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Does riding a bicycle cause loss of sex drive or erectile dysfunction?
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Saddle Seats and Erectile Dysfunction - The myth Exploded
A presentation at The NYU Medial Center at a Urology Conference
Presented on December 7, 1999 by Charles McCorkell Owner Bicycl Habitat
Exploring the flaws in current studies on the Erectile Dysfunction issue.
A presentation at the NYU Medical Center
(Before I presented Dr. Goldstein did his customary attack on bike saddles,
and Dr McCullough presented a power point show hitting the highlights of
research to date and the health benefits of cycling.-- Charlie)
I'd like to thank Dr. McCullough for inviting me here today. I am both very
appreciative and very nervous about this opportunity. I'm nervous because it's
been a while since I addressed a large group, and, like most men, when the
subject of "erectile dysfunction" (ED) comes up, all I want to do is put my
knees together and put my hand in my pocket.
"Men should never ride bicycles. Riding should be banned and outlawed. It is
the most irrational form of exercise I could ever bring to discussion." So says
Dr Irwin Goldstein.
Over the years doctors have sent me many clients. They have come with stories
of heart problems, diabetes, hypertension, mid-life weight gain, osteoporosis,
and musculo-skeletal problems, all of which are addressable by a regular
exercise routine. They have chosen bicycling because it is convenient, and fun.
Over the years cycling has also sent many patients to doctors. Most went to
emergency rooms or orthopedists. But when Bicycling magazine and 20/20 did
their infamous pieces on cycling and ED, I thought I was probably sending some
of my customers to urologists as well.
It wasn't until a month ago, when I got a chance to see the abstracts on the
studies and some of the data, that I realized that what I had believed for the
last 3 years might be wrong, and what I believed for the 20 years before that
might be right: Cycling is good for your sex life.
The principal study citing a possible ED - cycling link is the Schwarzer study
- AUA Abstract 952. This is adose-response survey study comparing the responses
of cyclists and swimmers. The study found cyclists were twice as likely to
suffer severe impotence than swimmers. Unfortunately, the report did not adjust
the results for the fact the swimmers were on average 10 years younger than the
cyclists, nor did the abstract detail the margin of error in the survey, which
would push the impotency rates between the cyclists and swimmers into a
statistical tie. In political terms, It's too close to call. The final blow to
this survey came when a colleague of mine, Bud Hoffacker, the owner of Avocet
cycling products, graphed the impotency rates of the cyclists against the
findings of the Mass. Male Aging Study and demonstrated that when compared to
the general male population, cyclists were half as likely to suffer severe
impotence and 1/3 as likely to suffer any form of impotence. The conclusion he
drew from the study is that cycling may not be as beneficial as swimming at
mitigating or eliminating impotence. Also he concluded, at a minimum cycling
does not expose riders to a higher risk of impotence.
The other major study was AUA abstract 941, titled "You don't have to ride in
the Tour de France". This was a backwards study in which 1600 men with ED were
surveyed and the 81 men self reporting that they believed bicycling was 50%
responsible for their ED were studied. From this the authors concluded that
"Bicycle riding associated impotence occurs in different forms of bicycle
riding and riding exposures." In my shop a customer will come in with a flat
tire, and he will often tell me why he got a flat. He will be wrong about the
tire being punctured 2% of the time and wrong about the cause of the flat 50%
of the time, I wonder if these same people can diagnose why they got a flat
penis. What I would really like to see is some hard facts on cycling and ED.
The part of this survey which really jumped out at me was that 26% of the
participants said they used aero handle bars. This is a system that moves your
body into a more aerodynamic position by moving your center of gravity forward
and down. This also has the effect of putting more weight on the perineal area.
These riders, while making up 26% of the study group, make up about 1/10 of 1%
of cyclists. This definitely suggests a risk area or a major flaw in the self
identification of the study group.
Biking and Erectile Dysfunction: A Real Risk?
Some experts say ED may be an unwelcome side effect of bicycle riding.
By Tom Valeo
WebMD Feature Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD
For men, the health benefits of bicycling may involve a troublesome trade-off. While riding a bicycle burns calories and improves cardiovascular fitness, too many hours on a bicycle saddle can compress the artery and vital nerves leading to the penis.
