Bicycle Seats and Erectile Dysfunction
Interesting question from the message board:
My husband, since training for a 100 mile bicycle ride, has had trouble maintaining an erection. He says he has full sensation and is able to ejaculate even while soft. During the longer training rides, he would complain "my balls are numb". We haven't ridden more than just a few spinning classes (in which he says there is not a problem with pressure on his scrotum) for a few weeks now. He has also been on blood pressure medication for three years without any problems with this in the past. Is it the bicycling, the medication? If it is the bicycling, is it permanent??
Long distance bike riding is indeed associated with erection problems. Sometimes it can return, sometimes for the long-term cyclists it can be permanent.
This has nothing to do with the bike riding itself, but it is the seat and how he sits that is the problem. The seats with the little groove down the middle are not the answer.
I have talked with Steven Schrader, PhD, who is the world's expert on this and he suggests a seat with a blunt nose or no nose at all. He has studied this in men who work on bikes, such as bike cops. It is the long nose that juts forward that men ride on, that causes the problems.
Ideally, all the man's weight should be back on the bones of his butt, the ischial tuberosities. This is the fat part of the seat. When a man rides the front nose and grinds and compresses his perineum for hours, this damages the delicate blood vessels and nerves. The fact that he goes numb tells you this is what is happening. He can either change how he rides or get the better blunt, short nosed seat or a seat with no nose at all.
Probably the best does not look cool. It is the seat with two separate butt pads and no nose at all. You know, the kind with the big giant springs. Throw some tassles on for effect. It is important for him to stop and make some changes or if not permanent now, it may become life-long.
Related Topics: Video: Cycling Your Way to a Slimmer Physique, Finding Your Workout Personality
Technorati Tags: bicycle seat, erectile dysfunction, ED
My husband, since training for a 100 mile bicycle ride, has had trouble maintaining an erection. He says he has full sensation and is able to ejaculate even while soft. During the longer training rides, he would complain "my balls are numb". We haven't ridden more than just a few spinning classes (in which he says there is not a problem with pressure on his scrotum) for a few weeks now. He has also been on blood pressure medication for three years without any problems with this in the past. Is it the bicycling, the medication? If it is the bicycling, is it permanent??
Long distance bike riding is indeed associated with erection problems. Sometimes it can return, sometimes for the long-term cyclists it can be permanent.
This has nothing to do with the bike riding itself, but it is the seat and how he sits that is the problem. The seats with the little groove down the middle are not the answer.
I have talked with Steven Schrader, PhD, who is the world's expert on this and he suggests a seat with a blunt nose or no nose at all. He has studied this in men who work on bikes, such as bike cops. It is the long nose that juts forward that men ride on, that causes the problems.
Ideally, all the man's weight should be back on the bones of his butt, the ischial tuberosities. This is the fat part of the seat. When a man rides the front nose and grinds and compresses his perineum for hours, this damages the delicate blood vessels and nerves. The fact that he goes numb tells you this is what is happening. He can either change how he rides or get the better blunt, short nosed seat or a seat with no nose at all.
Probably the best does not look cool. It is the seat with two separate butt pads and no nose at all. You know, the kind with the big giant springs. Throw some tassles on for effect. It is important for him to stop and make some changes or if not permanent now, it may become life-long.
Related Topics: Video: Cycling Your Way to a Slimmer Physique, Finding Your Workout Personality
Technorati Tags: bicycle seat, erectile dysfunction, ED
30 Comments:
I can't help him with his problem, but I need to know how many women out there go numb (vaginal area) while bicycle riding, and what to do to prevent it.
What is the remedy for affected men?
Try this seat http://www.hobsonseats.com/products.htm. I've had an Easyseat for nearly four years and it is tremendously more comfortable than a standard seat. The newer Easyseat II looks to be a bit more comfortable (softer) and I'm considering upgrading.
I am a professional bike fitter. Numbness is women is very common. What I suggest is four things; make sure you have a womens specific saddle. I like Terry or the 2006 Specialized. It is a size that matches your sit bones. Rotate your pelvis so you are on your sit bones. Finally, your seat should be slightly down in the front. Approx 2 degrees. Any more that that will cause hand discomfort. Finally, if none of this works look at your overall bike size and fit.
