Traditional practice of yoga has positive effects on sperm quality, and its benefits can be correlated with physical and chemical changes in the DNA, without changing the sequencing, in the sperm, according to a pilot study by Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
While an unhealthy lifestyle and social habits are known to have adverse effects on the sperm, resulting in a decline in male reproductive health in recent years, collaborative effort from scientists and doctors in these institutions has shown that Yoga Based Lifestyle Interventions (YBLI) improves sperm motility.
The study published in ‘Andrologia’ journal, offers a first-of-its-kind analysis of the effect of YBLI in infertile men and shows reduction in seminal oxidative stress and increases fertilising potential of sperm following practice of yoga.
YBLI, in this study, included physical movements and postures ( asanas ), breathing techniques ( pranayama ) and meditation ( dhyana ) practised for an hour each day for 21 days. This led to improved sperm quality in the patients enrolled in the study. Using state-of-the-art DNA sequencing analysis, the study has demonstrated a resetting of the sperm ‘methylome’ -pattern of chemical changes called DNA methylation, in the yoga practitioners.
Methylome, known to directly control the expression of genes, in this case is found to be associated with changes in nearly 400 genes, including several genes known to play a role in male fertility, spermatogenesis and embryo implantation.
It is because unlike DNA sequence, which an individual is born with, genetic systems can have changes influenced by environmental factors and these are reversible as shown here. “Since this pilot study was carried out on a small number of individuals, a larger scale investigation and further research on the effects of YBLI on male infertility will be necessary. The genes identified in this study will be useful for such focused investigations,” said CCMB Director Rakesh Mishra.
