Study: Intermittent Fasting Impairs Sperm, Fertility & Egg Quality

A recent study suggests that the eating pattern known as time-restricted or intermittent fasting, which restricts food consumption to specific times of the day, may have negative effects on fertility.

The research team, which was directed by the University of East Anglia (UEA), in the UK, stressed the significance of observing some of the detrimental effects on the quality of eggs and sperm after the fish resumed their normal levels of food consumption.

They went on to say that, despite the fact that the study was conducted on fish, it demonstrated the need of examining not only the effect of fasting on weight and health but also on fertility.

The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Professor at the University of East Anglia’s School of Biological Sciences, Alexei Maklakov said, “Time-restricted fasting is a popular health and fitness trend that people use to lose weight and improve their health”.

“How organisms respond to food shortages, however, can affect the quality of eggs and sperm, and such effects could potentially continue after the fasting period”, the professor added.

The researchers studied how male and female zebrafish (Danio rerio) devote resources to body maintenance against the generation and maintenance of sperm and eggs to find out what happened when individuals were exposed to food during and after a fasting period.

They also looked into the quality of the offspring.

Edward Ivimey-Cook of the University of East Anglia’s School of Biological Sciences said, “We discovered that time-restricted fasting has different effects on reproduction in males and females. When the fish resumed their normal feeding schedule, females increased the quantity of offspring they produced at the expense of egg quality, resulting in lower offspring quality. Male sperm quality has also declined”.

“These findings highlight the importance of considering not only the effect of fasting on body maintenance but also on egg and sperm production”, he added.

He further stated that more research was needed to determine how long it took for sperm and egg quality to return to normal following the fasting period.

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