8 August 2008
Noseless Bike Saddles Make For Better Penile Health
by George Atkinson

A new study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine has examined, for the first time, whether noseless bicycle saddles can help alleviate the deleterious health effects (such as erectile dysfunction and groin numbness) caused by riding with a traditional saddle.

The results were compiled with the help of 90 bicycling police officers from 5 metropolitan regions in the U.S. who provided details about penile function and general sexual health using both traditional saddles, and then noseless bicycle saddles.

Impressively, the findings show that use of the noseless saddle resulted in a reduction in saddle contact pressure in the perineal region. The researchers say this resulted in a significant improvement in penile tactile sensation and significant increases in erectile function. With few exceptions, bicycling police officers were able to effectively use no-nose saddles in their police work and 97 percent of officers completing the study continued to use the no-nose saddle afterward.

"No-nose saddles are a useful intervention for bicycling police officers alleviating pressure to the groin and improving penis health. Different saddle designs may require some re-learning of 'how to ride a bicycle,' but the health benefits to having unrestricted vascular flow to and from the penis and less penile numbness is self-evident," noted researcher Dr. Steven Schrader, from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Cincinnati.

"Not only did their sensation improve, their erectile function also improved. This is a landmark study for our field that that is important for future riders," commented Dr. Irwin Goldstein, the editor-in-chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Related:
Wrong Bike Brings On Sexual Problems
Cycling And The Limp Dick
Erectile Problems And Cycling Under The Spotlight

Source: The Journal of Sexual Medicine