Men from the Western US are the strongest swimmers, and men from that region have the highest sperm count.
Fertility company Legacy analyzed more than 20,000 semen samples from across the country and judged their quality.
A normal sperm count is considered to be between 40 and 200 million sperm per milliliter of semen. Lower amounts pose serious risks of infertility for men.
The results revealed that Wyoming men had the highest sperm quality, with 56.8 million sperm per 1 ml of semen analyzed.
They were followed by Idaho, with an average sperm count of 55.6 million per ml of semen, and Montana, with 54.4 million.
Researchers couldn’t conclusively say why these states top the list, but research has shown that there are many factors that affect sperm count, including diet, environment and lifestyle.
Men who live there can thank their state’s cooler temperatures, healthier hearts, and lower levels of toxic pollutants for their sperm-filled semen.
Rounding out the top five for highest sperm counts were Iowa (51.3 million sperm per 1 ml of semen) and Washington, DC (49.1 million).
According to the Legacy report, global sperm counts have declined dramatically, with rates falling 50 percent over the past 50 years.
As the world faces a “sperm crisis” by 2045, scientists increasingly believe that the decline in healthy sperm may be linked to increased exposure to toxic chemicals like PFAS and permanent chemicals that disrupt processes. body and have been associated with cancers and infertility.
Sperm are the male reproductive cells that are part of semen, which is a fluid produced when sperm mix with other fluids in a man’s prostate and seminal vesicles during sexual arousal.
While an insufficient amount of sperm could make it more difficult to get a couple pregnant, just because a man has a high sperm count does not mean it is healthier quality sperm.
At the bottom of the list, Mississippi had the lowest sperm count, with only 25.7 million sperm per 1 ml of semen.
The state was followed by South Carolina (28.9 million), Oklahoma (29.1 million), North Dakota (30.2 million) and Delaware (30.7 million).
Among the factors that affect sperm count, obesity is believed to be one of the most important, as men with higher body mass indexes have fewer baby producers.
Mississippi has the fourth highest obesity rate in the country and Delaware has the eighth highest rate.
Another factor: alcohol.
A study of more than 1,200 Danish men found that those who drank five servings of alcohol per week (about three beers or three glasses of wine) had lower sperm counts and quality than men who did not drink alcohol.
However, unexpectedly, Wyoming has binge drinking rates slightly above the national average of 17 percent, while Mississippi had a lower rate, according to the CDC.
Another factor that could affect sperm count is heart health. While the link is unclear, it has been noted in studies that having a bad heart can affect the number of sperm in semen, and vice versa.
One theory about the connection is that men who are generally unhealthy are more likely to have heart problems and lower sperm counts.
And an earlier analysis of heart health in each state shows a connection.
Men in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho can thank their state’s cooler temperatures, healthier hearts, and lower levels of toxic pollutants for their spunk-filled semen.
In a separate Forbes analysis Looking at state-by-state heart health, Mississippi ranked 49th among the 50 states for residents with the worst heart health, and Oklahoma ranked 43rd.
Wyoming, Montana and Idaho were among the top 20 states at No. 19, No. 13 and No. 11, respectively.
Physical activity and leading a generally healthy lifestyle also affects sperm count. In Forbes’ analysis, Mississippi had the lowest percentage of residents who exercised, while Montana had the fifth-highest number of residents who exercised.
The Legacy researchers also said that climate could affect sperm count and air quality and rising temperatures have been associated with poor sperm health.
So it makes sense, the researchers said, that several of the nation’s warmest states rank in the bottom 10 for sperm production, while colder states rank higher: Wyoming has the fourth-lowest average temperature In the USA.
A March 2024 analysis of sperm from 33,000 men found that samples produced during hot weather had a lower sperm concentration, and an April 2024 study found that men who were exposed to temperatures above 85.6 degrees Fahrenheit within three months of providing a sperm sample had a 40 percent increased risk of low sperm. sperm count.
Among states with the lowest sperm count, South Carolina had the seventh-highest summer temperature last year, averaging 91.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
Oklahoma had the sixth-hottest weather, averaging 94 degrees, according to a analysis by US News & World Report.
Mississippi ranked fifth for warmest summer temperatures in 2023 at 91 degrees.
However, when it comes to colder temperatures, Idaho and Montana ranked sixth and fourth, respectively, with an average climate in 2023 of 44 degrees.
Wyoming had the third coldest temperature at 42 degrees Fahrenheit, according to US News analysis.
Additionally, the Legacy ranking said that states with lower air quality also rank lower for sperm production, and Oklahoma was classified 42nd for worst air quality.
Experts believe that one of the main contributors to declining sperm counts are toxic chemicals known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” in the air, food, water, soil and common products Americans use. every day.
Wyoming ranked in the top five U.S. states for low levels of industrial toxins, compared to Mississippi, which ranked 36th, and South Carolina, which ranked 39th.
A 2020 study linked air pollution to lower sperm counts, as well as lower sperm concentration and motility, and a 2021 study of more than 10,000 couples found that those in the top quartile of pollution exposure of air had almost twice the risk of infertility compared to couples in the lowest quartile.
Tobacco also kills sperm, and one study found that smokers have 13 to 17 percent lower sperm density than men who don’t smoke tobacco.
Of the states with the highest smoking rates, Mississippi ranks sixth.
Legacy also proposed nature as a sperm booster. In the first of its kind, a 2021 study of 9,000 men found that those who were most exposed to nature had significantly greater semen volume, with higher sperm counts and better overall sperm quality.
Legacy CEO Khaled Kteily said of the fertility company’s analysis: “Taken from Legacy data, our ranking of the best and worst states for sperm health underscores the fact that sperm quality does not can be taken for granted; it can really vary, depending on where you are.” you live and how healthy you are.
«The environment will continue to influence sperm, and their health naturally declines with age. That’s why it’s time to save our sperm: every man should have his own sperm analyzed and consider freezing younger, healthier sperm for the future.’