Mens’ Health has run an article warning about the surprising perils of the online video site Netflix. Apparently if you spend all night on the site, your sperm count drops and you will not be able to inconsiderately sire a brood of screaming babies that will ultimately lead to the end of the world thanks overpopulation. [Then again, people who spend all night on Netflix tend to spill their seed alone. Ed]

According to a new study published today in the British Journal of Sports Medicine Healthy college-age guys glued to the tube for more than 20 hours a week had 44 percent lower sperm counts than men who watched barely any television. However 18- to 22-year-olds who devoted at least 15 hours a week to moderate to vigorous exercise boasted 73 per cent higher sperm count than their couch-potato peers who worked out fewer than five hours per week.

It is not clear why the report thought that low sperm counts were a bad thing. After all each bloke has more than enough to go around and it only takes one to get someone pregnant. The report thinks that sitting down and not moving much seems to inhibit sperm production. But exercise, a natural antioxidant, counteracts this. Study authors found that light physical exercise failed to boost sperm count because you get most antioxidant benefits when you get winded and sweaty.

All up we have never heard of a better excuse not to do exercise and instead boot up another marathon session of Civ V in our lives.