Cycling warning on the Examiner front page

Conor20

Was there any mention to whether this was a permanent thing? That seems to be an important point.

Eg. If it was due to, say, improper temperature control due to the saddle, then once these damaged sperm had passed through the system, would the count go back up provided the new supply wasn't exposed to the same cycling trauma?

Or is the system itself being damaged, according to the study?

Conor.

thebouldwhacker

Last week cycling was bad due to bone density, now it causes infertility... wtf? Is cycling going to be the next generations smoking? Will there be quit cycling support groups and some kind of patch one will have to wear?

flickerx

lukester wrote: »

With the usual provisos about medical advice on d'internet, how do you determine it's only a cyst and not something more sinister?

i had to go and get an ultrasound done to determine the makeup of the lump i.e. to find out if it was cancerous or not. that was a nerve destroying few weeks waiting to get the ultrasound done.

flickerx

TinyExplosions wrote: »

You had any re-occurrence since the op? I was told by a urologist that there's a fair chance that cycsts can regrow, which is why they only operate if it's painful or the patient insists

yeah they had said initially it was best to just leave it alone, but over the course of a few years it had grown larger, and as i mentioned it was becoming pretty painful in the cold, whenever i went swimming, and so on.

i check myself regularly, and there is some extra scar tissue around where they cut the cyst out, but its been ok so far, no noticeable lumps. i do find though that my right testicle where the cyst was is way, way more sensitive than before to the occasional knock. some of that is possibly psychological.

i'll probably go to a mens clinic some time soon and just ask for a referral for another ultrasound because i could do with a checkup.

TinyExplosions

flickerx wrote: »

i had to go and get an ultrasound done to determine the makeup of the lump i.e. to find out if it was cancerous or not. that was a nerve destroying few weeks waiting to get the ultrasound done.

Weeks? That's surprising... I had a similar lump on my neck (was a cyst too), and they had me in for ultrasound and MRI's galore in a week!

flickerx

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Weeks? That's surprising... I had a similar lump on my neck (was a cyst too), and they had me in for ultrasound and MRI's galore in a week!

i wasnt living in ireland at the time i discovered it in 2002, so it took a bit more time sorting things out for a hospital appointment.

if people are worried about low sperm count, there's an article on the BBC site today about how to keep the count good and healthy.

Captain Havoc

flickerx wrote: »

if people are worried about low sperm count, there's an article on the BBC site today about how to keep the count good and healthy.

Bit of a catch 22, if you have sex everyday you'll be shattered for cycling.

Chips Lovell

jerseyeire wrote: »

Bit of a catch 22, if you have sex everyday you'll be shattered for cycling.

I think you need to work on your fitness.

Remember James Hunt's famous slogan: "Sex: The Breakfast of Champions".

flickerx

jerseyeire wrote: »

Bit of a catch 22, if you have sex everyday you'll be shattered for cycling.

well, if it came down to choosing just one or the other, i know which one i'd pick.

(cycling)

faceman

Quite surprised this article came as news to people. Back when I was cycling to college 10 years ago they media ran these stories.

flickerx wrote: »

i had a testicular cyst removed a few years back, removed late 2005, discovered it early 2002, which the specialist said was probably the result of excess cycling with a crap saddle and a badly fitting bike,

Oh dear, the doctors never gave me that explanation, i used to cycle alot. 2+2 comes to mind...

Jumpy

jerseyeire wrote: »

Cyclists don't make good swimmers, it's been around for years.

Its illegal under the Euro rules anyway.

Captain Havoc

Jumpy wrote: »

Its illegal under the Euro rules anyway.

I wasn't referring to the sport

Jumpy

I know

torturedsoul

I know its been a while since this topic was spoken about but I myself am beginning to get concerned. Here is my experience on it.

I am 33 and always had a very healthy quantity of sperm. I have taken up cycling now approximately 3 months. I have always been quite fit hence I excelled on the bike quite quickly.

Over the last month (due to unemployment) I am clocking up approximately 250Km - 300Km a week. I generally spend 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours on the bike every session. In 10 days I would cycle for 7 out of those ten.

I have noticed a dramatic change in my sperm count and (forgive the description) ejaculation performance. I am now getting worried about it and I am afraid to go back on my bike (which I am missing so bad). My sperm quantity has decreased by more the half. I am going to the doctor Monday but I would be interested to see what some of the more experienced riders on here think.

