How to Increase Semen Volume

If Google searches are any indication, men are really concerned about the volume of their ejaculate. More to the point, they want bigger loads, and they're curious about how to achieve them. 

Of course, while that might be impressive to you, it’s no guarantee that your partner(s) will enjoy it. They might even like it less, the more ejaculate you produce. And it’s possible that your desire stems from watching porn, where actors use special tricks to increase the volume of semen they shoot out — and in some cases, the white stuff you see isn’t actual semen.

But it’s also true that it can feel very satisfying to, as they say, blow a huge load.

RELATED: How to Make Semen Taste Better

So what do you do if you feel like you’re not producing as much semen as you want? Like many aspects of sex, volume of ejaculate is something that you have some, but not total, control over.

While it’s true you may be able to achieve noticeable differences when trying to produce more sperm, shoot your ‘ropes’ further, or just increase the volume of your semen, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to completely change what your climaxes look like — especially not if you’re looking for the changes to happen overnight.

Regardless, in order to better help you understand how ejaculation works, which factors you can alter through your own actions, which you can’t, and more, AskMen spoke to a handful of experts in the field. Here’s what they had to say:

Facts About Sperm and Ejaculation

What's considered a normal amount of ejaculate? If you’ve watched a lot of porn where “shooting ropes” of cum is the norm, highlighting the actor’s ability to produce sizable ejaculations every time, the answer may surprise you.

"The typical ejaculation volume can vary between individuals from 1.5 ml to 5 ml," says Dr. Michael Reitano, physician in residence at men's health service Roman. If you’re not familiar with the metric system, “5 ml is only a teaspoon of volume.”

Yes, that same teaspoon you likely have in your utensil drawer is considered the standard amount of semen for a man’s orgasm to produce.

That said, not all men produce equal amounts, and as it turns out, there is a peak age for ejaculate volume.

“Volume is related to age, reaching a maximum in the mid-thirties and decreasing after the age of 50," continues Reitano.

But contrary to what you might think, there's actually no known health or fertility benefit to shooting a big load, so if you really do want to pursue these changes, it's going to be more about appearances and vanity than actual health – not that there's anything wrong with that!

"Ejaculate volume is generally unrelated to a man's fertility or overall health status, unless it is very low," says board certified urologist Dr. Paul Turek. "Even men who have had vasectomies have the same ejaculate volumes before and after the 'clipping.'"

RELATED: Health Risks of Chronic Masturbation

If your fertility and overall health don’t have much to do with it, what’s actually impacting your ejaculation volume?

“Semen volume has less to do with health than the size of the seminal vesicles that produce it, as these paired organs that are located behind the prostate are the main contributors to semen volume,” explains Turek. “Sperm from the vas deferens (10 percent of volume) and prostate secretions (20 percent of volume) are the other components of semen. The factors that determine the size of a man's seminal vesicles, and any ethnic variations in size that exist, are currently unknown.”

Does Semen Volume Really Matter?

According to Turek, the importance many men place on ejaculate runs deep.

"In several religions, semen is precious and can't be spilled, or constitutes a grave moral disorder to waste," he explains. "Throughout human history, this is a liquid with some serious gravitas and 'seminal' importance. It's no wonder that men get hung up on it."

But if you’re looking for why the average guy today is concerned about the size of his ejaculations, it probably has less to do with religious texts and more to do with a completely different, much more modern cultural product: internet pornography.

“Most of the guys I see are worried because they are comparing themselves to adult films,” says Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, a board certified urologic surgeon in Florida. “Adult films may make a guy believe he should have a boatload of juice come out with each ejaculate. The truth is, what you see in porn is exaggerated and made to appear larger than life thanks to camera angles and editing.”

It’s also worth noting that climaxing with a porn-sized ejaculation isn’t necessary (or useful) to helping a partner conceive.

“Men may feel that the less volume, the less fertile they are," continues Brahmbhatt. "The truth is semen is a small part of your ejaculate. You could still have millions of sperm in a low-volume ejaculate.”

RELATED: Your Semen Questions, Answered

Basically, your ejaculate volume is nothing to really be concerned about.

“Volume can vary, so don’t compare yourself with others,” he says. “Be happy with who you are and what you ejaculate. Your volume of ejaculate by no means defines who you are as a man.”

What Men Say: “When I was first dating my current girlfriend, I'd go an entire week or more without getting off because I was worried about my weak load," says Kevin, 27. "But that obviously had its drawbacks too — I'd be finished in minutes. When we finally talked about it, she told me it didn't matter to her at all. She just wanted to be able to have sex for longer. Looking back on it, I feel pretty dumb that I was concerned about it in the first place.”

What Women Say: “The fact that men think that what all women want is to be hosed down with loads of semen — to the point that we'd rather skip a few days of sex in order to have that happen — is surprising to me," says Kayla, 26. "If my boyfriend really wanted to do that to me, I'd of course be into doing it, but the idea of always waiting a handful of days just so that it can happen all the time would probably drive me crazy (and not in a good way). Everyone's different, but I really don't think any woman would say she'd rather wait three days for you to increase your reserves or whatever just to feel like a porn star for a minute.”

How to Increase Ejaculation Volume

Even with no bearing on your ability to please or impregnate a partner, you might want to increase the size of your ejaculate simply to please yourself — and that’s totally fine. To boot, ensuring you have a healthy volume can even be a means of improving your overall wellbeing.

Engaging in the below activities is, according to Dr. Koushik Shaw of the Austin Urology Institute, “advisable for health reasons, not just for seeming like a porn star in bed.”

“Being overweight and having high cholesterol has a lot of implications for how your body functions, including how you ejaculate,” he says. “In terms of sexual health, we all peak at around 18 years of age, and it’s downhill from there.”

