Carbohydrate metabolism and the semen profile: glucose, insulin, and sperm studies.

Twenty-seven men attending an infertility clinic received detailed studies of their ejaculate and carbohydrate metabolism. The latter was done using a 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test with a 100-gm glucose load and measuring both blood glucose and plasma insulin levels. There was no significant difference in either the blood glucose or the plasma insulin values between the men with normal sperm counts and those with abnormal sperm counts. These data suggest that mild subclinical states of carbohydrate abnormalities do not routinely alter male fertility.