I have an entry level Giant defy3 and the saddle is giving me a pain in the arse. I am aware its only a introductory bike, but could it have this sort of affect so soon? I am also wearing bib tights and shorts on top (maybe a bad idea on retrospect). I do notice numbness in my right foot, this gets relieved when I loosen my shoes.

Have ye any tips on the best type of saddle, position and angle. Should I be worried

Sr. Assumpta

torturedsoul wrote: »

I have noticed a dramatic change in my sperm count

Did you get them to fill out a census form? or have you been counting them yourself????

chakattack

Changes in quantity etc. could be related to lots of things so I wouldn't get too worried if it's short term.

The saddle that came with your giant is more than likely a pile of crap and it's worth investing in a good saddle if you're on the bike alot. If you come home feeling numb after a long cycle you need to change your saddle, saddle setup or both.

The problem is finding one and setting it up correctly:

Some good brands to look at:

Fizik
Selle Italia
Prologo
Specialized

Some of the bigger shops have try before you buy schemes which are very good to get a feel for what works for you. Some saddles are flat, some are curved, some have cutouts to relieve pressure. Less padding is often better especially if your fit enough for 300k/week.

Most saddles should be setup perfectly level and there is a sweet spot you should be sitting on (moving the saddle forward or back until it's in the right place - not too far as this affects your reach and pedal dynamics). Make sure you're not always sitting on the nose of the saddle. Make sure it is not pointing up or down dramatically - use a window ledge or similar as a guide if you don't have a spirit level.

Is your saddle too high? As a rough guide - your knee should be slightly bent at bottom of pedal stroke and straight if you do the same with your heel on the pedal.

I'd recommend getting a bike fit done and changing to a better saddle.

Only wear one pair of shorts/tights (good quality?) and use chamois cream.

petethedrummer

torturedsoul wrote: »

I am also wearing bib tights and shorts on top (maybe a bad idea on retrospect).

Bad idea. Most shorts have a seam that runs right up under your gentleman vegetables. They will also move about more and gather in the wrong area. You could get cycling specific baggy shorts which have the seam moved to the sides but really just ditch the overshorts. Let a bit of fresh air in.

Alias G

I got one of those selle smp saddles and have found it much more comfortable on the .... um ... undercarriage.

torturedsoul

cheers lads, thanks for the advice.

And chakattack, I am actually cycling on the nose most of the time alright. That could do damage considering the amount of time im spending on the bike. Where is the proper position, centre or at the back of the saddle?

Out of the saddle recommendations, do you go for one cut out in the middle? What about the brooks saddles?

Ironic thing is I haven't felt happier and better since I started cycling so I don't want to stop but I am worried I will do myself damage by having a bad technique.

Cheers for the help.

Moreofthatjazz

when we were kids a mate of mine dinged his dongs off the top tube in an illconcieved effort at a dirtjump, needless to say one of the nether regions did nay like this and ran for cover up inside his pelvis and refused to come out to play for many a year, which necessitated a helping scalpel in the end... its something that springs to mind every time a cleat pops and rather a ignominious dumping occurs... as regards checking for lumps i think Eddie Izzard puts it best " its hard to find a lump in what is essentially a bag of lumps" none the less it has to be done...

chakattack

torturedsoul wrote: »

cheers lads, thanks for the advice.

And chakattack, I am actually cycling on the nose most of the time alright. That could do damage considering the amount of time im spending on the bike. Where is the proper position, centre or at the back of the saddle?

Out of the saddle recommendations, do you go for one cut out in the middle? What about the brooks saddles?

Ironic thing is I haven't felt happier and better since I started cycling so I don't want to stop but I am worried I will do myself damage by having a bad technique.

Cheers for the help.

Happy to help the future generation

Your arse should be rested on the wider part at the rear of the saddle. Undo the bolt and slide the saddle forward until you're sitting there and not on the nose. Sitting on the nose long term won't do your nether regions any good.

Your reach might feel better then too. Do you get sore neck/shoulders?

I find cut out saddles good. I think you only need a brooks if you're doing 400-600km audax events or serious mileage.

