Estimates suggest that over 10 million American women bicycle on a regular basis. Although such exercise has enormous benefits and pleasure associated with it, there are also well-known risks like falls and collisions.
Research involving male bicyclists shows they face higher risks of neurological problems such as numbness and possibly erectile dysfunction. A recent study published in the November 2006 Journal of Sexual Medicine suggests that female cyclists may have risks of their own.
The researchers compared 48 female bicyclists with 22 female runners who served as controls. The mean age of the cyclists was 36 years, while that of the runners was 27. In addition to measuring the women's genital sensitivity, the researchers asked participants to report on their sexual responsiveness and level of sexual satisfaction or distress.
Results showed that the bicyclists had significantly less sensitivity in eight genital locations than did the runners. However, there were no significant differences in sexual functioning between the two groups, and levels of sexual distress were very low in both groups. The association between bicycling and reduced genital sensation may be due to repeated impact on the pudendal nerve, which is involved in genital sensation in both men and women.
The researchers plan to conduct further studies to find out if these effects are confined to competitive cyclists or affect recreational cyclists as well.
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