German researchers claim heated car seats can fry dreams of fatherhood. Image: IntangibleArts/Flickr.
Evidently, car drivers of the male persuasion need to suffer through the winter months with frozen posteriors should they wish to provide healthy sperm during sex. That’s at least the view of some German researchers who believe overexposure to heated car seats can literally fry a man’s fertility.
As reported in the latest issue of New Scientist, a team of researchers working out of the University of Giessen have discovered that just one hour of rear-end contact with a heated car seat can cause a testicular temperature spike of up to 39.7 Celsius (or 103 Fahrenheit).
That figure equates to approximately four or five degrees Celsius more than the optimum temperature for healthy sperm production, which is around two degrees below the body’s core temperature of 37 C (99 F).
In order to carry out their test, the German researchers attached heat sensors to the testicles of 30 healthy (and broadminded) volunteers, who then each dumped their derrieres onto a heated car seat for a total of 90 minutes.
After one hour of warming, the test revealed the average testicular temperature to be 37.3 C (99.5 F), which is around two degrees above optimum for sperm production, while one test subject experienced a 60 minute flush of 39.7 C (103 F).
In terms of the rate of testicle warmth attributed to men who do not use heated car seat technology, the study revealed average scrotal temperature to be 36.7 C (98 F).
According to study leader Andreas Jung and his university team, only a slight increase in testicle temperature -- as shown by the research figures -- is enough to have a potentially detrimental effect on healthy sperm production.
A related AFP news agency report adds that existing research into male fertility has revealed that simply sitting in a vehicle for more than three hours, without the added warmth of a heated seat, can lead to sperm production damage.
Other contributing conditions known to negatively affect sperm production are tightly-fitted trousers and underwear, hot baths, and simply sitting in one place for a prolonged period of time.
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