According to the researchers, many women who cycle or take classes inspinning (with exercise bikes) in a gym they have complained of numbness and loss of sensation in the genital area. But until now the link between sensation and cycling has not been scientifically proven. The new study was based on women who cycled at least 10 miles a week for 4 weeks. The participants brought their own bicycles to the laboratory, where they were placed on static machines for the women to use as they used to outside. The scientists compared the effect of different types of bicycles, with different seating positions and handlebars, and analyzed the pressure on the pelvic floor of the cyclists. The analysis measured the participants’ genital sensation in micrometers – thousandths of a millimeter – using an esthesiometer, an instrument for measuring tactile sensitivity.
The results showed that the most determining factor was the position of the handlebar. Thewomen who used bicycles that had handlebars located lower than the seat had more pressure on the perineumand less sensitivity in the pelvic floor. According to the researchers, the further down the handlebars, the more the woman must lean forward, and the more body weight the perineum supports. Modifying the structure of the bicycle could reduce the negative effects on sexuality of the habitual use of this means of transport.
Other previous studies suggest that men who cycle at least 5 hours a week may have lower sperm counts in semen and are less likely to conceive.