A quick note to the comment on "NOSE LEES BICYCLE SEATS" You had better be prepared to relearn how to ride a bike. The nose plays an important part in bike control. If numbness is a problem there are seats out there with shorter noses. That's a better solution.
The above remark stating that the nose is essential for riding is indeed true. I have 10 years experience working in a bike shop, and we've tried the noseless saddles without success. The doctor's statement is wrong on many levels. Firsly there is a basic issue that needs to be addressed. As suggested in other comments, proper bike and saddle fit are essential, especially for avid or distance cyclists. This is best done at a very good bike store. Secondly, that the seats "with the grove down the middle" aren't the answer is wrong. Saddles are a personal thing, and preferences vary for individuals based on their riding position and anatomy, but we've found a solution for most people with Specialized saddles. These come in different widths, and, unlike the uninformed statements provided by the doctor above, are supported by results of medical studies that test oxygen levels in the blood in the penises of test riders. I encourage anyone with a saddle problem to get a good fit and take a long test ride on a medically advanced saddle, such as a Specialized Toupe or Avatar.
You should go to www.ismseat.com. It has been tested by a doctor in Germany and he found no pressure on the perinium. I hope that this helps! I love this seat!!
I've used the following seat for a few years (4) and have had no complaints. It takes gettting used to but it get the job done well.
http://www.spongywonder.com/
my brother and law sent me this link, which makes me think he may have a problem!! But the comments here ring true. I had a near miss on a new saddle at one stage a few years ago, when the saddle was carelessly fitted and sloped upwards. I´ve found my comfort level is hugh when i use a wider saddle, and have it level. Best way to get level is to position the bike next to a table or bench and sight the saddle across the level of the table. Others I cycle with try lower at the front, but this only causes more weight on the hands. Good bike fit is very important. There are so many things you can bust if its not spot on. Ride faster - it takes weight of bum and hands. Have Fun, it takes your mind off your worries.
This issue reminds me of the woman who rode her bicycle down the cobblestone road and then said "I'll never come that way again".
There are many saddles without a protruding nose. go to www.no-nose.com
There are many medical data showing the grooved saddles take the pressure off of the internal penis and increases pressure on the nerves and blood vessels that supply the penis. It may feel better but it is worse for the man (and probably the woman).
The studies where they have looked at penis oxygen and grooved saddles look at a 140 lb man; if you weigh 200 lbs you will hit the groove differently. They may work for a select few but are not for everyone. About 35% of your body sits on the nose. Bike fit is essential for healthy cycling, but will not relieve the pressure from the perineum.
Make a healthy decision based on science and medicine and not someone thinks because he rides long distances that he understands the anatomy and physiology of sexual function better then the medical professionals.
No-nose saddles are better for both men and women. It takes a few hours to a couple weeks to get used to them, but the health benefits are worth the effort. Bike fit for a no-nose saddle is different as well. You must sit on the saddle not straddle.
For more information on my thoughts and a discusion listen to:
http://www.soundmedicine.iu.edu/segment.php4?seg=764
Click on the "real" button under listen.
Steven M. Schrader, PhD
I think ED (or that which is called ED) is permanent. Once you have been diagnosed with it, there is nothing you can do to reverse it. If you get off the bike seat for a couple of weeks and all is well, you did not have ED. No one that I have spoken to who has had ED caused by high blood pressure or diabetis - or whatever has had a "return" to the pre ED state. Grant it, that some medication can help, but it wont get you "fixed".
I am 60 - have had benign prostatitis since I was mid 30's - developed ED at early 50's. Have seen MANY specialists. There is no going back, or if you go back, it wasnt ED
There are many causes of sexual dysfunction including erectile dysfunction; some are reversible and many are not. Medical research is investigating one cause, the bicycle saddle and determining if it is reversible or not.
i think there are a lot of factors to consider... your position, upright or slightly bent over or a very aero racing postion (the more bent over the skinnier your saddle can be.. if you are very upright the cutout is probably not going to do anything for you but if you are in a very bent over in a racing postition it's affect can be huge)... are you touring or racing (if you are racing you can't use a noseless saddle since they don't give the added control that is afforded by your thighs against the saddle nose).. how wide are your seat bones... is your back concave or convex.. affects how your seat bones contact the saddle... you need to consider the person anatomy, their position and there needs interms of perfomance etc.
I personally have suffered from perenial pain since march of 2006. I haven't rode my bike since this pain started to occur. It all began when I fractured my tailbone via stress, and the pain has never left. I thouht it might be somoething else, but I had all sorts of tests and scans done to no avail. I really want to ride my bike, but i can hardly sit on it w/o pain. Is there anyway to correct this pain issue?
I just finished my third spinning class and my whole private area went numb. Unless I get a solution, I will quit spinning. Any help out there or advice?
no-nose saddles take some to get used to, but your crotch will not go numb, www.no-nose.com
There is a new medical study on women who ride bicycles see:
http://www.yale.edu/opa/newsr/06-11-15-03.all.html
Try this out for size. It is a more traditional saddle that does not have a nose:
http://www.duopower.com/
It does not look as freakishly weird as some of the other noseless options yet allows you to sit in a more natural position without a nose. The only downside is the cost ($175). But, to continue serious training AND still have a healthy prostate, seems like a small price to pay!
I have been trying different noseless saddles, and have not been happy with them. While they work for my "issue", I am looking for something lighter. I have the "spiderflex", which while completely eliminates my issues, it's very heavy and is not good for descents, and it digs into my hamstrings. This duopower seat looks interesting. Has anyone tried it?
I’m using a Duopower (see at duopower.com) and it works well. Before using it, I had ridden a mountain bike bicycle for about two years for daily commuting (as fast as I could! through the cycling path) and didn’t have any serious pain with a conventional gel seat (Velo GelTech), a good seat for non-serious biking, too thick and large for road cycling. But then I decided to buy a good road bike and join the cycling club in my area here in Madrid (Club Ciclista Vallecano, an old classic club in a working class area). The first 100 km trip was unbearable because of intense pain in the perineal area (the area between the anus and scrotum / anus and vulva); the seat I used had a conventional shape (San Marco Aspide Arrowhead), a supposedly good seat with a groove down the middle. The saddle is probably as good as it’s said to be, but perhaps for cyclists with a different bone structure than mine and probably lighter and younger fellows (I’m 43). Then I went to the local store and they advised me a nose less Duopower seat. They had various models ranging from 70 to 150 € ($60 to $170) and I was advised to buy the cheap version, which uses synthetic leather (or something similar) to start with and that’s the one I’m using. The 150 € version was good leather and seemed the same shape. The clerk told me that it would take me some time to get used to it, that a customer had told him that he had a negative sense of “lack of control” on the bike. It’s true that I was quite inexperienced in road biking, but I don’t see why should there be any loss of control with this seat, what can you possibly control with your perineum on a bike?!; I’m not saying it’s not true that there’s a loss of control, I don’t know, but how would that be?, there’re no muscles that can hold the seat anyway there it seems!. I tried it and got accustomed at once; in fact I didn’t notice any difference at all, no sense of loss of control at all, the pain was reduced to a minimum. The position on the bike is such that half the perineum area is out in the air (I checked this by touching the area with my fingers while riding). An anonymous reader said above: “if you are racing you can't use a noseless saddle since they don't give the added control that is afforded by your thighs against the saddle nose”, what does he mean? a good ‘round’ pedalling is such that the leg presses up the pedal using flexing leg muscles (the hamstrings muscles, those at the back of the thigh), this happens especially when you’re pedalling hard, when you press up the pedal you’re pressing your butt against the saddle, in that moment, using a conventional seat will also press the perineum against the tail of the seat, adding to the pressure there. Using a noseless seat this is reduced (although not eliminated, because more than half the perineum is still on the saddle). My doubt is what would have happened if I has used a conventional seat of greater softness and had got accustomed to it, perhaps there wouldn’t be any difference in the long term. The answer to these questions lies in investigation, but a good such investigation would probably be expensive and perhaps inconclusive, who knows.
By the way, if it serves for interest, I’m 1.87 metres and weigh 81 kg.
There are 13 styles of no-nose saddles from different manufacturers. Surely you can find a saddle without any nose that fits and works. see www.no-nose.com
It should be noted that some of these manufacturers offer partially nosed saddles, as the last entry suggests, stay away from those.
