Effect of Combined Aerobic and Resistance Exercise on Semen Quality Among Chinese College Students

NCT06867627 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: 82240107
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this randomized controlled clinical trial is to investigate the effects of moderate-intensity combined aerobic and resistance exercise on semen quality in Chinese college students. The main question is aim to explore whether moderate-intensity combined aerobic and resistance exercise can improve semen quality. Participants in the intervention group will receive moderate-intensity combined aerobic and resistance exercise three times a week for a period of 12 weeks (The time range is from March 17, 2025 to June 8, 2025. Excluding weekends, Labor Day, and the traditional Chinese Qingming Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival during that period, a total of 32 training sessions are planned). The control group are requested to maintain their normal daily activities. Both groups receive semen routine and serum sex hormones testing before and after the intervention. Researchers will compare the change in semen routine parameters from baseline to post-intervention at 12 weeks between the intervention and control groups.

Conditions

Semen Quality

Keywords

Semen quality; Combined aerobic and resistance exercise; Moderate-intensity

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Sperm progressive motility

  Sperm progressive motility and sperm concentration are two major parameters for evaluating semen quality and infertility in males. In the previous one-year prospective intensive follow-up study, basically no sperm concentration among college students was below the WHO standard. In addition, sperm progressive motility is more stable and less susceptible to time and seasonal influences than other semen parameters. Therefore, investigators chose sperm progressive motility as the primary outcome. The computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) technology is applied to measure sperm progressive motility. According to the evaluation criteria of the WHO laboratory manual for human semen testing and processing (5th edition), the sperm progressive motility is ≥ 32%.

  Baseline and 12 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Sperm concentration

  Baseline and 12 weeks

• Sperm total motility

  Baseline and 12 weeks

• Semen volume

  Baseline and 12 weeks

• Sperm count

  Baseline and 12 weeks

Other Outcomes (3)

• Testosterone

  Baseline and 12 weeks

• Follicle stimulating hormone

  Baseline and 12 weeks

• Luteinizing hormone

  Baseline and 12 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Exercise intervention group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive 12 weeks of moderate-intensity combined aerobic and resistance exercise training for 60 minutes three times per week on non-consecutive days (A total of 32 training sessions, excluding weekends, Labor Day, and the traditional Chinese Qingming Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival during that period). Aerobic exercises take the form of running and jumping rope. Resistance exercises involve different muscle groups in the upper and lower body.

Behavioral: Moderate-intensity combined aerobic and resistance exercise training

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants maintain their original physical activity and lifestyle habits.

Interventions

Moderate-intensity combined aerobic and resistance exercise training BEHAVIORAL

Training sessions begin with a 10-minute warm-up period that includes jogging and dynamic muscle stretching. This is followed by 20 minutes of running/jumping rope on the playground. Each intervention participant will wear a heart rate armband (Polar OH1, Finland) for real-time heart rate detection to maintain achievement of a predetermined target heart rate and training intensity. Then, after 10 minutes of rest adjustment and preparation, a 20-minute resistance training session will be performed, including all major muscle groups. Resistance training will start at 50% of 1RM and increases intensity by 10% after every three sessions, with two sets of repetitions and 60-90 seconds of rest between sets. By the third week, it will reach 70% of 1RM, and repeat 3 sets at 70% of 1RM starting at week 4. After the end of week 6, re-evaluate the RM every 3 weeks and repeat 3 sets at 70% of the new 1RM (i.e., starting from Week 7 and Week 10), maintaining a 60-90 second rest between each sets.

Exercise intervention group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 22 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• College student, 18 to 22 years old.
• Good health with no eating disorders, mental health disorders, chronic diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases), serious systemic illnesses, genitourinary diseases or infections.
• Assessed as "low" physical activity trajectory on the self-reported International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) over the past year.
• In the past year, sperm progressive motility of less than 32% on at least two evaluations at three-month intervals.

You may not qualify if:

• Smoking and alcohol dependence.
• Use of drugs that affect sperm production function, such as hormones and antibiotics, in the past 3 months.
• History of reproductive system surgery (e.g., cryptorchidism, postoperative varicocele).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Anhui Medical University: lead
• The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University

Hefei, Anhui, 230022, China

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Hajizadeh Maleki B, Tartibian B, Chehrazi M. Effectiveness of Exercise Training on Male Factor Infertility: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. Sports Health. 2022 Jul-Aug;14(4):508-517. doi: 10.1177/19417381211055399. Epub 2021 Nov 20.

  PMID: 34806474 BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Puyu Su, Professor

  Anhui Medical University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PhD

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 27, 2025
• First Posted: March 10, 2025
• Study Start: March 10, 2025
• Primary Completion: June 8, 2025
• Study Completion: August 1, 2025
• Last Updated: August 6, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CN (1)