Male cyclists fertility?

Roadhawk

I recently start cycling about 12km to work so a round trip of 24km. I was looking into the health benefits of cycling but also found articles supporting the opposite:

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/saddle-up-lads-but-mind-your-fertility-1.1602852

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/boom-in-irish-cycling-linked-to-increased-male-infertility-300km-per-week-danger-zone/

Im hoping this was just a scare monger but im not sure. Any evidence supporting other views?

brownian

There's lot of literature - google it. Also the impact of cycling on the prostate and the (quite good) case for saddles-with-a-hole. And for sitting upright (specially, not riding in the drops). A sit-up-and-beg city bike is less of an issue than an out-and-out racer.

Of course, not everyone sees infertility as a negative 8-)

Oh...and 24km round trip (about an hour a day) is a fair bit less than the numbers quoted.

Wishbone Ash

Roadhawk wrote: »

.... 12km to work so a round trip of 24km....

Both articles refer to exceeding 300k per week. I think you'll be ok.

Being involved in a serious RTA would worry me more!

ford2600

Roadhawk wrote: »

I recently start cycling about 12km to work so a round trip of 24km. I was looking into the health benefits of cycling but also found articles supporting the opposite:

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/saddle-up-lads-but-mind-your-fertility-1.1602852

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/boom-in-irish-cycling-linked-to-increased-male-infertility-300km-per-week-danger-zone/

Im hoping this was just a scare monger but im not sure. Any evidence supporting other views?

From memory the most often quoted study was of well trained triathletes, very aggressive position with likely high power (and therfore heat stress) activity.

Your balls are separated in their sack away from rest of body for temperature control primarily.

I'd be pretty happy your hour a day is making you fitter, and helping keeping everything working.

Eat plenty fat, lift heavy stuff and do a HIIT bouts won't do any harm to testosterone levels.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/7-smart-ways-to-boost-your-testosterone.html

Lusk_Doyle

Two kids with two years between them and a shed load of cycling in the lead up to their making says it's all good in the [sack] hood!

omri

I did 10k km/year before we had 1st kid. I was more concerned about how fairy liquid would affect my fertility as we had no dishwasher and I was on duty.

RobFowl

Ive been cycling since i could walk and now have 2 kids.

Wish it had affected my fertility

Chuchote

"Boardman lives with his wife and six children in his native Wirral…"
"Roche lives in Antibes on the Côte d'Azur…He has four children…"
Lance Armstrong has five children, despite chemo and radiation…

Doc07

Roadhawk wrote: »

I recently start cycling about 12km to work so a round trip of 24km. I was looking into the health benefits of cycling but also found articles supporting the opposite:

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/saddle-up-lads-but-mind-your-fertility-1.1602852

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/boom-in-irish-cycling-linked-to-increased-male-infertility-300km-per-week-danger-zone/

Im hoping this was just a scare monger but im not sure. Any evidence supporting other views?

I'm not allowed give medical advice on this site ( and rightly so)

So here is some anecdotal evidence;

Jens Voigt: 6 kids

Lance : 5 kids with one nut

Me: 2 kids SINCE I took up cycling 2 1/2 years ago!

Enjoy your bike and your family!

Beasty

RobFowl wrote: »

Ive been cycling since i could walk and now have 2 kids.

Wish it had affected my fertility

That's a bit mean, even if they are Arsenal fans....

:pac:

mamax

Cycling won't affect your fertility !
Having Kids Will affect your fertility !

When my 4th was born I got the snip !!!

FortySeven

Never off my bike before 30. Did epic mileage and cracked my nuts in many stunts gone wrong. Bmx, mountain or racing.

2 kids at 29/30 got me into a car.

fat bloke

You're worried about cycling maybe preventing you being able to have children.
What you should be worried about is the fact that having kids definitely prevents you going out for a cycle!

tomasrojo

Long-distance driving also affects fertility (position of testes keeps temperatures higher than optimal). It's really more of a sitting issue than an exclusively cycling issue.

crosstownk

If only cycling affected fertility.......... It would have saved me €500 to get the snip!! Wiggles loss.

CramCycle

tomasrojo wrote: »

Long-distance driving also affects fertility (position of testes keeps temperatures higher than optimal). It's really more of a sitting issue than an exclusively cycling issue.

DNA testing has shown that neither sitting on my arse doing nowt for years, nor cycling for years, has done anything to my fertility.

The damage done to my bank account by cycling is nowt compared to the damage done by my inability to become infertile through laziness or cycling.

man_no_plan

Whatever about infertility, who would want this??

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/post/96450434

Roadhawk

Thanks for all the replies. I guess the ill be ok doing my 24km per day. Im also on a hybrid/commuter style bike so less risk than a racer. I'll carry on so...i was about to have the bike up on adverts :-)

tomasrojo

man_no_plan wrote: »

Whatever about infertility, who would want this??

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/post/96450434

Lusk_Doyle's missus?

Taxuser1

in case you're feeling frisky, just to get you in the mood, here's some bike porn

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=138864&page=580

tigerboon

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Roadhawk wrote: »

.... 12km to work so a round trip of 24km....

Both articles refer to exceeding 300k per week. I think you'll be ok.

Being involved in a serious RTA would worry me more!

Wishbone Ash said:
287k yesterday (from Gortahork, Co Donegal to Rush, Co Dublin).

No better man to test that theory

shamrock2004

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Both articles refer to exceeding 300k per week. I think you'll be ok.

Thats me and you screwed so.

shamrock2004

Also I wouldnt get hung up about it. I used to know a bloke who thought that a man was fertile depending on the moon's positioning in the sky.

3 kids later he re-evaluted that theory.

iwillhtfu

Roadhawk wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies. I guess the ill be ok doing my 24km per day. Im also on a hybrid/commuter style bike so less risk than a racer. I'll carry on so...i was about to have the bike up on adverts :-)

If it does end up affecting your fertility can I borrow your bike 4 in I'm only shy of taking a hammer to them. (The plums that is not the kids)

Before anyone mentions it. Yes I should get out on the bike more. Refer to fatblokes comment earlier

Lusk_Doyle

tomasrojo wrote: »

Lusk_Doyle's missus?

No need. After two for two I'm never touching her again!

2RockMountain

I think it may well have been a factor in fertility issues in the past. I was a regular commuting cyclist and occasional weekend cyclist with a decent Brooks saddle. I generally did 1-2 hour spins, and not the 3-6 spins that some of you seem to do at the drop of a had. We ended up having to go with IVF due the problems on both sides. The docs could never really confirm or deny cycling as a cause for me.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Cycled regularly from my early teens right into my late 20's, then had a ten year hiatus before getting back on a bike. We have 2 children and had one miscarriage so cycling hasn't effected my fertility in the slightest.

iamtony

The temperature of your meat and two veg in Ireland isn't an issue while cycling that's for sure, I make a point of showing my bits to the missus afterwards for a laugh, they get so cold and contract so much to try keep themselves warm, nothing but a hot shower bring them back out;-)
I'd say if has the opposite effect and is similar to folk in the past taking ice baths to increase fertility!

sonandheir

My fertility is affecting my cycling, 4 kids in last 5 years. Cycling time has dramatically decreased ;-)