Should I worry?
Riding the wrong bike can make men impotent: Study"There is a greater incidence of numbness and erectile problems in men who cycle regularly and over longer training distances. That is why it is important to rest intermittently during prolonged and vigorous cycling," Nargund said.
Men who cycle a lot can also experience changes to their sperm function, because of the excessive heat generated in the pelvic area.
Regular cyclists can run a higher risk of testicular damage and impaired testicular function also. Mountain bikers run a particular risk as studies have shown that they exhibit higher levels of scrotal abnormalities than on-road cyclists.
oh and to make it all good again *phew*!
James Daley: Cyclotherapy"Male cyclists risk impotence," the headlines proclaimed, or "Droop handlebars" (as The Sun sensitively put it). For anyone looking for another reason to avoid trading in their car for a bike this summer, there it was.
But a closer look at the original journal article revealed that, surprise surprise, the conclusions of the study were not nearly as definitive as the headlines had suggested. While the author, Mr Vinod Nargund, a urologist surgeon at Barts hospital in London, had indeed discovered that the chance of men suffering from impotence or testicular damage is higher if they cycle regularly, the most common problems among male cyclists are simply "numbness", "soreness" and "skin problems" in the crotch - hardly life-threatening ailments.
Furthermore, the most serious of health problems only tend to be experienced by those who cycle for several hours every day - and, even then, the damage is often not permanent.
I don't mean any disrespect to Mr Nargund - I'm sure his work will prove a valuable contribution to the field of urology. But was it necessary to press-release the juiciest parts of his research, knowing full well the press would take a sensationalist approach to reporting it? I've heard people who swim are at a higher risk of drowning than those who don't, but I'm not sure it's worth alerting the national media.
In his press release, Mr Nargund explains mountain bikers are most at risk of sexual health problems. What he didn't say, however, was that previous studies have suggested you'd have to spend more than two hours a day, six days a week on your mountain bike to find yourself in any real danger. So that puts the other 99.9 per cent of us in the clear.
Men who cycle a lot can also experience changes to their sperm function, because of the excessive heat generated in the pelvic area.
Regular cyclists can run a higher risk of testicular damage and impaired testicular function also. Mountain bikers run a particular risk as studies have shown that they exhibit higher levels of scrotal abnormalities than on-road cyclists.
oh and to make it all good again *phew*!
James Daley: Cyclotherapy"Male cyclists risk impotence," the headlines proclaimed, or "Droop handlebars" (as The Sun sensitively put it). For anyone looking for another reason to avoid trading in their car for a bike this summer, there it was.
But a closer look at the original journal article revealed that, surprise surprise, the conclusions of the study were not nearly as definitive as the headlines had suggested. While the author, Mr Vinod Nargund, a urologist surgeon at Barts hospital in London, had indeed discovered that the chance of men suffering from impotence or testicular damage is higher if they cycle regularly, the most common problems among male cyclists are simply "numbness", "soreness" and "skin problems" in the crotch - hardly life-threatening ailments.
Furthermore, the most serious of health problems only tend to be experienced by those who cycle for several hours every day - and, even then, the damage is often not permanent.
I don't mean any disrespect to Mr Nargund - I'm sure his work will prove a valuable contribution to the field of urology. But was it necessary to press-release the juiciest parts of his research, knowing full well the press would take a sensationalist approach to reporting it? I've heard people who swim are at a higher risk of drowning than those who don't, but I'm not sure it's worth alerting the national media.
In his press release, Mr Nargund explains mountain bikers are most at risk of sexual health problems. What he didn't say, however, was that previous studies have suggested you'd have to spend more than two hours a day, six days a week on your mountain bike to find yourself in any real danger. So that puts the other 99.9 per cent of us in the clear.