Could Your Workout Recovery Routine Impact Your Fertility?

You Should Know: Saunas and cold plunges have cemented their place in workout recovery routines, but more recently, they’ve joined the testosterone-optimization toolkit. Proponents on social media promise higher T and healthier sperm, and you may have even heard that either tactic could increase your chances of becoming a parent.

Going Deeper: Testosterone and fertility aren’t the same thing, and heat and cold can affect the two differently. While studies generally find little change in testosterone, regular sauna use has been linked to temporary declines in sperm count. Research also shows that exposure to high environmental heat can negatively impact sperm quality.

The evidence for cold plunging as a testosterone or fertility hack is also limited. What little research does exist on it isn’t favorable: some small studies have found that whole-body cryotherapy and cold-water immersion can lower or blunt testosterone responses after exercise, and contrast therapy produces little to no change.

Takeaway: Two things. First, testosterone isn’t a surefire proxy for fertility — higher levels of the hormone don’t automatically mean more or healthier sperm. Second, neither heat nor cold exposure has compelling evidence backing claims of increased testosterone or fertility.

Bottom Line: Enjoy the sauna or cold plunge if you like them — just don’t count on either as a fertility hack. And if you’re actively trying to conceive, you may want to reconsider frequent high-heat exposure.