By Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, NCS
(NCS) — During the pandemic, I did what many different individuals did: I purchased a stationary bike. I joined the group rides, pushed by means of the resistance and pedaled my strategy to higher well being. A few weeks in, I began noticing one thing I didn’t count on — a refined, intermittent stress close to my prostate that lingered all through the day.
As a urologist, understanding what these sensations can generally sign solely made me extra anxious.
Was the bike irritating one thing necessary? Was this the beginning of persistent prostate ache and even hassle in the bed room? The fear constructed up sufficient that I ended using and ultimately bought the bike. That concern is one thing I hear from sufferers on a regular basis: Is biking inflicting my prostate points or erection issues? The science-based reply is that it in all probability doesn’t.
In my case — and in many others — the issue wasn’t the bike or the exercise. It was my type and my thoughts.
The stress your prostate feels
The prostate sits just under the bladder and wraps across the urethra. It is situated deep in the pelvis, straight above the perineum (the smooth space between the scrotum and anus). Anything that irritates that area, together with stress, tight muscle mass or extended sitting, can create sensations that males interpret as “prostate pain.”
Cycling concentrates your physique weight on the perineum, the place the pudendal nerve, key blood vessels and the pelvic flooring muscle mass all journey. The main nerves that assist erections additionally run alongside the outer floor of the prostate, which is why irritation in the encircling tissues can really feel like a prostate or sexual perform drawback, even when the gland itself is regular.
A slim or conventional bike saddle can press on these delicate areas for lengthy durations, creating burning, stress or a bruised feeling. That discomfort is actual, however it isn’t the prostate or surrounding nerves themselves being broken. Cycling impacts the tissues across the gland — not the gland itself. This mirrors what the most recent American Urological Association guidelines notice: Perineal stress and extended sitting are identified triggers for pelvic and scrotal ache, not true prostate harm.
Prostatitis: The misunderstood situation
Prostatitis is without doubt one of the mostly misunderstood diagnoses in my discipline. The extreme bacterial type — the one which causes fever, chills and intense urinary signs — is uncommon. Much extra typically, males are informed they’ve prostatitis, despite the fact that there is no such thing as a an infection. Their signs come from irritated or tight pelvic flooring muscle mass, nerve hypersensitivity, stress or extended sitting — issues that don’t present up on urine checks or cultures. Tenderness in these muscle mass is discovered in a major variety of males with pelvic ache, which helps clarify why the signs can really feel so much like prostate irritation.
Cycling can irritate these muscle mass for some riders, particularly in the event that they keep seated your complete experience or are new to the exercise. The discomfort that follows can really feel similar to true prostate irritation, despite the fact that the prostate itself is regular.
What about erectile dysfunction?
The concern of erectile dysfunction typically seems the second males really feel stress or numbness in the pelvic area after a experience. Older analysis research raised issues that biking would possibly cut back blood stream to the penis. Those early research made headlines, and lots of males nonetheless assume there’s a direct hyperlink between biking and erectile dysfunction — however that’s not essentially true.
More recent research exhibits that common biking doesn’t enhance the long-term danger of erectile dysfunction. In reality, many cyclists report higher sexual perform than those that don’t experience, primarily as a result of biking or any train can enhance coronary heart and vascular well being. Temporary numbness or tingling after a protracted or intense experience can occur, however it sometimes resolves rapidly as soon as stress is relieved.
A fast ED actuality test
Erections rely on wholesome blood vessels, well-functioning nerves and balanced hormones working along with psychological components reminiscent of stress and arousal. Chronic situations reminiscent of diabetes, hypertension, excessive ldl cholesterol and coronary heart illness are among the many most typical contributors to erectile dysfunction as a result of they cut back blood stream to the penis. Smoking, inactivity, weight problems, stress and sure medicines additionally play main roles in the standard of erections.
Testosterone impacts libido and power however is never the only reason behind erectile dysfunction. The latter is often a whole-body problem, not a biking drawback. And as talked about earlier, the cardiovascular advantages of biking typically assist erectile perform relatively than hurt it.
Why biking signs nonetheless occur
Even if biking doesn’t trigger everlasting hurt, it could actually nonetheless go away riders with non permanent sensations throughout or after a experience. These emotions come from how your physique meets the saddle — the period of time you keep seated, your posture and the way conditioned your pelvic muscle mass are for supporting stress in that place.
How you experience additionally issues. Stationary bikes typically maintain you in one place for prolonged durations, particularly throughout high-resistance climbs, which may enhance pelvic stress. That’s completely different than outside biking, which naturally shifts your weight — you stand to pedal, modify throughout climbs and descents, and transfer extra freely — giving the pelvic muscle mass transient breaks. Electric bikes help throughout more durable efforts and will restrict how far ahead you lean, however they nonetheless rely on correct saddle match and posture.
Factors reminiscent of saddle form, handlebar peak and uninterrupted time in the seat decide how a lot stress the pelvis absorbs. New riders have a tendency to note these sensations extra just because their our bodies haven’t but tailored to longer durations in the saddle.
Some males might discover pelvic signs greater than others. Riders with a historical past of decrease again issues, hip tightness, persistent stress, anxiousness or earlier pelvic ache typically have extra delicate pelvic flooring muscle mass to start with. Men with desk jobs who sit for lengthy hours can also really feel saddle stress extra intensely after they first begin biking. These signs don’t imply hurt is being executed — however they do imply your physique might have extra consideration to bike match, posture and gradual mileage.
How to guard your pelvic well being
Most cycling-related discomfort improves with changes relatively than stopping the exercise. Saddles with middle cutouts or break up designs cut back stress on delicate areas, and small adjustments in seat peak, tilt or handlebar place can shift weight away from the perineum.
Briefly standing each 10 to fifteen minutes, sporting padded shorts and constructing mileage step by step also can assist.
If signs persist, pelvic flooring bodily remedy is without doubt one of the strongest evidence-backed therapies out there. The aim isn’t to cease biking — it’s to experience in a manner that helps consolation, protects the encircling tissues and permits your physique to adapt safely over time.
When signs deserve analysis
Persistent numbness, discomfort lasting hours or days after biking, painful erections or new urinary adjustments must be evaluated. These signs are often treatable and don’t suggest everlasting harm.
Equipment changes, a brief break from using or focused remedy typically resolve the difficulty.
Persistent signs shouldn’t be ignored, however in addition they shouldn’t set off panic. Most riders enhance with simple adjustments.
The biking backside line
Cycling didn’t injury my prostate or have an effect on my sexual well being — however the sensations I felt had been actual, and the concern is one thing I hear from males each week. Understanding how saddle stress interacts with the pelvic flooring and nerves might help you experience extra comfortably and interpret new sensations with out assuming the worst.
Looking again, I in all probability didn’t must promote my bike. What I wanted was a greater seat, just a few changes and a reminder to not panic the second one thing in my pelvis felt completely different.
I do know many males react the identical manner I did — with concern first, info later. You don’t need to. With the best setup and a bit of consciousness, biking can keep a part of your routine with out placing your prostate or sexual well being in danger.
And this isn’t nearly biking. Any new train will include an adjustment interval, and it’s regular to really feel unfamiliar aches as your physique adapts. A little preparation, good type and asking for assist once you want it could actually maintain you shifting safely.
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