That being said, according to the experts, that’s no reason to give up hope on keeping your levels up as you age. As Shaw puts it, we can attempt to “slow the decline and enjoy a thriving sex life late into our years.”

And how do we do just that? Let’s dive in.

Decrease Your Ejaculation Frequency

One big determinant of your semen volume is how recently you last ejaculated. While you or your partner might prefer to have more consistent sex with less semen as opposed to less sex that produces more, if you want to increase volume, ejaculating less often is one way to do it.

“The more frequently you do it, the less time you’re giving your body to refill the reserves,” says Brahmbhatt. “Giving yourself a break of a day or two can help you get back to your normal ejaculate levels.”

As well, engaging in “edging,” a sexual technique where you come close to climaxing but don’t, can lead to a bigger ejaculation when you finally do reach orgasm.

Stop Smoking

Smoking cigarettes can have a serious impact on your erection, and ejaculations aren’t immune to its effects either. 

RELATED: Never Have I Ever: Experimented With Semen Retention

If you're a smoker who's been trying to quit, here's yet another reason to do so. “Smoking is linked to almost every bad thing that can happen in your body," explains Brahmbhatt. “Some theorize smoking can inhibit your prostate’s ability to produce secretions. Others believe it’s the potential nerve damage that affects ejaculate. Regardless of whether you have problems or not, stopping smoking is good for your health."

Stay Hydrated

Considering semen is a liquid, staying hydrated can have a positive impact on your ejaculation size. 

"Like all organic matter, our bodies are primarily made up of water," says Caleb Backe, health and wellness expert at Maple Holistics.

"With that in mind, inadequate water intake can affect your entire body, including your semen. As dehydration occurs, your body begins to cleave to all the remaining water, sending it to where it’s most needed for survival. In addition to ridding the body of toxins and producing a healthier ejaculate, proper hydration will also increase how much semen you produce."

Try Kegel Exercises

While it won't increase the actual volume of your ejaculate, Kegel training can help you shoot it more robustly. "Kegel exercises can help man ejaculate their full volume of semen more effectively, though it only helps a man discharge his normal amount," says Retiano.

Shaw agrees, noting that if you’re looking to shoot your ejaculate further (whether in addition to or instead of adding volume) Kegel exercises can be particularly helpful.

“The healthy diet and lifestyle advice applies here as well,” he says about increasing your ejaculation distance. “On top of that, pelvic floor exercise and Kegels can strengthen the muscles responsible for ejaculation. That, in turn, should result in a longer distance.”

How to Increase Your Semen Volume With Diet

Foods That Impact Your Ejaculation Volume

Just as what you put in your body is what you'll get out of it, that same logic applies to your ejaculation volume. Meaning, eating a balanced, healthy diet is likely to help you in the semen volume department.

“There is evidence that a healthy diet helps maintain the volume of your load,” says Shaw. “Factors that will decrease semen volume include age and enlarged prostate, which is extremely common in men as they age, so these are connected. Any behavior that keeps you feeling young overall will do the same ‘down there.’”

RELATED: Why Men Lose Their Erections During Sex

So what foods should you target specifically if you’re serious about increasing your ejaculate? If you’re experiencing what feel like below-average loads, it could be a food issue.

"Diets deficient in zinc, selenium and fluids would be the main culprits," explains Reitano. "The keys are fluid, zinc, amino acids (especially amino acids like arginine, carnitine, lysine), lycopene, and selenium."

Some key foods have been shown to increase sperm volume, too.

"Arginine, lysine and carnitine are all needed to keep testosterone levels normal and are found in foods like oatmeal, red meat, poultry, and tuna," he continues. “Zinc is a component of semen, and with every ejaculate about 2 mgs are discharged. Among the foods rich in zinc are red meat, turkey and oysters. Lycopene is found in foods like tomatoes, peppers, and watermelon, and selenium is found in nuts."

Supplements That Impact Your Ejaculation Volume

As well as certain foods in your diet, some supplements are thought to have a positive impact on your body’s ability to produce semen. That’s in part because your body needs certain ingredients in order to produce a healthy, normal ejaculate.

"Although semen is best known for transporting the sperm, an average male ejaculation contains numerous other proteins, vitamins and minerals," says Backe. "In addition to vitamin C and zinc, semen is comprised of many common amino acids including arginine and lysine. It stands to reason that by increasing your intake of these components, you can effectively boost your ejaculations."

There are also studies that suggest supplements for sex like horny goat weed, Gokshura and Black maca may help increase ejaculate. 

"One study in the Asian Journal of Andrology showed an increase in semen volume after 12 men took maca supplements (Lepidium meyenii) for four months," says Retiano. "Nevertheless, scientific evidence overall is not robust for herbs."

While there’s no such thing as a magic volume pill to suddenly give you gushing ejaculations, what does exist are pills that might suddenly make your ejaculations dry up. If you’re experiencing lower volume, your medical history could be to blame. 

“There are certain medications that reduce semen volume,” explains Shaw. “These include common hair loss treatments finasteride and Propecia, medications to treat BPH (enlarged prostate), and hormonal medications, including testosterone treatments. That said, sometimes being on testosterone supplements can improve semen volume. But you shouldn’t take testosterone just for that reason,” as it can have significant side-effects. 

RELATED: The Best Sex Positions & Techniques to Encourage Conception

Ultimately, semen volume is probably less important than you think, and while there are ways to increase it, you’re likely better off focusing on improving other aspects of your sexual experience than squeezing an extra teaspoonful out of your seminal vesicles.

As they say, it’s not the size of it — it’s what you do with it, and that applies to volume as well as length.

With additional reporting from Alex Manley

You Might Also Dig:

• How to Have More Intense Orgasms
• Exploring the Worldwide Trend of Dropping Sperm Counts
• Everything You Need to Know About Semen