Erectile function in amateur cyclists

Submitted: April 9, 2022
Accepted: June 4, 2022
Published: June 30, 2022
Abstract Views: 979
PDF: 529
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

Introduction: Cycling is a popular means of transport and recreational activity; bicycles are also a source of genitourinary injuries and there is the idea that cycling may have a significant impact on sexual function. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of amateur cycling on erectile function. Methods: We used a questionnaire comparing amateur cyclists (n = 199) and footballers (n = 43), regarding sexual related comorbidities and hours of practice per week. The cyclists were also characterized in terms of road vs cross-country, breaks during cycling, saddle, and shorts. To evaluate erectile function, the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire was applied. Results: there was no difference in International Index of Erectile Function total score between groups. Age and presence of erectile dysfunction associated comorbidity were negative factors in the International Index of Erectile Function score in cyclists but not in the footballers. Conclusions: Cycling is usually associated with perineal numbness, but that numbness did not lead to lower International Index of Erectile Function scores. In conclusion amateur cycling has no effect on EF.

Dimensions

Altmetric

PlumX Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

Sommer F, Goldstein I, Korda JB. Bicycle riding and erectile dysfunction: a review. J Sex Med. 2010; 7:2346-58. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01664.x
Sundquist K et al. Frequent and occasional physical activity in the elderly: a 12-year follow-up study of mortality. Am J Prev Med. 2004; 27:22-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2004.03.011
Thompson MJ, Rivara FP. Bicycle-related injuries. Am Fam Physician. 2001; 63:2007-14.
Parazzini F, et al. Effect of body mass and physical activity at younger age on the risk of prostatic enlargement and erectile dysfunction: Results from the 2018 #Controllati survey. Arch Ital Urol Androl. 2020; 91:245-250 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/aiua.2019.4.245
Desai KM, Gingell JC. Hazards of long distance cycling. BMJ. 1989; 298:1072-3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.298.6680.1072
Baran C, Mitchell GC, Hellstrom WJ. Cycling-related sexual dysfunction in men and women: a review. Sex Med Rev. 2014; 2:93-101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smrj.32
Marceau L, et al. Does bicycling contribute to the risk of erectile dysfunction? Results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS). Int J Impot Res. 2001; 13:298-302. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3900733
Andersen KV, Bovim G. Impotence and nerve entrapment in long distance amateur cyclists. Acta Neurol Scand. 1997; 95:233-40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0404.1997.tb00104.x
Dettori JR, et al. Erectile dysfunction after a long-distance cycling event: associations with bicycle characteristics. J Urol. 2004;172:637-41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ju.0000130749.37731.9f
Sommer F, et al. Impotence and genital numbness in cyclists. Int J Sports Med. 2001; 22:410-3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2001-16248
Baek S, et al. Bicycle riding: impact on lower urinary tract symptoms and erectile function in healthy men. Int Neurourol J. 2011; 15:97-101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5213/inj.2011.15.2.97
Silva JF, et al. Aerobic evaluation in soccer. Rev. bras. cineantropom. desempenho hum. (Online) 2011; p. 384-391.
McMillan K, et al. Lactate threshold responses to a season of professional British youth soccer. Br J Sports Med. 2005; 39:432-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2004.012260
Feldman HA, et al. Impotence and its medical and psychosocial correlates: results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Urol. 1994; 151:54-61. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5347(17)34871-1
Martin-Morales A, et al. Prevalence and independent risk factorsfor erectile dysfunction in Spain: results of the Epidemiologia de la Disfuncion Erectil Masculina Study. J Urol. 2001; 166:569-74. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5347(05)65986-1
Jeong SJ, et al., Bicycle saddle shape affects penile blood flow. Int J Impot Res. 2002; 14:513-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3900929
Lowe BD, Schrader SM, Breitenstein MJ. Effect of bicycle saddle designs on the pressure to the perineum of the bicyclist. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004; 36:1055-62. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1249/01.MSS.0000128248.40501.73
Munarriz R, et al. Only the nose knows: penile hemodynamic study of the perineum-saddle interface in men with erectile dysfunction utilizing bicycle saddles and seats with and without nose extensions. J Sex Med. 2005: 2:612-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2005.00089.x
Schrader SM, Breitenstein MJ, Lowe BD. Cutting off the nose to save the penis. J Sex Med. 2008; 5:1932-40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2008.00867.x
Goldstein I, Lurie AL, Lubisich JP. Bicycle riding, perineal trauma, and erectile dysfunction: data and solutions. Curr Urol Rep 2007; 8:491-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11934-007-0054-0
Michiels M, Van der Aa F. Bicycle riding and the bedroom: can riding a bicycle cause erectile dysfunction? Urology. 2015; 85:725-30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2014.12.034
Spears IR, et al. The effect of saddle design on stresses in the perineum during cycling. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003; 35:1620-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1249/01.MSS.0000084559.35162.73
Marcolin G, et al. Biomechanical comparison of shorts with different pads: an insight into the perineum protection issue. Medicine (Baltimore) 2015; 94: e1186. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000001186
Leibovitch I, Mor Y. The vicious cycling: bicycling related urogenital disorders. Eur Urol. 2005; 47:277-86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2004.10.024
Awad MA, Gaither TW, Murphy GP, et al. Cycling, and male sexual and urinary function: results from a large, multinational, cross-sectional study. J Urol. 2018; 199:798-804. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2017.10.017
Hollingworth M. Harper S, Hamer M. An observational study of erectile dysfunction, infertility, and prostate cancer in regular cyclists: Cycling for Health UK Study. Journal of Men´s health. 2014; 11:75-79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/jomh.2014.0012
Sgrò P, Di Luigi L. Sport and male sexuality. J Endocrinol Invest. 2017; 40:911-923. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-017-0652-8
Silva AB, et al. Physical activity and exercise for erectile dysfunction: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2017; 51:1419-1424. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-096418
Simon RM, et al. The association of exercise with both erectile and sexual function in black and white men. J Sex Med. 2015; 12:1202-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jsm.12869

How to Cite

e Brito, D. V., Pereira-Lourenço, M., Pereira, J. A., Eliseu, M. ., & Rabaça, C. (2022). Erectile function in amateur cyclists. Archivio Italiano Di Urologia E Andrologia, 94(2), 232–236. https://doi.org/10.4081/aiua.2022.2.232