Impotence and Bicycling
Cycling and Impotence
How does bicycling lead Impotence? Prolonged pressure on the tissues of the perineum (the area of the groin between the penis and anus) can damage blood vessels and nerves which are needed for an erection. In short, the area right behind your testicles can be squeezed too much while riding a bike for prolonged periods of time. Sometimes this causes only temporary ED, but it can cause permanent ED as well. If this area is continually damaged and not given the time to recuperate this problem will in all likeliness become permanent.
Many factors have been shown to increase the risk of developing erectile dysfunction in cyclists. Some of these include: the weight of the cyclist (heavier riders put more pressure on the perineum, not by fault of their own, but just the physics of it), the seat design (some seats increase pressure on the perineum, although designers have given much more caution to this problem in the past few years), and even the intensity by which the cyclist rides (the more gyrations of the rider, the better the chances are that some damage will be happening to the tissues). Studies have found that professional cyclists can offset much of the weight on the seat by keeping so much of their body weight on the pedals. This, in turn, reduces the pressure on the perineum, and thereby reduces the chances of having even temporary Impotence. However, professional cyclists make up but a small percentage of the people who ride bikes. Most people are not trained how to correctly ride a bicycle.
Symptoms of impotence in Cyclists
The good news is that almost all cyclists who will eventually experience some form of impotence, will normally notice some systems well before the problem becomes serious. When blood flow to the perineum occurs, it causes pain, numbness or tingling in the perineum long before one might develop ED. Should you not experience this pain, numbness or tingling, there should be little to worry about and you can enjoy your ride. However, if you do have pain, please consult a doctor before the problem gets worse. If you do not then prolonged damage can cause serious problems including ED.
Preventing Impotence
If you feel any groin discomfort, pain or numbness when you bike please take the following actions:
• For long rides, take breaks often, stand up on the pedals, stretch and “adjust yourself” until the pain or tingling goes away
• During rides, change your position frequently by shifting forward and backward as well as standing
• Adjust your bike seat to reduce the chance of contact with the perineum
• Use a seat with a cutout to reduce pressure on the perineum
• Avoid seats with a lot of padding. Although it sounds comfortable, you’ll actually sink deeper into the seat and put more pressure on the perineum
• Keep the seat leveled or angled slightly downward; never tilt the seat upward
• Raise your handlebars slightly so you are a bit more upright
• Wear good cycling shorts that are comfortable
• Adjust your seat height so that your knee is just slightly bent at the bottom of the pedal cycle
