title: The effects of three different exercise modalities on markers of male reproduction in healthy subjects: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), high-intensity continuous training (HICT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on markers of male reproduction including seminal markers of oxidative stress and inflammation as well as semen quality and sperm DNA integrity in healthy human subjects. A total of 397 healthy male volunteers were screened and 280 were randomly assigned to one of the MICT (n = 70), HICT (n = 70), HIIT (n = 70) and non-exercise (NON-EX, n = 70) groups. Subjects had inflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α), oxidants (ROS, MDA and 8-isoprostane), antioxidants (SOD, catalase and TAC), semen parameters and sperm DNA damage measured at baseline (T1), the end of week 12 (T2), the end of week 24 (T3), and 7 (T4) and 30 days (T5) after training. Chronic MICT, HICT and HIIT attenuated seminal markers of oxidative stress and inflammation with different kinetics for the three types of exercise (P < 0.05), and these changes were correlated with favorable improvements in semen quality parameters and sperm DNA integrity (P < 0.05). MICT was superior to HICT and HIIT in the improvements of markers of male reproductive function (P < 0.05). In conclusion, different exercise modalities favorably affect markers of male reproduction with different kinetics, suggesting intensity-, duration- and type-dependent adaptations to exercise training in healthy human subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports MedicineJustus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany hajizadeh.sci.phys@gmail.com behzad.hajizadeh-maleki@sport.uni-giessen.de.
authors.forename: Behzad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hajizadeh Maleki
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport InjuriesFaculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Bakhtyar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tartibian
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Reproductive HealthReproductive Epidemiology Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chehrazi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D004249:DNA Damage; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D007378:Interleukins / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D016877:Oxidants; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D007378:Interleukins; D016877:Oxidants; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004247:DNA