If you suffer from prostate problems, cycling may seem like not the best exercise option. You may also feel some discomfort after bouncing on your saddle for a while, and this can sabotage your joy of riding. However, there are some tips that may get you back in the saddle again.
Prostate Gland
The prostate is a walnut-sized sex gland in men positioned between the bladder and the penis. The prostate encircles the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis. The gland secretes a milky fluid that protects the life and motility of sperm during emission. As men grow older, the prostate commonly becomes enlarged, reducing the flow of semen and urine through the urethra, and sometimes leading to complications, including bladder, kidney or urinary tract problems.
Prostatitis
Prostatitis, a group of disorders involving inflammation of the prostate gland, can cause varied symptoms, including pain or burning when urinating, frequent urination, difficulty urinating, an urgent need to urinate, painful ejaculations, and pain or discomfort of the penis, testicles or area between the penis and the rectum. While 5 to 10 percent of the cases of prostatitis result from a bacterial infection, according to MayoClinic.com, other causal factors can include immune or nervous system disorders, infection, psychological stress and traumatic injury. Risk factors for bacterial prostatitis includes trauma from bicycling or horseback riding.
Biking and Prostate Problems
Long hours of aggressive biking might cause -- and can certainly worsen -- symptoms of prostatitis. Urologist William J. Catalona, M.D. of the Urological Research Foundations notes that prolonged cycling can affect potency by injuring the pundendal arteries supplying blood to the penis. Catalona also suggests that cycling can traumatize the prostate and cause an elevation in prostate-specific antigen, a protein the prostate gland produces that indicates risk for prostate problems such as cancer. Catalona states, however, that bicycle riding does not increase the risk of prostate enlargement or prostate cancer.
Research reported in the March 2005 "European Urology" indicates that cycling can increase the risk of several urogenital conditions, including genitalia numbness, found in 50 to 91 percent of cyclists, and erectile dysfunction, reported in 13 to 24 percent. However, the study found that an enlarged prostate and prostititis wer not common complaints among the cyclists studied.
Suggestions
Whether or not cycling causes prostatitis, it can exacerbate symptoms and cause discomfort. During flare-ups, pay attention to the pain and avoid prolonged bike rides. Once symptoms subside, research seats and saddles that provide a more comfortable, less distressing ride. Split saddle seats provide two cushions with a split down the middle to provide support for the aptly-named sitz bones, which protrude from the bottom of your pelvis and elevate your buttock on the saddle to relieve pressure on the prostate and pundendal nerve and artery. Cutaway saddles have an opening near the front of the seat, sometimes covered with plastic, that provide some open space to relieve pressure. Other innovative seat designs include the Real Seat, which is like a lawn chair for your bike.
Other interventions to try include tilting your saddle down slightly to relieve pressure on the groin, and wearing a double layer of bicycle shorts to provide extra support. Avoid heavily cushioned seats and saddles, as the extra padding can apply additional pressure to the sensitive areas between your sitz bones.