The result? A risk of numbness, pain, and erect
A presentation at The NYU Medial Center at a Urology Conference
Presented on December 7, 1999 by Charles McCorkell Owner Bicycl Habitat
Exploring the flaws in current studies on the Erectile Dysfunction issue.
A presentation at the NYU Medical Center
(Before I presented Dr. Goldstein did his customary attack on bike saddles,
and Dr McCullough presented a power point show hitting the highlights of
research to date and the health benefits of cycling.-- Charlie)
I'd like to thank Dr. McCullough for inviting me here today. I am both very
appreciative and very nervous about this opportunity. I'm nervous because it's
been a while since I addressed a large group, and, like most men, when the
subject of "erectile dysfunction" (ED) comes up, all I want to do is put my
knees together and put my hand in my pocket.
"Men should never ride bicycles. Riding should be banned and outlawed. It is
the most irrational form of exercise I could ever bring to discussion." So says
Dr Irwin Goldstein.
Over the years doctors have sent me many clients. They have come with stories
of heart problems, diabetes, hypertension, mid-life weight gain, osteoporosis,
and musculo-skeletal problems, all of which are addressable by a regular
exercise routine. They have chosen bicycling because it is convenient, and fun.
Over the years cycling has also sent many patients to doctors. Most went to
emergency rooms or orthopedists. But when Bicycling magazine and 20/20 did
their infamous pieces on cycling and ED, I thought I was probably sending some
of my customers to urologists as well.
It wasn't until a month ago, when I got a chance to see the abstracts on the
studies and some of the data, that I realized that what I had believed for the
last 3 years might be wrong, and what I believed for the 20 years before that
might be right: Cycling is good for your sex life.
The principal study citing a possible ED - cycling link is the Schwarzer study
- AUA Abstract 952. This is adose-response survey study comparing the responses
of cyclists and swimmers. The study found cyclists were twice as likely to
suffer severe impotence than swimmers. Unfortunately, the report did not adjust
the results for the fact the swimmers were on average 10 years younger than the
cyclists, nor did the abstract detail the margin of error in the survey, which
would push the impotency rates between the cyclists and swimmers into a
statistical tie. In political terms, It's too close to call. The final blow to
this survey came when a colleague of mine, Bud Hoffacker, the owner of Avocet
cycling products, graphed the impotency rates of the cyclists against the
findings of the Mass. Male Aging Study and demonstrated that when compared to
the general male population, cyclists were half as likely to suffer severe
impotence and 1/3 as likely to suffer any form of impotence. The conclusion he
drew from the study is that cycling may not be as beneficial as swimming at
mitigating or eliminating impotence. Also he concluded, at a minimum cycling
does not expose riders to a higher risk of impotence.
The other major study was AUA abstract 941, titled "You don't have to ride in
the Tour de France". This was a backwards study in which 1600 men with ED were
surveyed and the 81 men self reporting that they believed bicycling was 50%
responsible for their ED were studied. From this the authors concluded that
"Bicycle riding associated impotence occurs in different forms of bicycle
riding and riding exposures." In my shop a customer will come in with a flat
tire, and he will often tell me why he got a flat. He will be wrong about the
tire being punctured 2% of the time and wrong about the cause of the flat 50%
of the time, I wonder if these same people can diagnose why they got a flat
penis. What I would really like to see is some hard facts on cycling and ED.
The part of this survey which really jumped out at me was that 26% of the
participants said they used aero handle bars. This is a system that moves your
body into a more aerodynamic position by moving your center of gravity forward
and down. This also has the effect of putting more weight on the perineal area.
These riders, while making up 26% of the study group, make up about 1/10 of 1%
of cyclists. This definitely suggests a risk area or a major flaw in the self
identification of the study group.
Biking and Erectile Dysfunction: A Real Risk?
Some experts say ED may be an unwelcome side effect of bicycle riding.
By Tom Valeo
WebMD Feature Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD
For men, the health benefits of bicycling may involve a troublesome trade-off. While riding a bicycle burns calories and improves cardiovascular fitness, too many hours on a bicycle saddle can compress the artery and vital nerves leading to the penis.
The result? A risk of numbness, pain, and erect