Does cycling really damage men's sexual organs?
Few doubt that cycling helps you get healthy. One study last year found cyclists are less likely to develop heart disease or cancer, and a 2011 review showed it improves fitness and leads to longer lives. But there’s an area of men’s health that has been the subject of a persistent question: does time spent in the saddle lead to problems in the sack?
In recent years, scientists have linked cycling with several male health problems, including erectile dysfunction, which they speculate is caused by the saddle decreasing blood flow to the penis. In one study, Norwegian researchers gathered data from 160 men after they took part in a long-distance bike tour. They found that one in five suffered with numbness to the penis that lasted up to a week after the tour, and 13% developed erectile dysfunction that lasted more than a week in most cases.
Another study linked cycling to prostate cancer – or at least, that’s how some corners of the media reported it. But the researchers admitted their sample was small, that more research was needed, and that their findings did not necessarily mean there was a direct link between cycling and prostate cancer.
A study in 2009 involving 15 Spanish triathletes found that those with low enough levels of sperm to constitute a fertility problem were cycling more than 300km every week. The researchers suggested triathletes could have their sperm frozen before races as a precautionary measure, but also clarified that a man cycling to work would be unlikely to suffer the same consequences.
Now cycling is in with a chance of shedding this image problem, thanks to new research suggesting it does not damage men’s sexual or urinary functions at all. The researchers say previous studies arguing that cycling can cause erectile dysfunction relied on small samples, whereas this study involved more than 2,500 cyclists.
In recent years, scientists have linked cycling with several male health problems, including erectile dysfunction, which they speculate is caused by the saddle decreasing blood flow to the penis. In one study, Norwegian researchers gathered data from 160 men after they took part in a long-distance bike tour. They found that one in five suffered with numbness to the penis that lasted up to a week after the tour, and 13% developed erectile dysfunction that lasted more than a week in most cases.
Another study linked cycling to prostate cancer – or at least, that’s how some corners of the media reported it. But the researchers admitted their sample was small, that more research was needed, and that their findings did not necessarily mean there was a direct link between cycling and prostate cancer.
A study in 2009 involving 15 Spanish triathletes found that those with low enough levels of sperm to constitute a fertility problem were cycling more than 300km every week. The researchers suggested triathletes could have their sperm frozen before races as a precautionary measure, but also clarified that a man cycling to work would be unlikely to suffer the same consequences.
Now cycling is in with a chance of shedding this image problem, thanks to new research suggesting it does not damage men’s sexual or urinary functions at all. The researchers say previous studies arguing that cycling can cause erectile dysfunction relied on small samples, whereas this study involved more than 2,500 cyclists.
Source: theguardian
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