How to Increase Sperm Motility Naturally?

Spermatozoa will become motile cells after passage through epididymis. And when it comes to the issue of fertility in men, sperm motility plays a key role in affecting the chance of conceiving a female egg. In other words, abnormally-motile sperm is very poor in penetrating into the female fallopian tube to fertilize the egg. While many times the poor sperm motility requires medical intervention, there are also some options to boost and increase it naturally.

What is sperm motility?

In general, it refers to the ability of male sperm to swim and move forward into the female reproductive system in order to reach an area called fallopian tube (the place where an egg waiting for fertilization).

To increase the chance of successfully penetrating into fallopian tube, at least 50 % of sperms should swim normally. If you have more than 50 % of your sperms is poor in movement, this can significantly reduce your chance of getting your partner pregnant [1].

The following are some common problems associated with how well the sperm moves and penetrates into the fallopian tubes:

1. Poor sperm count. If there are fewer sperms in the semen, this can reduce the chance of getting some that move normally.
2. The abnormality in the movement. Sperm can move, but with the wrong way or slower than normal.

What is considered low sperm motility?

Semen analysis is a crucial procedure in examining and analyzing the sperm quality (both for sperm count and motility). This procedure is also needed to analyze the sperm morphology (the size and shape of sperm).

In general, the evaluation of the sperm movement is categorized into 3 major groups; non-progressively motile, progressively motile, and non-motile [2].

A non-progressively motile means sperm can swim, but it moves with an abnormal path. And for progressively motile, sperm can swim and in in the right way – it swims forward.

There are some different methods to analyze the quality of sperm movement. One of practical option is with manual analysis. With this method, an experienced evaluator can closely analyze the sperm quality with minimal requirement. Unfortunately, the manual technique is subjective nature.

The analysis with computer-aided method may be relatively better. In this method, the system can obtain a picture in essentially the same manner as interpreted for the movement of sperm in the track motility technique (another method used to analyze the sperm quality).

In general, sperm motility is considered low or poor when there are no more than 40 percent of sperms that can swim progressively and normally in a semen analysis [3].

How to boost and increase the motility of sperm naturally?

Though many times sperm motility often involves a medical intervention, but there are also some helpful natural remedies to improve the problem naturally. The following are some helpful tips.

Get plenty of essential nutrients for your most fertile stage!

Some essential nutrients (particularly vitamins and antioxidants) can play a key role. And when it comes to improving the male sperm motility – vitamin B 12, vitamin C, vitamin, E, zinc, selenium, and folic acid are some common essential nutrients you need to prioritize in your diet.

For in-depth information about the role of zinc and folic acid in improving the male sperm quality, visit this section!

Keep your testicles as comfortable as possible!

Extreme pressure and heat that affect the testicles can be bad for male fertility.

For instance, prolonged bicycling can cause overheating on the testicles, and this is not good for fertility in men – many studies have confirmed this issue [4].

Testicles are one of the most crucial parts of male reproductive system in producing sperm. So, it is very important to keep them as comfortable as possible.

Do the intercourse effectively!

Some couples believe that more episodes of intercourse that they can do, the greater chance of getting a pregnancy.

There is nothing wrong with this perception, but if you do it too over – this can be counterproductive. Too much intercourse can reduce the quality of male sperm, including the sperm motility.

It is more recommended to do the intercourse every 2-3 days to allow the male reproductive system produce a better sperm. But in the days of ovulation that typically last 2-4 days, you can do it every day [5].

Additionally, while too much intercourse can affect the quality of sperm, long periods of inactivity of intercourse can decrease the motility. But this is usually temporary – the problem usually improves on its own in the next following ejaculate [1].