Alexander Cortes on the Fertility Crisis: The Basics He Says Couples Overlook

Strength coach Alexander Cortes on his own family's unexplained infertility, why he says fertility runs on metabolic health, and the basics he puts first: body fat, sleep, nutrition and testing early.

By Harry Gray · Nov 4, 2026 · 4 min read

By The Meat Mafia (Harry Gray and Brett Ender)

We sat down with Alexander Cortes because fertility keeps coming up in our inbox, and he's one of the few people we know who came to it from the gym floor.

For years his approach was simple: lift weights, do cardio, eat protein. He says that alone solves a lot of problems. Over time he got more granular, adding circadian rhythm and environmental exposures to the list.

Then it got personal. He and his wife got married and wanted kids. By his account, she had been on birth control for a long time, and after she stopped, her cycle took two and a half years to come back.

"We didn't get answers from regular doctors at all." (~16:00)

They were told to go back on birth control, he says, or to try IVF. He calls IVF a "miracle technology" that does work, but one with a high failure rate that often takes multiple cycles and is mostly paid out of pocket. They looked into it and didn't feel comfortable with it.

What bothered him most was the label: unexplained infertility. He says he couldn't find a clear medical explanation for why it happens when there's no obvious structural cause. So he started digging.

What he found pointed back to basics. Body fat, sleep, circadian rhythm and nutrition, he says, all shape fertility for both women and men. For men, one fact surprised him: sperm are made on a cycle of roughly 50 to 70 days.

"give yourself at least three to four months to do that." (~28:00)

Today he's building a company around fertility in real time, and his advice for younger men is blunt: don't wait until you've been trying for a year to get tested.

That's the Alexander Cortes we sat down with: a coach who found fertility through his own family. Below is the rest of the conversation, from his top factors to testing and heat. This is his view, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified clinician about fertility.

Listen to the full episode · Watch on YouTube

TL;DR: Alexander Cortes spent years as a strength coach before fertility became personal: he says his wife's cycle took two and a half years to return after she stopped birth control, and doctors gave them few answers. That sent him into the research. His view: fertility rides on the same foundations as metabolic health, starting with body fat, sleep and circadian rhythm, and nutrition. He also says sperm take roughly two and a half months to develop, so men should plan three to four months ahead.

Who is Alexander Cortes? A longtime strength and nutrition coach who now works on fertility. He's on X as @AJ_Cortes and writes a newsletter at his website.

Key takeaways

He says his wife's cycle took two and a half years to return after birth control (~16:00).
He calls IVF a miracle technology that works, but says it often takes multiple cycles and is mostly out of pocket (~18:00).
He ranks losing body fat as the number one factor (~29:00).
He says poor sleep shows up in bloodwork within days and takes a week or two to reset (~29:00–30:00).
Sperm develop over roughly 50 to 70 days, so he suggests giving yourself three to four months (~28:00).

His top factors

Alexander's list starts with losing body fat (~29:00). Next come sleep and circadian rhythm: he says there's no excuse for getting less than about six and a half to seven hours a night (~29:00). Then nutrition, which he says matters less for macros than for micronutrients (~30:00–31:00).

Test first, supplement specifically

He suggests getting bloodwork done and reinforcing with single-ingredient whole foods. He's pro-supplement for fertility but says supplements "are not a solution for a broken diet" (~33:00). For men, he suggests a semen analysis and testosterone panel early rather than after a year of trying.

Go easy on the sauna

He sees sauna as something for the start of a health push, not while you're actively trying to conceive, especially if sperm count is already mediocre (~1:03:00).

FAQ

Who is Alexander Cortes? A strength and nutrition coach who now focuses on fertility after his own family's experience.

What does Alexander Cortes say matters most for fertility? He ranks losing body fat first, then sleep and circadian rhythm, then nutrition (~29:00).

How long does it take sperm to develop? He says roughly 50 to 70 days, so give yourself three to four months to make changes (~28:00).

Is sauna good for fertility? He suggests saving heavy sauna use for the start of a health push, not while actively trying to conceive (~1:03:00).

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Not medical advice. This post summarizes a podcast conversation for education. The views are the guest's own. Talk to a qualified clinician before you change your diet, supplements or any medication.