Krithika ST and Karigar CS

Department of Biochemistry, Bangalore University, Bangalore 560056, India

*Corresponding Author: Krithika ST, Department of Biochemistry, Bangalore University, Bangalore 560056, India.

Received: March 24, 2026 Published: April 30, 2026

Abstract

As male fertility rates have declined in recent years, this study explores potential interventions to improve sperm motility. Determination of sperm motility at each time interval following nutrient introduction enabled assessment of the effect of temporary energy restriction on post-thaw motility in cryopreserved sperm samples. These observations suggest that the timing of nutrient availability plays a critical role in modulating sperm function post-thaw. The findings of this study demonstrate that TER followed by controlled nutrient introduction was associated with improved sperm motility in samples diagnosed with asthenozoospermia.

Methods: A total of 130 semen samples were assessed prior to cryopreservation. Following thawing, cryoprotectants were removed, and baseline post-thaw motility was evaluated. The samples were divided into two groups: post-thaw samples without temporary energy restriction (TER) (n = 65) and post-thaw samples subjected to TER (n = 65). The samples were subsequently exposed to GMOPS medium at a volume of 0.5 mL and incubated over defined time intervals. Sperm motility was assessed at each interval to evaluate the effect of TER on post-thaw motility. The study was conducted in accordance with ICMR guidelines.

Results: Sperm motility in the asthenozoospermic group increased following exposure to 0.5 mL of GMOPS medium across different incubation time intervals. The highest motility of 34.2% was observed at 30 minutes following TER treatment. Although motility decreased with extended incubation, the values still remained higher than those recorded immediately after media was added post-thaw.

Conclusion: Temporary energy restriction was associated with improved sperm motility, particularly at earlier time points. The findings indicate that initial nutrient deprivation followed by timed exposure to media resulted in measurable enhancement of motility. These results suggest that semen samples may benefit from this intervention prior to use in assisted reproductive procedures.

Keywords: Cryopreservation; Asthenozoospermia; Sperm Motility; Temporary Energy Restriction; Sperm Metabolism

References

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Citation

Citation: Krithika ST and Karigar CS. “Cryopreserved Human Sperm Motility Enhancement Via Temporary Energy Restriction". Acta Scientific Women's Health 8.5 (2026): 14-18.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Krithika ST and Karigar CS. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.