The leader of America’s Paris 2024 swim team may look like a Greek god with a sleeve tattoo. But is his sperm Olympic quality? Lifestyle, including diet, sleep, and exercise, can significantly impact sperm health. Let’s take a look at Caeleb Dressel’s daily routine, from his meal schedule to his training, and explore what’s positive (or negative) for sperm health.
Key takeaways
- Dressel’s typical breakfast is oatmeal with honey, and he refuels with chocolate milk. While whole grains are associated with better sperm health, all that added sugar may be detrimental.
- He’ll spend up to six hours a day in the pool — plus a weight workout. Moderate physical activity is good for fertility, but super intense exercise can actually stress out the body and impair sperm production.
- Dressel makes sure to get eight-and-a-half hours of sleep a night, which is perfect — 7–9 hours is ideal for sperm health.
Caeleb Dressel’s typical breakfast
Before heading out for the first of two daily swim practices, Dressel opts for a light, carb-focused breakfast for energy: Usually a piece of toast, a bagel, or oatmeal with honey.
✅Good for sperm. Studies show that eating nutrient-rich whole grains like oats is associated with better sperm health.1
There’s even some evidence that honey may improve sperm count and quality. Specifically, one small study looked at tualang honey, a raw honey from the giant honey bee native to Southeast Asia.2 The researchers found that men who supplemented their diet with tualang honey saw significant improvements to sperm concentration, motility (sperm’s ability to swim), and morphology (the percentage of sperm that are the proper size and shape).
Caeleb Dressel’s workout regimen
Dressel’s multiple world and Olympic records didn’t come out of nowhere. He’ll spend up to six hours a day in the pool and hit the weight room.
“Everything I do in the gym translates to being a better swimmer,” Dressel told Men’s Health. “My lifting routine is designed to develop and maintain explosive strength off the block, so it mainly includes cleans, power cleans, jerks and snatches. I’ll usually end my power days with some box jumps and medicine ball throws to help build up my burst as well.” He can snatch 198 pounds and squat 385.
❗Not the best for sperm. Studies have found that moderate exercise is best for sperm health. Intense exercisers — like marathoners and weightlifters — tend to have lower semen parameters.3
Intense exercise releases stress hormones like cortisol, which might impact sperm production and quality. Researchers theorize that an increase in cortisol can result in a decrease in other hormones, like testosterone, that are involved in sperm production.
Caeleb Dressel’s post-workout boost
After practice, Dressel refuels with a protein bar or chocolate milk.
❌Bad for sperm. There is some evidence that milk is a great recovery fuel after a workout, since it hydrates and delivers a balanced ratio of carbohydrates and protein.4
However, chocolate milk delivers a whopping 24g of sugar in just one 8-ounce glass. If you’re a vigorous athlete, your muscles may benefit from the glycogen sugar provides. The rest of us, take note: Regularly consuming sugar-sweetened beverages has been correlated with lower sperm health.5
Learn more about sugar and sperm health.
Caeleb Dressel’s typical dinner
After a four-hour afternoon practice, Dressel’s priority is to “get food as fast as I can.” His favorite dinner? “I love meatloaf so much,” he said. He’s also posted a photo on Instagram of him and his wife devouring chicken wings.
❌ Bad for sperm. Red meat and fried foods aren’t good for sperm.1 Dressel — who burns thousands of calories a day — can handle meatloaf and wings, but options like seafood or grilled chicken are more likely to improve fertility.
Caeleb Dressel’s nighttime routine
The pressure to succeed led Dressel to experience anxiety and depression, causing an eight-month break from swimming in 2022. Now, to manage those issues, he has daily rituals that focus on mental health.
He writes in two journals — one about his swim practice, one personal — then powers down his devices and relaxes for an hour before bed. Every night, he focuses on getting 8½ hours of sleep.
“I know this stuff really does sound stupid, but this is one of the reasons why I think I’ve seen some success in this sport—the tiny little habits,” he told GQ. “I really consider being successful in this sport as just dropping pennies in the bank. And that’s what I’m doing every day when I do these stupid, mundane little tasks.”
✅Good for sperm. Both stress and poor sleep can contribute to unhealthy sperm. Anything you can do to relax and enable 7–9 hours of quality sleep will benefit sperm health.
A 2017 study, for example, found that later bedtimes and lower sleep durations were correlated with significantly lower sperm counts and sperm motility.6 Why? The men who slept less and went to bed later were more likely to have dysfunctional immune proteins that mistakenly attacked their sperm, known as antisperm antibodies.
Learn more about sleep and sperm health.
How does your sperm measure up?
If you care about your diet, gains in the gym, or overall fitness, testing and storing your sperm may be a good idea. Not only is sperm quality a biomarker for your overall health, some of the habits people consider “healthy” — see above — can actually lower your sperm quality. What’s more: For many men, making simple lifestyle changes can improve sperm quality within weeks.
See where you stand with a Legacy at-home test, and consider preserving your sperm at its peak.
References
- 1. Cao et al, “The effect of healthy dietary patterns on male semen quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” 2022.
- 2. Ismail et al, “Comparison on the Effects and Safety of Tualang Honey and Tribestan in Sperm Parameters, Erectile Function, and Hormonal Profiles among Oligospermic Males.” 2014.
- 3. Jóźków et al, “The Impact of Intense Exercise on Semen Quality.” 2017.
- 4. Seery et al, “A metered intake of milk following exercise and thermal dehydration restores whole-body net fluid balance better than a carbohydrate–electrolyte solution or water in healthy young men.” 2016.
- 5. Meldgaard et al, “Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened or Artificially Sweetened Beverages and Semen Quality in Young Men: A Cross-Sectional Study.” 2022.
- 6. Liu et al, “Sleep Deprivation and Late Bedtime Impair Sperm Health Through Increasing Antisperm Antibody Production: A Prospective Study of 981 Healthy Men.” 2017.
