Do these help?
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Ten years ago, urologist Irwin Goldstein frightened many men
when he said, "There are only two kinds of male cyclists:
those who are impotent and those who will be impotent."
We've written before about how bicycle riding can be the end
of a man's
sex life?and a woman's too. Most of us want to have an active
sex life for a long time. Do the new ergonomic bike seats
designed to solve this problem really help?
Research at Harvard Medical School suggests that riding a
bike for long periods can cause temporary erectile difficulties.
The risk appears highest among men who cycle more than
three hours a week. This is because sitting on a bicycle for a
long time puts pressure on the perineum, the area between
the genitals and anus. This pressure can harm nerves and
temporarily impede blood flow, causing tingling or numbness in
the penis and, eventually, erectile dysfunction. Conventional
bicycles cause a dramatic (though temporary) drop in oxygen
supply to the penis. In order to avoid this, you can try
wearing padded biker shorts and raise the handlebars of the
bike so you're sitting relatively upright. This shifts pressure
from the perineum to the buttocks.
Another option is to use a wide, well-padded or gel-filled seat
instead a narrow seat, which places more pressure on the
perineum. Position the seat to reduce pressure: Make sure it
is not so high that your legs are fully extended at the bottom
of your pedal stroke, and don't tilt the seat up. Also, change
your position and take breaks during long rides, and if you
feel tingling or numbness in the penis, stop riding for a week
or two.
Are new ergonomic bike seats designs going to solve this
problem? In the April 9 edition of the Los Angeles Times, Bill
Becher reports that, "Over the years, a number of bicycle
seat manufacturers have sought to develop saddles that
would minimize erectile problems by adding holes and
grooves ? one company calls its design 'the Love Channel'?
that are meant to minimize pressure on arteries and nerves.
But whether these designs will actually help prevent problems
is debatable."
But there IS hope: Becher quotes a 52-year-old Northern
California cyclist with ED problems who tried a noseless bike
saddle. He said it took getting used to: "You don't hop on it
the first day and do exactly what you did with your old seat,"
but "I can [now] have a normal relationship with my beautiful
wife and ride my bike."
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