According to a recent study, men who frequently cycle may not need to worry about their ‘assets’. So, that shouldn’t be an excuse to avoid cycling anymore.
“The cyclist’s third testicle”
I hate cycling. I’d much rather walk for ten times longer. Too far to walk? Then I’ll take my 600cc 4-cylinder bike. At least that one has a man-friendly saddle (and is a bit faster). It’s not so much the two wheels that I have an aversion to, nor the physical activity. It’s mainly that damn saddle I hate. That saddle seems designed to make men infertile. Especially the sportier bikes seem designed by a sadomasochist. If you want a somewhat comfortable saddle, you’ll have to rely mainly on granny and ladies’ bikes.
Don’t get me wrong, as a fitness instructor or coach, I’d recommend cycling over running due to its low impact on joints. But personally, I don’t think those benefits outweigh the high impact on my masculinity.
This ‘saddle-hate’ isn’t entirely unjustified. Apart from the clear signal of discomfort that I personally receive from my ‘assets’, independent studies have also shown a negative correlation between cycling and erectile function, sexual function/impotence, and urinary function [3,4]. So, it’s not just discomfort, but even a potential health risk, although severe cases seem to occur mainly in long-distance riders. In that group, according to a 2005 study, numbness of the genitals was the most commonly reported complaint, closely followed by erectile dysfunction [5]. Among the less frequently reported complaints, surprisingly enough, was also priapism, a prolonged erection that doesn’t subside despite a lack of sexual arousal. Other rarer complaints included thrombosis in the penis, infertility, blood in urine, torsion of the spermatic cord, and inflammation of the prostate. Brrrrrr….
In Leidschendam, researchers wrote an article in 2005 about a cyclist who came in with swelling in the perineum [6]. It turned out to be a (pseudo)tumor that had to be surgically removed. This swelling appears to be so common in professional cyclists that the term ‘cyclist’s third testicle’ was used to describe the phenomenon [7].
Enough material in any case for the media to publish sensational pieces about the dangers of cycling [8].
Cycling not harmful to your ‘assets’?
However, other studies among recreational cyclists did not find a correlation, leaving the exact influence unclear for less avid cyclists [2].
According to research recently published in The Journal of Urology®, it appears that both recreational cyclists and intense cyclists do not experience a negative impact on sexual function and urinary function [1]. The study is said to stand out from previous ones due to its scope.
This is the largest comparative study to date, exploring the associations of cycling, bike and road characteristics with sexual and urinary function using validated questionnaires.
Benjamin Breyer, Department of Urology, University of California-San Francisco.
The researchers believe their findings could be an additional encouragement for people to start cycling.
We believe the results will be encouraging for cyclists. Cycling provides tremendous cardiovascular benefits and is low impact on joints. We believe the health benefits enjoyed by cyclists who ride safely will far outweigh health risks.
As mentioned, earlier studies reached different conclusions. The persistent pressure on the perineum and micro-trauma during cycling were reported to have harmful effects according to those studies. According to researchers at the University of California-San Francisco, those earlier studies were mainly limited in scope and design. They lacked control groups and validated measurements.
In the University of California-San Francisco study, three groups of athletes were studied; 2774 cyclists, 539 swimmers, and 789 runners. All participants completed validated questionnaires including the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM), International Prostate Symptom Score (I-PSS), and the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI). Questions were also asked about urinary tract infections, saddle pain, and numbness of the genitals.
In addition to comparing sports with and without pressure on the perineum, different cycling conditions were also considered. This included the composition of the bike itself, the intensity of cycling, and the condition of the road cycled on. For this, cyclists were asked about their bike, type of saddle, the angle of the saddle, how often they wore protective padding in their shorts, how often and how long they stood on the pedals.
The cyclists were divided into groups based on intensity:
- High intensity: Cycling for longer than two years, more than three times a week, averaging more than 40km per day
- Low intensity: Does not meet any of the above criteria
Research Results
In general, the sexual health and urinary health were comparable between the runners, swimmers, and cyclists. Interestingly, cyclists in the ‘high-intensity’ group scored better on erectile function than cyclists in the ‘low-intensity’ group. The condition of the bike or the condition of the road did not seem to have any effect. However, a handlebar set lower than the saddle increased the chances of saddle pain and numbness of the genitals. Standing on the pedals for more than 20% of the time had a reducing effect on numbness of the genitals.
Regarding the important data, sexual function, and urinary state, cycling according to this research is not very harmful. However, numbness and saddle pain are reasons enough for me to stick to walking. I don’t need any more excuses.
References:
- Mohannad A. Awad, Thomas W. Gaither, Gregory P. Murphy, Thanabhudee Chumnarnsongkhroh, Ian Metzler, Thomas Sanford, Siobhan Sutcliffe, Michael L. Eisenberg, Peter R. Carroll, E. Charles Osterberg, Benjamin N. Breyer. Cycling, and Male Sexual and Urinary Function: Results from a Large, Multinational, Cross-Sectional Study. The Journal of Urology, 2017;
- https://www.auajournals.org/doi/10.1016/j.juro.2017.10.017
- Baek S, Lee SY, Kim JM, Shin E, Kam S, Jung HC. Bicycle Riding: Impact on Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Erectile Function in Healthy Men. International Neurourology Journal. 2011;15(2):97-101. doi:10.5213/inj.2011.15.2.97.
- Nontraumatic injuries in amateur long-distance bicyclists. Weiss BD Am J Sports Med. 1985 May-Jun; 13(3):187-92.
- Impotence and nerve entrapment in long-distance amateur cyclists. Andersen KV, Bovim G Acta Neurol Scand. 1997 Apr; 95(4):233-40.
- The vicious cycling: bicycling-related urogenital disorders. Leibovitch I, Mor Y Eur Urol. 2005 Mar; 47(3):277-86; discussion 286-7.
- Asselbergs CP, Loeff JW, de Jongh GJ, de Winter TC. [Perineal nodular induration]. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2009;153:A58. Dutch. PubMed PMID: 19818180.
- de Saint Aubain Somerhausen N, Geurde B, Couvreur Y. Perineal nodular induration: the ‘third testicle of the cyclist’, an under-recognized pseudotumor. Histopathology. 2003 Jun;42(6):615-6. PubMed PMID: 12786900.
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-364433/Cycling-em-em-make-impotent.html
