How common are cycling-related perineal symptoms?
• In a study of perineal compression and blood flow to the penis in male cyclists, penile blood supply decreased significantly in 70% of the 40 cyclists who participated in the study. Numbness in the genital area was reported by 61% of the cyclists, and 19% of the cyclists who rode their bikes more than 250 miles per week complained of erectile dysfunction. • In a study of 463 cyclists competing in a long-distance cycling event (200 miles), perineal numbness during the ride was experienced by 31% of the cyclists and was associated with erectile dysfunction that lasted as long as one week after the event. • In a study called a meta-analysis (where many studies on the same subject are summarized), results of 35 studies conducted between 1981 and 2004 that examined the relationship between cycling and erectile dysfunction showed that the prevalence of moderate to severe erectile dysfunction in bicyclists was 4.2%, and that riding more than three hours per week was a risk factor for develo
