ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Erectile Dysfunction in Male Cyclists. Cycling and Impotence- Risk or Myth?

Updated on February 9, 2015
CyclingFitness profile image

Liam Hallam is a sports science graduate. He is also a keen cyclist and a lover of the Derbyshire Dales and Peak District.

Could regular cycling lead to problems in the bedroom?

Cycling is a great sport to increase cardiovascular fitness as well as helping maintaining a healthy lifestyle and weight management however could there be health risks involved to normally health males?

Too many hours sat on a bicycle saddle can lead to

  • Numbness,
  • Pain
  • Erectile dysfunction. (Impotence)

The Planet X RT-57 road bike features a standard road bike saddle. Users may require a cut-out saddle in future to reduce perineal pressure whilst cycling
The Planet X RT-57 road bike features a standard road bike saddle. Users may require a cut-out saddle in future to reduce perineal pressure whilst cycling | Source

Has Anyone Warned Your Cycling Can Give You Erectile Dysfunction?

In honesty- Has anyone you know told you cycling can lead to ED?

See results

The warning signs for a male cyclist could be numbness or a tingling sensation.

Are you Feeling Numb? Tingling sensation downstairs after cycling?

The reason for the worry is that male bike riders place a large amount of pressure on their perineum while cycling. The perineum is the area between scrotum and anus and it contains a large number of arteries and capillary networks through which blood passes through to the penis when a man develops an erection.

How do you know if you're at risk of ED? (Erectile Dysfunction)

Many competitive cyclists spend over ten hours per week cycling including continuous rides of over two hours which can cause significant damage to the arteries and capillary networks of the perineum. A Massachusetts Male Aging Study found that the risk was highest among men who cycled for more than three hours a week- many competitive cyclists think nothing of a training ride or race of 3 hours or more!.

Are you sitting comfortably on your bike?

Perineal Pressure visible from indentation on bicycle saddle
Perineal Pressure visible from indentation on bicycle saddle

The good news- Erectile dysfunction from cycling is mainly temporary

While it may be consisdered a persuasive argument not to go cycling- Erectle Dysfunction from cycling is most likely to be permanent. The health benefits of cycling far outweigh the risks of erectile problems from perineal compression.

What can cyclists do to limit the risk of ED?

There are a number of things a bicycle rider can do to lower their risk of suffering from erectile problems

  1. Regularly pedal for short periods while stood out of the saddle. This reduces the pressure on the perineum and increases blood flow.
  2. Ensure your bike fits you correctly
  3. Consider choosing a saddle specifically designed to alleviate pressure on the sit bones

Stand up and pedal to avoid erectile dysfunction

Standing up and taking yourself off the saddle removes the compression pressure from the perineum. This takes pressure away from a man's crotch area and allows the blood to flow better around the arteries and capillaries. Many sources recommend a cyclist to stand up out of the saddle at least once every 15 minutes of cycling to improve circulation.

Correct bike fit to avoid bicycling related impotence

All cyclists need to ensure their bike fits them correctly Factors they need to consider are

  • Frame Size
  • Handlebar Height-Too low may add additional pressure due to a rolling forward motion in the saddle to adapt to the lower reach
  • Saddle Height- Too high leads to a rocking motion on the perineum
  • Saddle tilt- Saddle should be parallel to the ground or tilt minimally
  • Saddle fore/ aft position
  • Make and model of Bicycle Saddle (See below)


Bicycle Saddle Options for Men

Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow TI Men's Bicycle Saddle (Titanium Rails)
Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow TI Men's Bicycle Saddle (Titanium Rails)
Performance saddle for the bicycle racer with a cut out perineal section to remove compression.
 

Bicycle saddle options to avoid erectile dysfunction

It is believed that traditional bike saddles can reduce blood flow to a man's penis by up to 80% however most competitive cyclists (including professional riders) continue to use

There are a number of options that a male cyclist can try to limit the compression on their perineum.

1. A 'Flow' Type Saddle with a cut out perineal section

An anatomically designed saddle with a central open to remove pressure from the perineum

2. A no pressure Ergonomic saddle

These are a relatively new concept which negates the need for a bicycle saddle to need a nose section therefore removing the compression effect. These saddles have not yet made their way into the professional cycling peloton so the during has to still be out for their effect on cycling performance.

Is the relationship between cycling and ED a myth?

While most cyclists have experienced the numbness sensation many have referred to as 'numb-nuts' most admit that the effect subsides after around an hour

Many doctors also cite the long and short term benefits of cycling as outweighing the minute possibility of developing impotence as a result of cycling. The main causes of impotence are factors that are likely to affect a man's libido and are therefore psychological.

Risk factors for male impotence according to the National Health Service.

Lack of exercise or physical activity

Regular cycling is the complete opposite of this. It encourages physical activity and therefore encourages blood flow around the body.

Obesity/ the metabolic syndrome

Cycling tackles obesity by helping to burn off the spare tyre and helping keep the cyclist in good shape- no cyclist wants to push more weight up a steep hill! The metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors which include high blood pressure and obesity

Hypercholesterolaemia

By addressing their diet Cyclists are likely to have a reduced risk of having problems with high cholesterol.

Smoking

Cyclists are likely to have a heightened sense regarding their health and therefore are likely to limit smoking or be non smokers.

Therefore cycling should have a truly positive effect.

I'll see you out there on your bike I hope.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)