Hazards of Riding a Bike: Erectile Dysfunction

By Robert Latkany, MD
February 10, 2010

In my hometown, seeing a bicyclist on the road is almost as commonplace as seeing a car.

Sporting fancy head gear with high tech rear view mirrors, flourescent spandex body wear, and slick looking bicycles, bicyclists appear to be participating in a healthy and fun source of exercise. While the cardiovascular benefits are obvious, there are some grave concerns. High on the list is erectile dysfunction.

463 healthy cyclists were evaluated for erectile dysfunction after a long race by Dettori et al. 4.2% were found to have erectile dysfunction 1 week after the event and 1.8% had erectile dysfunction persist at 1 month after racing. Tips on preventing erectile dysfunction included using a road rather than a mountain bicycle, keeping the handlebar height lower than the saddle height and using a saddle without a cutoff.

Huang et al found that riding a bicycle more than 3 hours per week increases your risk for moderate to severe erectile dysfunction. They suggest changing your seat to a noseless seat, have a more upright posture, tilt the saddle downwards and use saddles made with gel.

Sommer et al determined that penile blood supply significantly decreased in 70% of bicyclists in a seated position and numbness in the genital region was reported in 61%.

Almost 1 out of 5 healthy test subjects experienced erectile dysfunction when they had a training schedule involving a weekly training distance of more than 400km. While cycling may be fun, and the workout is great, taking care to avoid trauma to the penile region may prevent subsequent erectile dysfunction.

What do you think? Does the type of bicycle seat make a difference?

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