Red Light Improves Male Fertility
A new study has been published on the impact of PBM (red light therapy) to improve male fertility challenges. When I say red light - I’m not talking about tanning your partners testicles!
In August 2024, a study investigated the effects of near-infrared photobiomodulation (PBM) on male infertility, specifically focusing on asthenozoospermia. The study involved 70 men with asthenozoospermia and 20 men with normozoospermia, using semen samples collected from December 2023 to May 2024. The research aimed to optimize sperm motility by stimulating mitochondrial activity using an 810 nm (NIR) wavelength.
Key Protocols:
Laser Power: The samples were divided and irradiated with powers of 0.25W, 0.5W, 1W, and 2W, delivering energy densities of 15.0, 30.0, 60.0, and 120.0 J/cm², respectively.
Duration: Irradiation was performed for 60 seconds using a flat-top handpiece to ensure uniform energy distribution.
Assessment Points: Sperm motility was assessed at three time points—immediately (T0), after 30 minutes (T30), and after 60 minutes (T60).
Results:
1W and 2W were the most effective in improving sperm motility, with a significant increase of 50% compared to controls.
The enhancement in sperm motility was most pronounced immediately after treatment and maintained for up to 30 minutes.
Safety assessments showed no negative impact on sperm vitality, DNA fragmentation, or oxidative stress markers, ensuring the treatment’s safety.
This study demonstrated that PBM using an 810 nm wavelength is a promising approach for enhancing sperm motility by increasing mitochondrial energy production, with no adverse effects.
Get your Hooga Torch here and give your body the energy boost it needs to help those boys swim faster for longer!
Learn more about PBM and sperm health here.
Note:
(Unfortunately due to ethical restrictions the researchers couldn’t collect pregnancy data. However, in the sea urchin, a well-known model for studying the molecular mechanisms underlying fertilization and human embryonic development suggests an encouraging increase in sperm fertilization rates, without the occurrence of embryonic and larval anomalies.)
