The ultimate macho day

A third of young men are infertile. Fifty years ago the average male sperm count was around 100 million. That figure has now halved, with most men averaging 50-60 million. So what can men do to improve fertility and provide an extra burst of energy?

7:00 Avoid overheating. To work properly, the testes need to be cooler than the rest of the body. Wearing tight jeans or underwear can cause problems as they keep the scrotum too warm.

Researchers in Milan discovered that infertility was nearly twice as common in men wearing tight underpants as in men wearing loose boxer shorts, and one-and-a-half times as common in men wearing tight trousers, including jeans, as loose trousers.

For breakfast take vitamins A, C and E and antioxidants such as selenium and zinc. Zinc is concentrated by the prostate gland and is an important ingredient of the seminal vesicle fluid which joins the semen. Its function seems to be to activate the sperm.

10:00 Think about it. Scientists in Portugal have discovered-that men who are trying to father a child can improve their chances by thinking about it. Men who wanted to be fathers were better at co-ordinating sex with their partners during peak testosterone levels than men who had no wish to conceive. High testosterone levels trigger sperm production and improve the health of sperm.

12.00
Massage your thumb. Renee Tanner of the International-Federation of Reflexologists says reflexology encourages the hormone system to work more efficiently. She recommends the following thumb exercise twice daily, with a four-hour break between each session. It stimulates the endocrine system which helps to balance the hormones.

Look at the palm of your left hand. Use the thumb of one hand to treat the thumb of the other hand. Place your right thumb on the pad of your left thumb where it meets the base of your nail. Press into the flesh and, while holding the pressure, circle on the spot three times. Repeat on the right hand.

15:00
Avoid coffee. Eat more fruit and vegetables but make sure you give them a good scrub or go organic. Scientists have found a pesticide commonly used on these foods can lower testosterone levels. The culprit is HPTE, a by-product of the chemical methoxychl which was introduced as a crop spray 30 years ago to replace DDT. Tests on rats showed testicular cells stopped producing testosterone for up to 18 hours after exposure.

18:00
Skip alcohol. Drinking enough to cause a hangover-has been found to lower testosterone levels 12 to 20 hours later by up to 20 per cent. Beer appears to be particularly toxic to the testes because it contains plant oestrogens, called phytoestrogens, from the hops.

19:00
Exercise. This is one of the best ways of lowering your stress levels and improving fertility. After exercise, the mind calms down, muscles relax and the sugars and fats mobilised into the bloodstream have been used up. In this state of relaxation, testosterone levels rise again. If you overdo it and the exercise is pushed to the point where it becomes stressful, testosterone levels fall, as in marathon runners for instance.

Try 20 minutes of brisk walking, golf, swimming or going to the gym. However, straining at heavy weights is to be avoided, as are push-ups.

20:00
Eat the food of love. Eating the right diet can help to improve fertility. The key to enhancing both desire and sexual activity is to eat foods which regulate the chemistry of the brain. Two of the most important neurotransmitters in the brain are serotonin and noradrenaline.

A glass of champagne will make you relaxed and also stimulate your partner's testosterone production. A goat's cheese starter is full of neurotransmitters and minute steak boosts tyrosine which helps the metabolism. New potatoes with butter help testosterone production, and a fresh green salad enhances vitamin C levels. End with a rich chocolate cake, topped with mood-enhancing vitamin B6-rich walnuts, for a recipe for sexual success.