The Myth of Cycling and Impotence

It’s a subject few mention, but the effect of bike saddle fit on erectile functioning is a concern for many cyclists. It will come as a relief, then, to know that any connection between cycling and impotence, from a mechanical standpoint, is largely a myth (whether or not you’re too exhausted to perform after a century ride is another story, of course). According to an urology presentation at the NYU Medical Center given on December 7, 1999, the original cycling erectile dysfunction story arose out of a 20/20 episode on the subject which referenced “The Schwarzer Study” (AUA Abstract 952). This report, featured heavily in the television presentation, compared the sexual function of cyclists with those of swimmers, finding cyclists were more likely to suffer severe impotence than those who compete in the water. Unfortunately, as was highlighted by the NYU urology presentation, the study did not adjust for age (the cyclists profiled, on average, were at least a decade older than the swimmers), nor was the statistical margin for error mentioned on the show, a rate that, in actuality, would render the comparison between ED in the two types of athletes a statistical tie. In fact, when compared to the general male population, cyclists featured in the Massachusetts Male Aging Study were half as likely to experience ED as the average man on the street.  Maybe overall fitness and health are a better indicator…

Regardless, if you want to minimize the likelihood of experiencing pressure related issues on the bike that could be related to sexual dysfunction, start with a thorough bike fitting that looks at weight distribution and saddle selection carefully.  A small number of fitters (including Fit Werx in Vermont) even have saddle pressure scanning technology that is used in bicycle fitting to look in detail at saddle weight and pressure distribution to help guarantee that your position and the saddle you are using create as even and safe a pressure gradient as possible.