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Comment by beedeebeedee | Hacker News Reader

I wonder how much "physically demanding work" is just a surrogate for "not sitting". The article only mentions sitting once (and the press release, not at all)

> Men also reported the level of physical exertion in their current job using the following categories: light (e.g. most time spent sitting, office work)... https://academic.oup.com/humrep/advance-article/doi/10.1093/...

Sitting inherently causes the nerves and blood vessels in the groin to be impinged, so it would not be surprising if that was enough to lower the production of sperm, testosterone, etc.

It would be nice if they could control for sitting, so we could know if lifting heavy objects is causing the increase in sperm count, like the press release suggests.

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This may seem like a weird question...but what about lying down or reclining as opposed to sitting? Does it have the same disadvantages?

I'm a highly active person with regular exercise (weights, cardio, etc.) but I'm also in sedentary IT and have a setup that allows me to recline/lie down when I'm not standing.

I basically decided years ago when I started having lower back issues (despite the healthy BMI/activity level) to declare war on "sitting" and only do it when I absolutely have to (driving/social functions etc.).

Reclining/lying down while working (coupled w/ standing) at least for me eliminated all of these issues and I'm now curious if it would eliminate the sitting related sperm count issues as well.

What's your reclined setup?

I've had a really hard time finding a comfortable working position over the last 12 months due to back pain. I've tried lap desks on a recliner but they're a pain, especially when I need to get up. I'm trying to avoid the urge to get one of those monstrous, expensive, futuristic reclining workstations.

Honestly just a basic, very comfortable recliner with a lap desk. I'd say 70-80% of the time I'm at my standing desk though...and only use the recliner for when I won't need the keyboard too much because as you say the lap desk isn't that great. I leave the mouse on the recliner arm (it's wooden).

It works for me. Back pain went away in about a week.

Standing desks take some getting used to but they don't cause back pain for me. Only sitting does (prob my posture or something but oh well)

Also sitting for long periods causes the testes to get warmer, which can damage sperm.

Sure it is. All health outcomes are made up of many causal components with their own coefficient.

Additionally, "physically demanding work" is also a proxy for "low probability of obesity".

> "physically demanding work" is also a proxy for "low probability of obesity".

Me: <laughs in British builders>

This comment was written by someone who was never at a construction site.

I worked in manual labor for 6 years to get myself through college. What is your experience?

Besides, just seek out the data instead of spouting glib anecdotes

As someone from the USA who really only sees road crews from time to time, is the prevalence of obesity in construction really that high? What kinds of construction. I imagine you couldn't replace residential roofs if you were too large, forever if your job consisted of mostly ground based walking tasks like... I have no idea. But maybe some types of construction have more obese than others.

I haven't known many workers in that trade but all my experience is with thin and deceptively strong men who look permanently beat up from years of labor and small accumulated accidents.

>Sitting inherently causes the nerves and blood vessels in the groin to be impinged

Anyone have a good reco for a chair that doesn't do this? Does it have a hole in the middle or something?

Yes there's one chair James Bond uses in Casino Royale which is like what you're describing.

I feel like there was plenty of impingement though.

The impingement service was an after market addon.

Physically demanding work helps the body take out the trash. That's likely a factor.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25427090

I specifically have an air cooled chair that keeps my testes at a much lower temperature. I've also rigged a thermocouple harness to monitor temps from time to time as well. It's probably the best way to produce healthy / plentiful sperm if you have to spend hours sitting for work.

I just pictured a dude sitting on a chair, working, wires going to his testicles and a monitor on a side displaying a temperature chart and beeping regularly (for some reason).

Or you could just stand up?

Perhaps it is not even the lifting, but the psychological effect of doing "manly" things.

i didn't read the report, but if they had controlled for obesity, would the results be the same?

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