Table of contents:
- Cycling causes impotence
- Not only risky for men, but also women
- Why did this happen?
- Does this mean we can't ride cycling anymore?
Is it true that cycling causes sexual disturbances? Cycling with a very long duration and intensity is often found to increase the risk of disorders of the genitals, both men and women.
Cycling causes impotence
Over the past 10 to 15 years, various studies have examined the relationship between research and sexual problems. Such as research conducted in Norway involving 160 men who participated in a bicycle tour as far as 324 miles. The results showed that one in five men experienced numbness of their penis in about one week. It was later discovered that as many as 13% of the tour participants experienced impotence one week after the tour ended.
Research conducted by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health on police patrol units, proved that sitting on the saddle like a bicycle every day, results in impotence and decreased sexual performance. Another survey conducted by Massachusetts Male Aging Study In 1709 men with an age range of 40 to 70 years who frequently cycle in their daily lives, proving that there is indeed a relationship between impotence and frequent cycling.
Not only risky for men, but also women
A study reported in Journal of Sexual Medicine found that women who cycle frequently increase the risk of numbness in their sexual organs and can reduce a woman's sexual desire. The decrease in sensation in the sexual organs was higher in women who cycled with a higher seat position than the bicycle handlebars. This can occur due to increased pressure on the nerves and nerve vessels in the female genitals. The study consisted of 48 women who were all active cycling, at least 10 miles a week. One month later, many women from that group complained of pain, tingling, and numbness in their hips and genitals area.
Why did this happen?
When cycling, your weight rests entirely on your buttocks. On the buttocks, there is a part of the body called the perineum, which is an intermediate organ between the anus and the penis - in men - and the clitoris - in women. The perineum consists of nerves and arteries that supply blood to the vital organs. Bicycle seats are usually small, narrow, and long and have a "nose" at the end. This makes the perineum depressed and unable to flow blood to the vital organs and risks damaging the nerve tissue due to too much pressure. Poor blood flow to the genitals and nerve tissue disorders in the perineum can cause numbness in the clitoris in women and impotence in men.
An erection in men can occur when there is external stimulation and the nerves of the brain send this "arousal message" to the penis. The delivery of these messages requires good blood flow and delivery of messages to the nerve tissue in order to reach the penis. However, due to the pressure, blood flow to the penis is blocked and the message fails to be received. This is what causes men to experience impotence. According to research, a bicycle seat that is narrow and has a long tip, can reduce blood flow to the penis by 66%, while a wide, endless seat only reduces blood flow to the penis by 25%, and the same thing happens to women. .
Does this mean we can't ride cycling anymore?
If you love cycling, you shouldn't give up this activity for fear of experiencing impotence later in the day. Cycling is a good thing that can make your body healthy and fit if done regularly. But to avoid the bad effects of cycling, you can follow the following things:
- Choose a wide bicycle seat that doesn't have a long 'nose' at the end.
- Do not tilt your chair upwards, this position can increase the pressure on the perineum.
- Make sure the seat of your bike is set to the right height, so that your feet are comfortable when pedaling the pedals.
- Better to wear pants that are comfortable to wear, don't wear pants that are too tight and made of hot material.
- Adjust the height of the bicycle handlebars so that you are sitting straighter.
- Every now and then you can stand up and lift your buttocks while cycling, this helps to restore blood flow to your genitals.