Hello, can someone give me some guidance on my options? I am/was a cat 1 racer(pro level). I entered a state championship 2 day event, using a hard carbon seat, and injured my urethral/perineal region. Since then, my doc said I badly bruised the area, yet, over 4 months later, I still cannot bike. I tried 3 types of noseless saddles, but, didnt have good control, and one of them, (the moon saddle) still gave me discomfort. Is there a surgery or advanced next step, especially if I want to race, or ride fast again someday?
Steve
Have been commuting year round by bicycle for about 30 months. The round trip is between 14 - 15km meaning I have spent about 3 - 4 hours weekly on a bike since August of 2005.
Will be celebrating my 50th birthday in late March. Am now considering curtailing my cycling activity due to recent possible prostatitis, progressively dysfunctional erection and perineal discomfort.
I would like to continue cycling but do not want to experiment with seating that may or may not be effective.
I have been an avid mountain biker for 20 years. I still ride Moab, UT once per year and like to ride from the alpine areas down Porcupine Rim to the Colorado River below. I'm from Boulder, CO and now live in Las Vegas and do a lot of technical riding and love the fast, hard down-hill sections. After a perennial injury that kept me off my bike for nearly a year, I found DuoPower. As a fairly hard-core mountain biker (my bike cost more than $5,000) I can tell you that there is no loss of control or stability with the DuoPower nose less seat; anyone that tells you that you have to learn to ride again is wrong. The seat is incredibly comfortable and I am finally free from getting "jammed" between the legs when doing technical uphill climbs. Even on fast, technical downhills I don't notice any loss of stability or bike control. While I did used to "grip" my seat on fast downhills in the past, I don't seem to miss that at all. Without DuoPower I wouldn't be riding and I actually can't believe that more people refuse to stop riding on a traditional seat when it's completely unnecessary. Bike control is achieved with body position, balance, and skill...relying on the nose of your seat to provide stability and balance is not necessary. Get the DuoPower and save yourself! I actually feel more fluid riding with the nose less seat! The nose is just in the way and dangerous regardless of correct riding position and fit, get rid of it!
Will someone recommend a USA Duopower email seller with more than one model?
Thanks
Amen! I've experience the numbness too. I am going to adjust my seat and see if that relieves the discomfort. I am going to play very close attention to this feeling of discomfort. It was great to be able to find this very informative information. I knew I was suffering alone.
I am an anatomy student and I have for the last three years been biking in Toronto, from home to school all year round. Yes, bicycle riding causes numbness especially if the nose is wide, which many bike sellers brag is more comfortable; in fact, it is less comfortable and more dangerous if the nose is wide. Because a wide nose makes it harder to keep your ischial tuberosities (the weight-bearing bones of the hip) where they are supposed to be that is on the wider part of the saddle. A narrow nose on the other hand would allow the adductor (on the inner side) muscles of the thigh to remain tense, thereby forming an arch that prevents the perineum from bearing all the weight. However, other than putting pressure on the perineum, in a "nosed" seat, you also run the risk of crushing your balls especially in summer when its very hot and your scrotum sags down to release extra heat; I personally find it very uncomfortable, but in winter when your scrotum stays tight to retain the heat, its not a problem. So the conclusion of this whole debate is that you have to have your butt bearing your weight rather than your groin. Until now I didn't even know that there exists something like a nose-less seat, I just learnt about this type of seat while surfing the net for a comfortable seat. Of course it will take some 'getting used to', to get the things right, based on the pictures of different seats I have seen, but it would be worth it. There is no way you can have your perineum bear any weight if you ride a nose-less seat, because there is nothing it would be pressing against; in other words, your perineal region and the balls would be suspended in space. The problem however is that these seats cost more than an average bike sometimes, why is that? Why are they so much more expensive even though I think it should take less material or expertise to make them and if you look closely, they are mere modifications of the old designs. I can make one if I have access to a few tools and machines.... these people are thugs!
I think something that can be added to the discussion that I don't see in anybody's post is the fact that there are padded shorts that men and women both can benefit from. I biked a lot as a kid, and recently got back into it this year. So it's been over 20 years since I've biked as much as I'm biking now. I wear my shorts all the time, and I think it has done wonders. Are there any thoughts regarding padded shorts?
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