Serious Riders, Your Bicycle Seat May Affect Your Love Life (new studies)

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Serious Riders, Your Bicycle Seat May Affect Your Love Life
By SANDRA BLAKESLEE
Published: October 4, 2005


A raft of new studies suggest that cyclists, particularly men, should be careful which bicycle seats they choose.

The studies add to earlier evidence that traditional bicycle saddles, the kind with a narrow rear and pointy nose, play a role in sexual impotence.

Some saddle designs are more damaging than others, scientists say. But even so-called ergonomic seats, to protect the sex organs, can be harmful, the research finds. The dozen or so studies, from peer-reviewed journals, are summarized in three articles in September's Journal of Sexual Medicine.

In a bluntly worded editorial with the articles, Dr. Steven Schrader, a reproductive health expert who studies cycling at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, said he believed that it was no longer a question of "whether or not bicycle riding on a saddle causes erectile dysfunction."

Instead, he said in an interview, "The question is, What are we going to do about it?"...


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/04/health/nutrition/04bike.html