After you had an orgasm, have you ever stopped to think about how long it takes for sperm to build back up after ejaculation? Your testes are small, but they work just as hard as any other organ in your body.
You produce sperm every day. Lots of it. An average set of testes produces around 1,000 sperm cells per second, which can amount to over 100 million viable sperm per day. Wild, right?
Despite that, the full sperm regeneration cycle to produce ejaculation-ready sperm takes much longer than a day. Read on to learn how long it takes for sperm to regenerate, how sperm is produced in your body, and tips to boost your sperm health for better fertility.
How long does it take for sperm to build back up after ejaculating?
On average, it takes between 64 and 74 days for the testicles to produce ejaculation-ready sperm. The length of the sperm regeneration cycle can vary from man to man and depends on many factors such as age, lifestyle, and even genetics.
How is sperm produced?
The sperm regeneration and production cycle is a complicated process called spermatogenesis, and it happens in three phases over the course of 64 to 74 days:
- The division of cells: During a complicated process, two diploid sperm cells differentiate into two haploid sperm cells that can carry genetic data.
- The maturing stage: Inside the testes, spermatids (germ cells) mature into spermatozoa (mature sperm). It takes about 30 to 40 days for the spermatozoa to mature.
- The storage: Once the sperm is mature, it moves from the testes to the epididymis for the final stage of maturing before it’s ready to be released to fertilize an egg. Epididymis is a small tube attached behind each testicle.
How much sperm does a man produce in a day?
People with testes produce around 1,500 sperm per second. That’s over 120 million sperm per day, with anywhere between 50 to 100 million of it viable sperm.
That might sound like a lot of sperm to produce, but a healthy person might release anywhere between 80 and 300 million sperm per ejaculation.
How does ejaculation affect sperm health?
There are many myths and misconceptions that surround male fertility. One common myth is that frequent ejaculation might make you less fertile because it negatively affects your sperm health.
That is simply not true–frequent ejaculation won’t make you infertile. However, ejaculation frequency does affect your sperm in a few different ways.
On average, each ejaculation will produce approximately 1.5 to 5.0 milliliters of liquid. Each milliliter may contain anywhere between 20 to 150 million sperm. Only 60% of that sperm will be viable sperm capable of fertilization.
When you ejaculate, your body doesn’t release all of the sperm that’s being stored in your body. It only releases a fraction while the rest remains safely tucked inside the epididymis.
Research shows that the sperm count does decrease with each ejaculation. But other sperm health parameters, such as sperm concentration and motility (amongst others), didn’t change even with daily ejaculation.
How do we determine sperm health?
Sperm health is determined through a semen analysis, which assesses the quantity and quality of the semen and sperm. There are multiple different variables to look at when determining how viable the sperm is, such as:
- Sperm count: How many sperm are present in a sample of semen? The higher the count, the better the chances of fertilization.
- Sperm motility: How well does the sperm move? The better motility, the better the sperm’s chances of reaching an egg.
- Sperm morphology: What’s the shape and structure of the sperm? Sperm that has a shape that’s in the normal range signals that it’s healthy and more capable of fertilizing an egg.
- Semen viscosity: What’s the thickness and consistency of the semen? The right consistency allows the sperm to move more easily.
- Semen volume: How much semen comes out with every ejaculation?
Tips on how to increase sperm count and health for fertility
If you’re on a fertility journey and are looking for ways to improve your chances, there are things you can do to help boost your sperm health.
Lead an active lifestyle
Research shows that exercise helps increase your sperm count and improve sperm motility. One study found that men who did outdoor activities or lifted weights for 3.2 hours every week had sperm counts up to 42% higher than men who didn’t exercise.
Maintain a healthy diet
What we put in our bodies also has an impact on sperm health. Research shows that consuming a balanced, healthy diet that includes plenty of fresh, unprocessed foods may have a positive effect on semen and sperm quality.
On the other hand, researchers suggest that consuming lots of saturated and trans fats through processed foods and red meat might negatively impact sperm structure.
Limit alcohol consumption
If you can, lower your alcohol intake or, better yet, quit alcohol completely. High alcohol consumption lowers semen volume during ejaculation and lowers testosterone levels, which are important for health and fertility.
Also, research shows that regular high alcohol consumption may negatively impact sperm concentration, total sperm count, and sperm morphology.
Quit smoking
Smoking is another popular poor habit that can cause many health issues, including problems with fertility. Research shows that smoking has a negative effect on sperm count, shape, and size.
Other ways to improve your chances of conception
Aside from making significant lifestyle changes to improve your chances of conception naturally, you may want to consider these practical tips as well:
Take a break between ejaculations
While we already touched on how ejaculation affects fertility and busted the myth that frequent ejaculation doesn’t negatively impact your fertility, there’s research that suggests waiting longer in between ejaculations to boost your chances of conception.
Waiting one to three days between ejaculations may lead to increased semen volume, sperm concentration, motility, and total sperm count, which can lead to higher chances of conception.
Don’t go overboard with it, though – abstaining from ejaculation for too long is not healthy, either. Studies show that the longer the sperm is stored, the higher the chances of developing DNA damage, which can lower sperm quality.
Have sex regularly during the fertile window
The thing that will make the biggest impact on your chances of conception naturally is having regular sex during the fertile window of your partner’s cycle.
Ovulation happens somewhere in the middle of the cycle and offers a fairly small window when the egg is released and viable for fertilization by sperm. You may want to ensure you have frequent intercourse before and during ovulation as sperm may live up to 3 to 5 days inside the female genital tract.
If you’re not certain about the best time to have sex, you may want to consider at-home ovulation tests that can help detect when your partner is in their fertile window.
The bottom line
Every day, your body produces around 1,500 sperm every second. However, the full sperm regeneration cycle for the sperm to fully mature is a long process and can take up to 74 days.
How long it takes for the sperm to regenerate will depend on many factors, such as age and lifestyle. You can slightly influence the health of your sperm with positive changes to your lifestyle, such as:
- Exercise more
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet
- Limit alcohol consumption
- Avoid smoking
Understanding sperm health and the regeneration cycle is important for everyone, but mostly for those who are trying to conceive. You may slightly increase your chances of conception if you take breaks between ejaculation (1-3 days), and ensure you’re having sex during your partner’s fertile window.
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