Lifestyle and Fertility
What actually affects fertility
Nutrition is one part of the picture. The other big drivers are:
- Smoking — has the strongest negative association with fertility of any lifestyle factor. Stopping smoking is consistently the most impactful single change anyone can make.
- Alcohol — heavy drinking reduces fertility in both partners. Most guidance suggests minimising or eliminating alcohol during the preconception window and pregnancy.
- BMI — both underweight and overweight can affect ovulation and sperm quality. Working towards a healthy BMI is often the first thing fertility clinics will discuss.
- Exercise — moderate, regular exercise is helpful. Extreme endurance training can disrupt cycles.
- Sleep — quality sleep supports hormonal regulation. Aim for 7-9 hours.
- Stress — chronic stress affects the HPA axis, which is connected to reproductive hormones. Managing stress matters.
- Heat — for male fertility specifically. Avoid frequent saunas, very hot baths, tight underwear, laptop-on-lap.
The 80/20 of lifestyle for fertility
If you do five things, prioritise:
- Don't smoke (#1 by a long way)
- Minimise alcohol
- Work towards a healthy BMI
- Sleep 7-9 hours
- Get the right preconception nutrition
How nutrition fits in
Lifestyle changes set the baseline. Preconception nutrition optimises within that baseline. BioMirco Fertility Advance and Fertility Focus are designed for this — built around the nutrients the research highlights for the 90-day preconception window.