Fertility is influenced by various factors, including age, lifestyle choices, and overall health. As both men and women age, egg and sperm quality decline, making conception more difficult. Smoking, alcohol consumption, and certain medications negatively impact fertility by disrupting hormone balance and damaging reproductive cells. Nutrition plays a crucial role in reproductive health. A well-balanced diet rich in folic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants supports egg and sperm quality, while processed foods, sugar, and transfats can hinder fertility. Maintaining adequate calorie intake is essential, as extreme dieting or calorie deficits can suppress ovulation. Exercise is beneficial when performed in moderation, as it regulates hormones and improves insulin sensitivity. However, excessive high-intensity workouts can raise cortisol levels, disrupting ovulation and sperm production. A balanced fitness routine with walking, strength training, and yoga is ideal. Body weight significantly affects fertility. Being overweight can lead to hormonal imbalances, ovulatory disorders, and poor sperm quality, while being underweight can result in irregular menstrual cycles and low estrogen levels. Maintaining a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 supports optimal fertility. By focusing on a nutrient-rich diet, moderate exercise, and a healthy weight, couples can improve their chances of conception and enhance IVF success.
If you and your partner are trying to have a baby, but find that things aren’t going your way, you are not alone. Infertility can be confusing, because there are a wide range of factors that affect it. Every couple is different and has the risk factors for infertility to varying degrees. Most commonly, couples struggle with the age factor – As we age, fertility drops in both men and women. The quality of egg and sperm cells drop, making it harder to conceive a pregnancy. There is also a clear link between smoking, consumption of alcohol and infertility. Smoking reduces a woman’s ovarian reserve and damages the cilia in the fallopian tubes that transport the egg cells from the ovaries to the uterus. Smoking also reduces sperm quality and quantity in men. Other drugs, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and anabolic steroids can also lead to infertility.
The risk factors mentioned above are obviously bad for fertility and general health. In this article, we will discuss some lesser-known risk factors for infertility that couples may have. Let’s find out how nutrition, exercise and weight management impact your fertility, and what you can alter in your lifestyle to make your IVF journey more fruitful.
Nutrition plays a crucial role in fertility for both men and women. A well-balanced diet can help regulate hormones, improve egg and sperm quality, and support a healthy reproductive system. A balanced diet must cover all essential nutrients – This includes complex carbohydrates, unsaturated fats, protein, vitamins and minerals. A diet that contains the recommended daily amounts of folic acid, vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids and isoflavones has been linked to higher fertility in women. Trans fats, sugar and highly processed foods were found to have a negative effect on female fertility. In men, studies have shown that semen quality improved with a healthy, balanced diet. Staying adequately hydrated is important too.
Being in a caloric deficit (as people do when they are trying to lose weight) is not optimal if you are trying to get pregnant. The body senses starvation and may shut off ovulation altogether to conserve energy. A calorie deficit can also lead to hormonal imbalances and irregular menstrual periods. If you are trying to get pregnant, we recommend eating slightly above maintenance calories.
If you and your partner are trying to get pregnant, eating healthy is a no-brainer. It will help you in all aspects of your health, including your fertility. We recommend that you and your partner begin taking a multi-vitamin every day to provide your body with all the micronutrients it needs. The female partner can also take a folic acid supplement, or a pre-natal multivitamin. However, do not go overboard with the vitamins – Consult your fertility specialist and take only the recommended dosage.
Regular, moderate exercise can positively impact fertility by promoting hormonal balance, aiding weight management, reducing stress, and improving overall health. Regular exercise regulates hormones like oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone and insulin. This is crucial for ovulation and sperm production. The added benefit of exercise is that it improves insulin sensitivity. This is your body’s ability to use insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. This is important because insulin is also a key component in regulating ovarian function. Exercise also improves blood circulation to the reproductive organs. Walking, lifting weights 3 times a week, yoga, pilates and swimming are all good exercise routines that can support your fertility journey.
As with most things, the key is to strike a balance. The exercise you do must be of moderate intensity, but not so intense that your body feels fatigued, starved and distressed. If you are doing very high intensity activities without fueling your body adequately, in an attempt to lose weight, your body may interpret it as a threat signal. The body begins to produce excess cortisol and shuts down non-essential operations like ovulation and sperm production. This is not desirable if you are trying to get pregnant.