The good news is you can still cycle...you just need to experiment a little to get the right setup.

torturedsoul

Nice one Chakattack, these tips are all the little subtleties that make a hugh difference. I do get neck pains a lot also.

Time to get the spirit level out me thinks :-)

ROK ON

torturedsoul wrote: »

Nice one Chakattack, these tips are all the little subtleties that make a hugh difference. I do get neck pains a lot also.

Time to get the spirit level out me thinks :-)

Time also to cease the sperm analysis so closely?

Captain Havoc

It's not moreofthatjazz he's looking for, it's moreofthatj...

Joking aside, I don't think you've been cycling long enough to have a long term effect but you'd probably want to see a doctor.

chakattack

torturedsoul wrote: »

Nice one Chakattack, these tips are all the little subtleties that make a hugh difference. I do get neck pains a lot also.

Time to get the spirit level out me thinks :-)

Just a caveat to moving the saddle forward too much, it affects how well you pedal. If you find you need to move it all the way forward you might need to get a shorter stem or even a shorter frame.

Look for some videos on bike fitting to get a better idea.

doozerie

All that you can see after "the act", unless you have a very good microscope, is semen, not sperm. I imagine lots of things can affect how much semen you produce, but some likely ones are probably how well hydrated you are, whether you are generally run down, how frequently you have, er, tapped your reserves recently, etc.

And for all those questions related to sperm and semen that you never knew you needed the answers to, there are many places to look, including here (the wikipedia pages even gives a sample picture, which looks disturbingly like a snapshot from a recipe book though not your average cookery book though as I can't imagine there is a huge demand for recipes with semen amongst the list of ingredients):

The average volume of semen produced at ejaculation is 2 to 5ml. Volumes consistently less than 1.5ml (hypospermia) or more than 5.5ml (hyperspermia) are probably abnormal. Lower volumes may occur after very frequent ejaculation and higher volumes are seen after prolonged abstinence.

The World Health Organisation provides a definition of a 'normal' sperm count:
* the concentration of spermatozoa should be at least 20 million per ml.
* the total volume of semen should be at least 2ml.
* the total number of spermatozoa in the ejaculate should be at least 40 million.
* at least 75 per cent of the spermatozoa should be alive (it is normal for up to 25 per cent to be dead).
* at least 30 per cent of the spermatozoa should be of normal shape and form.
* at least 25 per cent of the spermatozoa should be swimming with rapid forward movement.
* at least 50 per cent of the spermatozoa should be swimming forward, even if only sluggishly.

It is quite surprising how many dead and abnormal sperm can be present in a 'normal' sample.

Measuring sperm count is a very technical business and results can be affected by many factors, including the length of time between ejaculation and semen sample analysis, and how the sample is kept when being transported to the lab.

There can be enormous variation in sperm count in an individual, even over a few days. It is important that at least two, preferably three or more, samples are analysed, each at least two to three weeks apart. A single sample is inadequate to assess semen quality.

Sperm count is only an indication of fertilising capacity and a normal count does not guarantee success. In addition, more is not necessarily better, as too high a sperm count can also result in fertility problems.

doozerie

torturedsoul wrote: »

I am also wearing bib tights and shorts on top (maybe a bad idea on retrospect). I do notice numbness in my right foot, this gets relieved when I loosen my shoes.

Oh, and as regards wearing tights over shorts, there is no problem whatsoever doing that as far as I am concerned (did it for many years myself before I eventually bought a pair of decent winter tights with their own chamois). If the weather is too cold for just shorts, then you are unlikely to overheat anything with tights on top. You wouldn't typically wear tights that have their own chamois on top of shorts though, as the double chamois effect is just potentially uncomfortable and awkward.

As for numbness in your right foot, there could be several causes of that but quite often it's just shoes that are too tight or too small, badly positioned on the pedal, or the bed/insole of the shoe does not suit your foot for one reason or another.

Edit: Oops, mis-read torturedsoul's post as talking about wearing tights over shorts rather than shorts over tights. Assuming the tights don't have their own chamois then shorts over tights can have the issue of tights seams against your skin, as already mentioned, but also you lose the benefits of some aspects of some more modern shorts chamois - antibacterial, dimpling for comfort and heat dissipation, etc. I still wouldn't expect excess heat to be a long term medical concern, but the other factors may just make it an uncomfortable choice.