Investigating the effects of endurance, resistance and combined training on reproductive hormones and sperm parameters of streptozotocin-nicotinamide diabetic male rats

Abstract

Purpose: Diabetes mellitus type 2 with damaging effects on reproductive hormones and sperm quality parameters can often cause infertility in men. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of endurance, resistance and concurrent training on reproductive hormones, sperm parameter in the diabetic type 2 male rats.

Methods: In this experimental study 60 Wistar rats (200 ± 50 g) were randomly assigned into 5 groups: control; diabetic; diabetic endurance training; diabetic resistance training and diabetic concurrent training. For inducing diabetes, after 12 hours of food starvation nicotinamide (120 mg/kg) and STZ (65 mg/kg) were intraperitoneally injected. Twenty-four hours after the last training session, left epididymis of the rats was examined for studying sperm parameters and blood serum samples were examined for evaluating reproductive hormones. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Turkey's Post Hoc test.

Results: Ten weeks of endurance and concurrent training induced significant decrease in the blood glucose in comparison to the diabetic group (P < 0.05). In addition, endurance, resistance and concurrent training induced significant increases in serum testosterone and LH levels in the comparison to the diabetic group (P < 0.005). In addition, sperm parameters revealed significant improvements in compared to the diabetic group (P = 0.002).

Conclusion: Endurance, resistance and combined training might improve sperm parameters, including viability and motility of sperms through increasing the serum testosterone and LH levels in rat model of diabetes mellitus type 2.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Exercise; Male infertility; Testosterone.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interestThere is no conflict of interest.

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.

Figures

Fig. 1

a. Sperms were counted through hemocytometer; b. Sperm viability were investigated through Eosin-Nigrosin staining; c. Sperm morphology were investigated through the papanicolao staining

Fig. 2

Fasting blood glucose of the training groups in the first week of training period (pre test) and after 10 weeks of the training (post test). £Significant difference when compared with pre test of control group; †significant difference when compared with post test of control group; ¥significant difference when compared with post test of diabetic group. Data reported as Mean ± SD (p < 0.05)