According to fertility specialists, being either underweight or overweight can disrupt hormone balance, ovulation and sperm production, making it harder to conceive a child. As a woman, being overweight and having excess body fat around the abdomen is bad for fertility. The fat cells around the abdomen produce oestrogen and the excess oestrogen disrupts ovulation and the menstrual cycle. It can lead to anovulation, which is when the ovaries don’t release any egg cells. Without this, a pregnancy is impossible. Women who are overweight are also at a higher risk of developing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). This is a condition that causes hormonal imbalances and irregular periods. Women who have PCOS produce too much testosterone, insulin, luteinizing hormone and oestrogen. They also develop cysts on their ovaries. When trying to get pregnant, we recommend that women have a body mass index (BMI) in the range of 18.5 to 24.5.
Women who are underweight, or have a very low body fat percentage, may also struggle to become pregnant. Having a BMI below 18.5 puts woman at a risk of irregular periods. Sometimes the periods may even stop altogether. Women with very low body fat have low oestrogen levels. These are not optimum conditions for pregnancy. Being underweight could mean that you are under-nourished, which could affect the growth of the foetus, and result in a miscarriage.
Body weight is also a factor to consider in male fertility. Excess body fat in men can cause hormonal imbalances in the body. Overweight men tend to have low testosterone and higher than average oestrogen. This affects sperm and semen production. Having higher body fat also increases the man’s body temperature. Increased body heat in the testicles is associated with bad sperm quality and a lower sperm count. Obesity can also cause erectile dysfunction in men. High blood pressure, caused by being overweight, affects the way blood flows to the penis, making it difficult to achieve and maintain an erection.
A successful IVF cycle depends on so many factors, but as potential parents, you can move towards a better outcome by optimizing your diet, exercise routine and body weight. Here are some tips and good practices to follow:
Balanced Diet – Eat a balanced, healthy diet focused on reducing inflammation, balancing hormones and improving sperm cell and egg cell quality. Include healthy fats, lean protein, complex carbs and anti-oxidants in your diet. We recommend trying the mediterranean diet. It is also important to stay hydrated.
Foods to Avoid – Try to avoid ultra-processed foods and packaged foods with high levels of refined sugar and trans fats. These increase inflammation and spike your insulin. Avoid consuming excess caffeine and try to avoid alcohol altogether.
Moderate Intensity Exercise – Engage in moderate exercise to improve blood flow and reduce stress. Avoid over-exercising and straining the body. We recommend low-impact cardio like walking or swimming, yoga, Pilates, and light strength training. Avoid HIIT, marathon training and other high-intensity workouts while trying to get pregnant.
Maintain a Healthy Weight – Ideally, try to maintain a healthy BMI between 18.5 and 24.5. This is the optimal zone for healthy hormone levels, egg quality and embryo implantation.
Prioritize Sleep – Sleep is very important to regulate many of the processes in your body. Prioritize getting restful sleep every night. We recommend that men get about 7 hours a night, while women may need anywhere from 8 to 10 hours.
If you’re seeking expert advice on optimizing your fertility and improving IVF outcomes through nutrition, exercise, and healthy weight management, reach out to the specialists at Kauvery Hospital. With branches in Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli, and Trichy, Kauvery Hospital provides comprehensive fertility care to support your parenthood journey.
Can diet really improve IVF success rates?
Yes, a balanced diet rich in antioxidants, healthy fats, and essential nutrients can enhance egg and sperm quality, improving IVF outcomes.
How does exercise affect fertility and IVF results?
Moderate exercise helps regulate hormones, improve insulin sensitivity, and reduce stress—factors that support fertility and IVF success.
Is being overweight or underweight bad for fertility?
Yes, both extremes can disrupt hormone levels and ovulation in women and lower sperm quality in men, reducing the chances of conception.
What BMI range is best for fertility?
A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered optimal for both men and women trying to conceive, naturally or through IVF.
Are high-intensity workouts safe during IVF preparation?
No. Intense workouts may increase cortisol and disrupt ovulation. Moderate activity like walking, yoga, and light strength training is recommended.
Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai (Alwarpet & Vadapalani), Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.
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