Impaired testicular function contributes to around 50% of heterosexual infertility and is often characterized by a low total motile sperm count. Evidence suggests that one cause of low total motile sperm count is oxidative stress within the ejaculate, where harmful oxygen species damage the sperm. Antioxidants to combat oxidative stress within the ejaculate have been proposed as a method of increasing the total motile sperm count. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant found abundantly in cooked tomatoes and has been shown to improve testicular function in a healthy population. This double blinded randomised controlled trial aims to investigate whether lycopene can improve testicular output in participants with a low motile sperm count. Semen analysis will be carried out before and after the intervention. The intervention is a commercially available lycopene capsule or an identical placebo.~Hypothesis: Supplementation with lactolycopene will improve testicular function (semen quality) in males with low total motile sperm count (TMSC).
The goal of this clinical trial is to test whether lycopene (an antioxidant found in cooked tomatoes) will improve the number of swimming sperm in the ejaculates of men with low total motile sperm count.~Participants will take either lycopene capsules or identical capsules containing no lycopene for 12 weeks. We will analyse the quality of their semen before and after taking the capsules, and compare the results.~Hypothesis: Supplementation with lycopene will improve testicular function (semen quality) in males with low total motile sperm count (TMSC).