How to increase semen volume

Wondering how to increase semen volume when you orgasm? There’s no magic pill you can take, but some lifestyle changes and sexual techniques may help. It’s also worth understanding what’s behind any changes in semen volume — especially if your volume is genuinely lower than normal, rather than just lower than what’s often depicted in pornography.

Read on to learn about how to produce more semen, the causes of low semen volume, and more.

Here are four ways you can potentially increase semen volume, some of which are backed by research.

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1. Abstain from ejaculating

Frequent masturbation and sex can reduce the volume of your ejaculation. If you hold off for a few days, chances are your semen volume will increase. One study found that for the first four days after ejaculation, semen volume increases by about 12% each day you don’t ejaculate. 

2. Stop smoking

There are many reasons to stop smoking for your health, and improving your sexual function is one of them. 

One study evaluated the ejaculation of 889 men — 522 non-smokers and 367 smokers. The study found that while smoking had no impact on sperm concentration or reproductive hormone levels, smokers had a lower semen volume than non-smokers, and the effect was more pronounced with heavier smoking. Results across studies are mixed, but smoking is consistently linked to poorer overall sexual health.

Quitting smoking may also help with erectile dysfunction.  

3. Reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption

Research suggests that drinking alcohol decreases semen volume. Especially if you’re a heavy drinker (defined as consuming seven or more drinks a week in this meta-analysis), reducing or eliminating alcohol can potentially help increase your semen volume. 

4. Maintain a healthy body weight

Research suggests that people with overweight or obesity may have reduced semen volume and semen quality. Losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight may help increase semen volume. You can do this by maintaining a calorie deficit, eating a healthy diet, and engaging in regular, moderate physical activity. 

No, there are no reliable, research-backed supplements that increase semen volume. Some supplements that have been touted as having semen-boosting properties include lecithin, zinc, vitamin D3, ashwagandha, maca, fenugreek, amino acids, and D-aspartic acid. 

You may have come across anecdotal online testimonials about these ingredients individually or combined into brand-name supplements like Semenax.

However: "There is no FDA-approved pill that can increase your ejaculate volume," says Seth Cohen, MD, MPH, a urologist with NYU Langone Health in New York City. "If a patient came to me and said they wanted to take a supplement to try it, I would say, go ahead. But if they said, 'Show me a robust, randomized, placebo-controlled trial that shows ashwagandha increases semen volume,' I would say it doesn't exist." 

Normal semen volume is at least 1.5 mL per ejaculation according to the World Health Organization criteria, with typical volumes ranging higher. Research suggests that semen volume also tends to decrease with age.

A number of things can cause changes in the volume of your ejaculate, including: 

• Age: As you age, your semen volume decreases. Dr. Cohen says this is partially due to the prostate growing and losing vascular (blood vessel) cells. 

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): When the prostate is enlarged as a result of BPH, it can cause reduced semen volume. Other symptoms include difficulty urinating, frequent or more urgent urination, or a weak stream.

• Prostatitis: Inflammation of the prostate can cause the color, consistency, and smell of semen to change.

• Dehydration: Research suggests that dehydration could be linked to lower semen volume and may also affect erectile quality.

• Frequent ejaculation: Research shows larger semen volume in men who ejaculate once a week compared with those who ejaculate two or three times a week. 

• Smoking: People who smoke cigarettes are more likely to have lower semen volume.

• Drinking alcohol: If you’re a heavy drinker, you might experience lower semen volume.  

• Ejaculatory duct obstruction: The ejaculatory duct is where semen passes through. If there is an obstruction in this duct, it can cause low semen volume. 

• Retrograde ejaculation: This condition can cause you to only ejaculate a little bit or not ejaculate at all. In retrograde ejaculation, the semen is pushed into the bladder instead of out of the penis during ejaculation. 

If you're concerned about your semen volume, a healthcare provider can take a thorough medical history, conduct a physical exam, and determine whether a health condition may be contributing. If one is identified, they can recommend a treatment plan that may also address semen volume. 

The amount of semen you ejaculate is not necessarily related to sexual performance. Here’s what the research says.

A 2018 study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine examined how ejaculation volume and intensity affect sexual pleasure and orgasm in female partners, finding that:

• Only 13% of the women considered the quantity of their partner's expelled ejaculate to be a reflection of their own sexual attractiveness.

• Only about half of women thought it was "very important" that their partner ejaculated during sex at all.

If you have a partner who also ejaculates, you might find yourself comparing semen volume. It’s worth knowing that semen volume is not a measure of sexual vitality or interest in your partner, and it’s unlikely to be something your partner is focused on.  If it is something your partner cares about, an open conversation can help set expectations and keep things in perspective.

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If you’re concerned about your semen volume, it’s worth understanding what may be causing the change before trying to address it. 

• You can potentially produce more semen by ejaculating less frequently, quitting smoking, reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption, and maintaining a healthy weight.

• Causes of low semen volume range from health conditions (such as BPH, prostatitis, or retrograde ejaculation) to lifestyle factors (such as smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, or frequent ejaculation).

• If you have low semen volume, visit a healthcare provider so they can determine if a health condition is to blame. 

• While some people online say supplements help them increase their semen volume, there’s a lack of research and no FDA-approved or research-backed quick fix.