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Andrew wee's avatar

Thanks for sharing this. Beyond the personal benefits, I believe that there could be an impact on fertility. Given that wearing briefs can affect sperm count, I'm thinking that warm jacuzzis, saunas, coupled with sub-10 deg C cold plunges would have an impact. Would be interesting to see what the scientific research shows, especially if the user is also trying for kids!

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Shantanu's avatar

Here is what I gathered from initial research -

1. Men trying to conceive should avoid regular saunas and prolonged heat exposure — that’s one of the few well-established lifestyle risks to fertility.

2. Cold exposure might help in heat-related male infertility (not a magic fix, though).

3. Women can likely use sauna or cold in moderation without issue, but extreme or chronic thermal stress should be avoided during sensitive windows.

So yes — your instincts are right. If you’re trying for kids, it’s worth being strategic about heat and cold exposure. There’s still a lot to be studied in this area, especially around contrast therapy, but we already know enough to proceed with awareness.

Alternatively, have a look at this clip from Hubberman Lab (his POV is that cold is good for both men & women)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3_QBBcfYDk

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