Sperm? It’s Probably Already on Your Schedule

It’s just like coach used to say: practice makes perfect. Recent research suggests that regular masturbation and/or sex can boost men’s fertility. Scientists in the UK examined the medical literature on how the storage of sperm can affect its quality. In studies of both humans and other animals, they found that sexual abstinence can modestly degrade the health of sperm cells. Jokes aside, the findings could improve animal breeding programs and possibly even help out male fertility clinic patients, the researchers say. “These have important implications for fertility clinics, sperm selection, captive breeding, and understanding evolved adaptations that mitigate stored-sperm deterioration,” they wrote in their paper, published Wednesday in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Men and males of many other animals store a continuous supply of mature sperm in their bodies. This strategy has clear evolutionary advantages. Some female animals, for instance, can hold onto previously deposited sperm for long periods, allowing them to delay fertilization until they have enough resources to better ensure the survival of their offspring. At the same time, many types of cells will ste