Semen Quality and Metabolic Biomarker Changes Following a 12-Week Combined Exercise Program in Healthy Adult Men
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE, cilt.15, sa.21, ss.1-24, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 15 Sayı: 21
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.3390/jcm15218415
- Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest), Scopus, Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Chemical Abstracts Core, EMBASE
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-24
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background/Objectives: Male reproductive health is increasingly considered an integrated physiological outcome influenced by lifestyle, body composition, metabolic status, and endocrine regulation. This study examined the effects of a 12-week combined exercise program on body composition, glucose metabolism, reproductive hormonal profile, and semen quality in healthy adult men. Methods: Thirty-four healthy men aged 18–24 years were included in a two-arm, parallel-group controlled intervention study and allocated to either an exercise group (n = 17) or a passive control group (n = 17). The exercise group completed a supervised combined aerobic and resistance exercise program three times per week for 12 weeks, whereas the control group maintained usual lifestyle habits and did not participate in structured exercise. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and week 12. Body composition, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, reproductive hormones, conventional semen parameters, and predefined derived semen indices were analyzed. Time × group interactions were evaluated using two-way mixed repeated-measures ANOVA. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ([NCT07778576]). Results: Significant time × group interactions were observed for BMI, body fat percentage, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR, favoring the exercise group. Total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin increased, whereas estradiol and prolactin decreased in the exercise group; follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone remained unchanged. Semen volume, sperm concentration, total motility, progressive motility, total sperm count, total motile sperm count, and progressive motile sperm count improved in the exercise group compared with the control group. No significant interactions were observed for non-progressive motility or Kruger strict morphology. Conclusions: A 12-week combined exercise program was associated with favorable metabolic, hormonal, and selected semen-quality changes in healthy adult men. Given the non-randomized design, small sample size, single semen sample at each time point, and absence of fertility endpoints, these findings should be interpreted as preliminary and hypothesis-generating rather than evidence of clinical reproductive benefit.