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Cycling and impotency

Your bicycle can become the nemesis of your sexual life! The bicycle ride you love may actually be damaging to the nerves of your penis. According to a 1997 study done in Norway, up to 25% of all cyclists are affected by this transient problem.

Prolonged riding can decrease the blood flow to the base of the penis because of added pressure to that area, called perineal vascular compression, to the area caused by the saddle of your bicycle. This transient numbness, lasting anywhere from hours to days in most cases, usually affecting riders who go greater distances more often that others. Older men are also more at risk because of decreased elasticity in their blood vessels.

What are the signs and symptoms

Prevention is better than cure

Riding Habits

When riding for long periods of time take frequent breaks. Get up and out of the saddle often. It's easy enough to remember. Also change your body position frequently during a ride. If you're crossing railroad tracks never remain seated for taking the actual tracks. The same goes for bumps and chunks in the road.

Choice of Equipment

A typical bike saddle touches the ischial tuberosities toward the rear of the pelvis and the pubis in the front, thus placing the majority of the body's weight on the perineum, the area of skin between the scrotum and the rectum, during a ride. This is where the decreased blood flow comes from.

There are two major types of seats available that address this issue:

The saddles that are padded are designed to help protect your perineum from the added pressure of the bike saddle while riding. Padded bike shorts may also help in this effort, even without padding on the saddle. However, too much padding may have the opposite effect.

Specially designed saddles can be very beneficial. Female cyclists have been using them for many years with great success. There are many different types, some with two cubes for resting your bones and other with simply an oblong hole in the center of the saddle. Riders often have preferences for one or the other.

The problem of numbness or impotence after riding is easily solved for most men. If you have any of the above symptoms you should also contact your health care provider to be sure that your symptoms are not specific to other complications of your testicular or penile health.