Run Well by Juliet McGrattan (reading books for 5 year olds .TXT) 📕

an increased blood flow to the penis and women’s genitals become engorged with blood during arousal. Remember too that conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity and type 2 diabetes are all causes of erectile dysfunction, which regular running can help to counteract. So, for a great sex life, you are well justified in spending plenty of time in your trainers!

Did you know?

People experience exercise-induced orgasms. Whilst there is little medical evidence to support the claims and poor understanding of why they happen, they seem to be more common in women and more likely during workouts that involve the deep abdominal and pelvic muscles, hence the descriptive term ‘coregasm’.

Q Will running affect my fertility and sperm count?

A Sperm-related problems are the most common cause of infertility in men. The sperm may be low in number, abnormal in shape or unable to swim effectively to reach the egg. In the majority of cases the reason for this is unexplained. Lifestyle can affect sperm quality and quantity. Excessive alcohol intake can reduce sperm quality. In overweight or obese people, losing weight can improve sperm counts. We know too that stress and poor sleep can affect sperm production, so using running to maintain good mental health could lead to an improvement. There’s strong evidence that smoking reduces sperm counts, so if running helps you to stop smoking then it’s having an indirect but significant effect on your fertility. Underlying medical causes for sperm abnormalities include testicular problems such as injury, infection and undescended testicles. Reduced sperm production can result from low testosterone levels due to testicular or pituitary gland tumours. Taking illegal drugs can also affect sperm quality.

What about the direct effect of running on sperm production and quality? A 2017 study from Iran, widely shared in the media, concluded that exercising three times per week can improve sperm quality and number, and that moderate intensity exercise showed the most benefit. There were no changes in sperm in the control group that didn’t exercise. This sounds encouraging, but it’s wise to consider the limitations of this study. People in all the exercise groups lost weight, so we don’t know whether the sperm improvements were due to weight loss or exercise. It’s also worth noting that the people in the study didn’t exercise prior to taking part, so we can’t automatically assume that current runners could improve their sperm counts by running more.

There have been studies showing that excessive exercise can reduce sperm counts. This is particularly frequent in long distance cycling, possibly due to reduced blood flow from saddle pressure and over-heating of the scrotum which may be relevant to endurance runners too. The jury is still very much out on how much of what type of exercise will have the most benefit on sperm production or whether this will actually lead to successful pregnancies. For now, it seems reasonable to say that including moderate amounts of regular running as part of a healthy lifestyle may improve – and won’t decrease – your fertility.

Did you know?

According to World Health Organisation guidelines, a normal semen sample will be at least 1.5 millilitres and contain at least 15 million sperm per millilitre with a total of 39 million per ejaculate.

Q My balls ache when I run. Why? And is it harmful?

A There are several reasons why you might get pain in your testicles when you run. The most common is that they simply object to being bounced around. If you’re wearing loose fitting boxers or sports shorts, then simply switching to something more supportive could be the answer. You could try tighter underpants or Lycra shorts (on their own or under looser ones, depending on your preference). Compression wear (super-tight clothing that aims to increase blood flow) might be the answer, but if you get any pain or numbness then it means it’s too tight. If support doesn’t solve the problem or you get pain at other times too, then make an appointment to see your GP to rule out any underlying problem such as inflammation or infection.

Have you heard of a varicocele? There’s a little network of veins next to the testicle and if blood flow backs up in these, similar to a varicose vein, then you can develop a squishy swelling called a varicocele, usually on the left testicle due to a slightly increased blood volume compared to the right testicle. They’re generally harmless, but because of the increased blood flow during running and the effects of gravity, they can ache and throb during exercise. Supportive underwear can help, but don’t self-diagnose. Any lumps or bumps in the scrotum should be checked by a doctor.

Finally, it’s possible the pain might be coming from elsewhere and is radiating to your testicles. Pain from the lower back, hernias, urinary tract or thighs can all be felt in the testicles. If in doubt, get checked out and remember that sudden and severe one-sided testicular pain could be torsion, where the testicle has twisted and blood flow is blocked. This is an emergency requiring urgent assessment.

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AT HOME

How to check your balls

Examining your testicles once a month will help you to get familiar with how they feel and ensure that you pick up any potentially harmful changes early. Remember that most lumps won’t be cancer and if testicular cancer is found early it is nearly always treatable.

Checking yourself is simple. Here’s how to do it:

1 Have a warm bath or shower so your scrotal skin is relaxed – checking while you’re in the shower is a good idea.

2 Remember, it’s normal for one testicle to be larger or hang lower than the other.

3 Standing up, cup your balls in one hand. You can use the other hand to press your penis and the top of your scrotum against your body to keep everything still.

4 Check one testicle at a time and roll the testicle between your thumb and index and middle fingers.

5 The surface should be smooth and