|
A
raft of new studies suggest that cyclists, particularly men,
should be careful which bicycle seats they choose. The
studies add to earlier evidence that traditional bicycle
saddles, the kind with narrow rear and pointy nose, play a
role in sexual impotence.
Some saddle designs are more damaging than others scientists
say. But even so-called ergonomic seats, to protect the sex
organs, can be harmful, the research finds. The dozen or so
studies, from peer-reviewed journals, are summarized in
three articles in Journal of Sexual Medicine.
In
a bluntly worded editorial with the articles, Dr. Steven
Schrader, a reproductive health expert who studies cycling
at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health, said he believed that it was no longer a question of
"whether or not bicycle ridding on a saddle causes erectile
dysfunction. "Instead, he said in a interview, "The question
is, what are we going to do about it?"
The studies, by researchers at Boston University and
in Italy, found that the more a person rides, the greater
the risk of impotence or loss of libido. And researchers in
Austria have found that many mountain bikers experience
saddle-related trauma that leads to small calcified massess
inside the scrotum.
This does not mean that people should stop cycling, Dr.
Schrader said. And those who ride bikes rarely or for short
periods need not worry. But riders who spend many houses on
a bike each week should be concerned, he said.
"Most people are not riding long enough to damage themselves
permanently," Marc Sani, publisher of Bicycle Retailer and
Industry News. Researchers have estimated that 5% of men who
ride bikes intensively have developed severe to moderate
erectile dysfunction. But some experts believe that the
numbers may be much higher.
Since 2000, a dozen studies have been carried out
using sophisticated tools to see exactly what happens when
vulnerable human anatomy meets the bicycle saddle.
The area in question is the perineum, between the external
genitals and the anus. "When you sit on a chair you never
put weight on the perineum, "Dr. Schrader said. "But when
you sit on a bike, you increased pressure on the perineum"
sevenfold.
In
men, a sheath in the perineum, called Alcock's canal,
contains an artery and a nerve that supply the penis with
blood and sensation. The canal runs along the side of a
bone, Dr. Goldstein said, and when a cyclist sits hard on a
narrow saddle, the artery and the nerve are compressed. Over
time, a reduction of blood flow can mean that there is not
enough pressure to achieve full erection.
In
women, Dr. Goldstein said the same arteries and nerves
engorge the clitoris during sexual intercourse. Women
cyclists have not been studied as much, he added, but they
probably suffer the same injuries.
NYT News Service.
|
