👋 Hey. Welcome to issue #177 of The Everyday Athlete Newsletter.
Here are my 3 favourite ideas, learns and resources to help you improve your performance this week (4 min read):
🧊 Do we really need to ice our balls in the sauna?
The year is 2025. You walk into your local sauna house. And - this may surprise you - a strange, pale man has an ice pack on his balls.
A surge of empathy and vicarious pain floods your body. Ouchy. This poor fella has been kicked in the nuts, you think.
Not so.
It’s Bryan Johnson. Extreme longevity experimenter.
And he’s icing his nuts to prevent his fertility markers tanking from frequent sauna use.
See, spermies don’t like sauna.
In fact, regular heat exposure to the boys has been shown to:
- 🎣 ↓ Lower sperm count
- 🏊 ↓ Lower motility (how well they swim)
- 🧬 ↑ More DNA fragmentation (in some cases)
And why it’s recommended that guys avoid the sauna 2-3 months before and during baby-making efforts.
Anyway, Bryan Johnson found frequent sauna use was one of the most beneficial protocols he started in 2025 for his health markers. No surprises there.
Yet it also tanked his fertility markers. Again, no surprise.
But when he started icing the boys in the sauna, his fertility markers rocketed. Interesting.
I thought: “can’t you just have a few months out of the sauna if you’re trynna conceive..."
Then I read this excerpt from his findings:
"Men should care about preserving fertility markers even when they are not trying to conceive. Sperm quality is tightly coupled to testicular function, which governs testosterone production, metabolic health, and long term endocrine stability. When fertility parameters decline, the same upstream dysfunction often drives lower testosterone, higher inflammation, and increased cardiometabolic risk."
My immediate reaction was to start an underwear company with a front pocket for a little (or big) ice pack.
TestiCools™.
Already exists btw (Snowballs - also great name).
Because maybe icing the boys isn’t just a practice for guys trying to conceive. But every guy who uses a sauna.
But the more I looked into the statement, the more nuance I realised it needs.
And my read of it all is this...
Sperm quality is usually a signal of male health. Not a controller of it.
When sperm quality is low because the body is unhealthy (poor sleep, obesity, inflammation, hormone issues), it often shows up alongside low testosterone and higher disease risk.
So a drop in sperm quality doesn’t always mean something is wrong. It’s just an indicator that it might be.
And sauna lowers sperm by heat, not by breaking the system.
So why would someone as smart as BJ, with a team of scientists, have this view?
I think he’s just playing it ultra-safe.
If a marker is ever linked to a health risk, he tries to keep it perfect all the time. Even if it's not actually harmful (outside of conception).
My take:
Unless you’re actively trying to conceive, you probably don’t need an ice pack on your balls in the sauna.
So (at this stage), I won't be buying any Snowballs.
His results are a good read if you’re interested.
🧑🎄 One of the great gifts to come out of Christmas 2025
We've been frothing these Mingle 30-minute meal blends.
They’re sachets of seasoning for specific meals.
Chow mein. Chilli con carne. Butter chicken. Etc.
Each has a simple recipe on the back.
And they're:
- 🤤 Delicious
- 🧑🍳 Easy to prep/cook
- 🧅 Simple ingredients
- 🍗 High protein
- 🥦 High fibre
- 🌱 No crap in them (Mingle brand only do natural ingredients, yew)
- ⏰ Done in less than 30 mins
You could literally:
- Pick 5 blends for the week
- Write your shopping list from them
- Do a shop
- And have 5 different yum + quality meals sorted for your weekdays
- All without having to open your brain
We’re a bit lazier.
Night of, we just pick one we’ve got most of the ingredients for (and, if needed, make some simple ingredient subs based on what’s in the fridge).
Best part is: zero mental effort + great meal variety.
They also serve 4, so great for families. Or plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day.
Few dollars each.
Great system.
Thanks to FB for the gift 🤘
🏃 Study: heat changes how we burn fuel
This study found hot conditions make refuelling harder.
Participants did 100-minute runs in either warm or hot conditions.
They found carbs depleted quicker in the heat.
The takeaway:
- ⛽️ We’ll need more fuel in the heat (if the guts can handle it)
- 🧊 Try stay cool (see magic portals to cooling the body from newsletter 14)
In the heat: more fuel + more cool.
Go well.
If curious, here's how we can work together:
- 💪 Adaptive Vitality Program: This is my 1-1 online coaching program. If you want to work closely with me to build lifelong health, watch the video here and follow the instructions
- 🗓️ Lean & Lively 21 Day Sprint: A self-led program using all the proven systems from Adaptive Vitality to give you the momentum to get back on track in just a few focused weeks
- 📞 1-1 consult (60 mins): A one-off deep dive with me. Ask anything. We’ll unpack your situation and walk away knowing exactly what you need to do next
That's it!
Have a great weekend 🤙
Matt
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The Everyday Athlete Newsletter is not a licensed health service nor a substitute for professional health advice, treatment or assessment. The information shared in this email is general and written for a specific audience. If you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional.
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