If you and your partner face challenges in your journey to conceive, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. A recent Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism study shows roughly 44% of young adults live with insulin resistance. Thus, the correlation between insulin resistance and infertility is worth recognizing.

What is Insulin Resistance (IR)?

The Cleveland Clinic defines insulin resistance as when the body’s tissues do not react appropriately to insulin, causing high blood sugar levels. How your body utilizes glucose (sugar) can be explained like a lock and key. A lock symbolizes the cells that form your body, and insulin is the key. Insulin unlocks the cell to let glucose in, providing our bodies with energy. However, when the lock and key don’t work together, it leads to insulin resistance and elevated blood glucose levels.

Prediabetes, Type 1 diabetes, and Type 2 diabetes are all types of insulin resistance. Yet, you don’t need to have one of these diagnoses to have insulin resistance. It can be linked to:

How Insulin Resistance Connects with Infertility

Hormones

Your monthly period is triggered by fluctuations in hormones in your body. The endocrine system involves the hypothalamus, pituitary glands, and ovaries, which control hormones, estradiol and progesterone. These two essential hormones trigger ovulation and influence women’s reproductive health.

Insulin resistance counteracts these hormones, leading to infertility. Thus, women with abnormal menstrual cycles coupled with insulin resistance have a higher risk of repeated miscarriages, anovulation, and infertility.

Body Weight  

Most people with insulin resistance have higher BMIs in the overweight and obese categories. Fat tissue decreases the protein (leptin) that helps the body release insulin. This article isn’t a chemistry lesson, but simply put, fatty tissues release higher amounts of saturated fatty acids, which undergo a chain of reactions that harm egg development in the ovaries.

Inflammation and Diet

Another concept linking insulin resistance to infertility is inflammation. Dietary decisions significantly influence how the body processes certain foods. Studies have proven that eating highly processed foods containing saturated fats and simple carbohydrates causes an inflammatory response, which results in insulin resistance and infertility.

Men with Insulin Resistance

A man’s infertility is also affected by complications of insulin resistance. A leading cause of male infertility is erectile dysfunction, which research has indicated to be associated with insulin resistance. Hormones, body weight, inflammation, and dietary habits similarly influence men. Instead, these factors harm their sperm quality.

How Can I Reduce My Insulin Resistance?

Lifestyle Adjustments

The journey to overcoming insulin resistance begins with empowering lifestyle changes. Start by eating a healthy diet with many fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, such as beans or fish. Try to avoid large quantities of refined carbohydrates, saturated fats, red meat, and overly processed foods. Choosing healthier food options reduces stress on the pancreas by lowering insulin release.

Furthermore, avoiding a sedentary lifestyle is crucial for overall health. Engaging in moderate exercise, such as a brisk walk or bike ride, can significantly lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity in your muscles.

Additionally, losing excess body weight can substantially reduce inflammation and hormones. By combining enjoyable activities with a healthy diet, you can create a sustainable path toward conceiving.

Medications

Some medications you could already be taking can lead to insulin resistance, including certain steroids, blood pressure medications, and HIV treatments. At the same time, certain medicines, such as metformin, decrease insulin sensitivity. Therefore, talk to your doctor about your medications to see if they influence your insulin sensitivity.

Talk to a healthcare provider about getting a series of blood tests, such as:

  • A blood glucose (sugar) test can uncover prediabetes and type 2 diabetes
  • A1c  analyzes your typical blood sugar over a 3-month period
  • A lipid panel is several blood tests that examine fat molecules in your blood, including cholesterol and triglycerides.

Before these blood tests, your provider will conduct a physical exam and ask you a series of questions based on your lifestyle behaviors. This will provide your doctor with key information to determine the right treatment methods for you.

I found out I’m pregnant! Now, how do I handle my insulin resistance?

When you become pregnant and are diagnosed with insulin resistance, discuss managing a healthy pregnancy with your healthcare provider, as insulin resistance increases your risk of gestational (pregnancy) diabetes.

Key Points

With this information in mind, it is best to have a conversation with your healthcare provider. Lifestyle modifications, weight loss options, medications, and blood tests are all topics to cover when determining specific treatment options to optimize your fertility. Your provider may refer you to a reproductive endocrinologist for more specialized care.

Insulin resistance may contribute to why you’re not getting pregnant. Recognizing this can be a vital step in finding the support and solutions needed to grow your family.

Written by Emma Hodzic BSN, RN,  for the Hopeful Mama Foundation. We are incredibly grateful to all of our writers, who open up their heart and share their journey with this community. If you would like to connect with one of our writers, please let us know by submitting an email on our website’s contact page.

“My name is Emma! I am a registered nurse and freelance health writer. I have been a nurse for 6 years in a variety of healthcare settings, including an OB/GYN clinic. My experiences, both personal and clinical, have ignited a passion for women’s health and the beauty of motherhood. Each experience has deepened my appreciation for women’s incredible strength and resilience as they navigate their unique health journeys and the joys of motherhood.

During my journey of trying to conceive with my husband, I sought the most accurate and up-to-date information to ensure we were doing everything possible to eventually grow our family. Now, we have two sweet little boys! As a nurse, it is my calling to educate others. I aim to produce content that makes complex healthcare concepts easy to read and understand so people can make their own informed health decisions. I hope you can take away some knowledge from my writing and apply it to your own life.

“The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Hopeful Mama Foundation. Our authors provide content that reflects their opinions and does not intend to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual.