Even soft-padded bike seats may put a brake on any hopes of fatherhood, study warns
Until now, it’s been ‘Mamils’ (Middle Aged Men in Lycra) who have most had to worry about cycling putting a spoke in their love lives.
Experts warned that those tight shorts could lead to lower sperm counts – and the razor-sharp saddles might not help, either.
But there is worse news for the more occasional cyclist.
This is because even a soft-padded bike seat may put a brake on any hopes of fatherhood, an in-depth study suggests.
Men who cycle for three or more hours a week sitting on a ‘comfort’ bike seat are up to 25 per cent less likely to get their partner pregnant in a month of trying, compared to non-cyclists.
And they may have more of a problem than the Mamils on their racing saddles.
The padded seats squash a major artery supplying blood to the genitals, which affects temperature regulation in the testicles, say researchers, reducing sperm count and its quality.
The soft seats may also cause erectile dysfunction.
Men who cycle for three or more hours a week sitting on a ‘comfort’ bike seat are up to 25 per cent less likely to get their partner pregnant in a month of trying, compared to non-cyclists
Researchers looked at 5,000 men in Denmark and North America, who completed questionnaires on physical activity and cycling, and tracked their partners for months to see if they got pregnant.
Professor Lauren Wise, the lead author from Boston University, said: ‘Cushioned bike seats, often using materials like foam, can compress the pudendal artery supplying blood to the genitals and may increase the temperature in that area.
‘There has not been much research… so it is premature to make public health recommendations.
‘However, male cyclists who have had difficulty conceiving might consider cutting back on cycling.’
For the study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, men were asked the type of bike seat they used most – a ‘soft, comfort seat’ or ‘hard, racing-style seat’.
Researchers took into account factors including men’s age, sugary drink consumption, whether they smoked and how often they had sex.
There was no evidence that cycling using a hard, racer-style saddle was linked with poorer male fertility.
Professor Allan Pacey, from the University of Manchester, said: ‘I can’t explain why soft bicycle seats are more of a problem, but perhaps it relates to the type of cycling that people are doing.’
