Cycling And Impotence

'There are two kinds of cyclists: those who are impotent and those who will be' That claim was made by Dr Irwin Goldstein, a Boston University Medical School urologist, who recently released data from two unpublished studies linking cycling to impotence, more or less echos the words of Hippocrates. Goldstein warns that anyone who rides a bike is susceptible to sexual and urinary tract dysfunction as well as unrecognized blunt trauma. In an interview with the Seattle Times, he said, "Bicycle riders violate safe perineal health. I have documented bicycle-riding impotence in young teens who perform daredevil tricks, commuters, weekend riders, stationary bikers, avid road racers, and mountain bikers." Goldstein attributes these injuries not only to continuous riding stress on the penal area ut also to falling into a bike seat or bar. The idea that riding too long in a saddle may cause sexual dysfunction isn't new. But there are only a few medically documented accounts of impotence due to cycling (or horse back riding). Yet, an increasing number of physicians believe the problem is more prevalent and serious than reported. Saddle Design: Aside from relatively rare cases of falling injuries, cycling impotence appears to be caused by the compression of two nerves between the saddle and the pubic bone. These nerves lead to the penis and are responsible for regulating the penal blood flow that allows for an erection. Signs and Symptoms: