Cycling May Diminish Sexual Pleasure in Women, Lead to Numbness of the Geni

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Cycling May Diminish Sexual Pleasure in Women, Lead to Numbness of the Genitalia

Women who cycle on a regular basis are at an increased risk of losing some sensation the pelvic region which can lead to less pleasure during sex.

Women who cycle on a regular basis are at an increased risk of losing some sensation the pelvic region which can lead to less pleasure during sex, according to a new Yale study.

While previous studies have linked cycling to numbness of genitalia and erectile dysfunction in males, especially if the handlebars to the bike are parallel or higher than the saddle, the latest findings show the opposite in females.

The study consisted of 48 women who all bicycled at least ten miles a week, four weeks a month.

Participants were instructed to ride their own bikes that were mounted on stationary stands and researcher asked them if they experienced ?soreness, tingling and other sensations? in their lower body.

Researchers then determined the women?s sensation in their pelvic floor using a pressure map which ?measured in microns using biosthesiometry measures of vibratory thresholds,? the study authors wrote.

Yale researchers, reporting in the May edition of the Journal Of Sexual Medicine, found that female cyclists who position their handlebars lower than the bike?s sear are at risk of decreased anterior vaginal and left labial genital sensation because of increased pressures put on the nerves and blood vessels surrounding the female cyclists? genitalia.

?Handlebars positioned lower than the saddle were significantly associated with increased perineum saddle pressures and decreased genital sensation in female cyclists,? the authors wrote.

Scientists suggest that by adjusting the height of the handlebars, the rider?s genital sensitivity and capacity for sexual pleasure will be less at risk.

?Modifying bicycle setup may help alleviate neuropathies in females,? the researchers explained.

The latest research follows a 2006 Yale study which also found linked cycling to decreased genital sensation, but had found no explanation.

Cycling has long been associated with male erectile dysfunction but the impact of bicycling on women has been less explored, according to researchers.

?Women riders also have decreased genital sensation; however, sparse information exists addressing the effects of modifiable risks on neurological injuries in females,? they concluded.

Source: Medical Daily

[Japlabot]

Just have to thrust harder

[DocM]

Not surprising, and males can suffer similar problems with a poorly designed seat or incorrectly set up bike. Prolonged pressure on delicate nerves & small blood vessels not designed for it can do bad things.